Frank Lampard

[Sheva. 5,373]

Nobody plays with two outright defensive midfielders. It's way too defensive a system and means you can't move the ball to your forwards well enough to generate an attack either. Lampard really shouldn't be covering for our defenders all that much. We are not playing a 4-3-3 with our backs bombing down the wings where our defensive midfielder need to cover the gaps. Our width should be coming from the attacking 3 midfielders meaning that Lampard should be 6th line of defence. Again, we need to work on positioning. Our defenders (especially Luiz and Ivanovic) need to be more disciplined in this new system.

Look at the discussion we're having. Luiz had a shocker of a game (Even the goal where Ramires made a mess of it, look at the replay, where exactly is Luiz? Lampard is back before him.) ..no matter what, the blame wheel always comes back to Lampard. If we don't score, it's his fault. If we give up goals, it's his fault. If we play well, it has nothing to do with him. People need scapegoats and unfortunately, this year it's going to be the greatest player in Chelsea history that serves the role.

Yeah i agree, wasn't thinking when i said that a box to box midfielder with a great engine like Ramires would be great to play alongside Mikel, but his passing is just shocking and he will surely cost us goals.

Only Meireles and Lampard available now to play alongside Mikel and Romeu. RDM just has to pick the right games to use them, Lampard can make all the runs he wants against bottom of the table teams.

[OneMoSalah 8,885]

Thats why he's still relying on 'back from retirement' Paul Scholes to save his midfield game and dont buy a new CM that he need so much?

The way Scholes plays though age isn't really as important. His passing is superb, he keeps Utd ticking. I'd happily have him in the double pivot over Lampard right now.

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Thats why he's still relying on 'back from retirement' Paul Scholes to save his midfield game and dont buy a new CM that he need so much?

That's because Scholes isn't past it.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Exactly...I mean, Meireles was absolutely mediocre all of last year while Lampard played very well, but clearly the one game where Meireles played well matters more than anything else!

It is quite funny how Meireles is suddenly the saviour. People have completely forgotten his bad performances.

My problem with Frank is not whether he should start or not, he's definitely good enough. He just needs to curb his attacking nature a little bit more, which he has done to a certain extent, but he needs to remain more disciplined, and be more assured in possession. Frank is under-utilising his vision as well. He has the ability to do all this but so far he's underperforming.

It's unbelievable how one pass can completely negate our whole midfield. RDM needs to instruct whoever is in that pivot to drop in the empty spaces (or at least block their lanes) our full backs leave when they go up.

It's more of a tactical problem than anything else IMO, Mikel and Lamps could potentially work really well together, but RDM just needs to find the right formula.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

That's because Scholes isn't past it.

He isnt the right guy to play with Carrick/Cleverly, which is very much like Lampard isnt the right guy to play with Mikel. Scholes isnt mobile enoguh, do things very slowly, cant press - overall do very very little on defense. And those things being said by United fans all the time. The grass is always greener....

Lampard did very well last season (with RDM) when we played in a certain way, therefore i dont think he's totally past it. He just dont need to be first choise in Chelsea, especialy not with Mikel besides.

* Wait, you dont think man u had to get a new CM/CDM this summer?

[RamiCFC9 258]

F.Lampard (F stand for FAT) 34 years old, lets be honest if his name wasn't Lampard he would've been long gone or rot on the bench like Malouda, cause he is quite past it.I don't mind him playing a Giggs type of role (something like super-sub if goal is needed) but play him in the double pivot as a starter, is quite laughable for a club like CHELSEA.RDM need's to cool his head and make the right decision and that is inevitably to drop frankie.

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

It is quite funny how Meireles is suddenly the saviour. People have completely forgotten his bad performances.

My problem with Frank is not whether he should start or not, he's definitely good enough. He just needs to curb his attacking nature a little bit more, which he has done to a certain extent, but he needs to remain more disciplined, and be more assured in possession. Frank is under-utilising his vision as well. He has the ability to do all this but so far he's underperforming.

It's unbelievable how one pass can completely negate our whole midfield. RDM needs to instruct whoever is in that pivot to drop in the empty spaces (or at least block their lanes) our full backs leave when they go up.

It's more of a tactical problem than anything else IMO, Mikel and Lamps could potentially work really well together, but RDM just needs to find the right formula.

I disagree that Lampard and Mikel can work together well. They are good as individual players but as a partnership they just don't work. RDM definitely needs to try another pair to try and find our best pairing as we cannot progress with these two as our starters.

[HRiver 1,512]

So now people are claiming that Meireles is better than Lampard?

Just because Mikel-Meireles worked vs Newcastle doesn't mean it would've worked against Atletico.

[manpe 10,861]

Lampard has been written off numerous times, I can't even count. Yet he's always found a way to come back... actually it's his pattern, he always starts the season slowly, he said so himself. I am tempted to jump on the bandwagon, but I'm more cautious now with things involving Lamps, because he's proven us wrong before. One thing is for sure, he's a year older than last season and at his age every year counts, so he will keep getting slower, that's inevitable. And there is also the matter whether he suits in the midfield two with Mikel in an offensive shape.. and the answer is no, not on consistent basis, they're too slow together.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

I disagree that Lampard and Mikel can work together well. They are good as individual players but as a partnership they just don't work. RDM definitely needs to try another pair to try and find our best pairing as we cannot progress with these two as our starters.

It did work!!!! Chelsea won the FA Cup with Lampard and Mikel in the double pivot. They won the CL with Lampard and Mikel in the double pivot. They have 6 points from the 2 games they started this season with the two of them in the double pivot but it can't possibly work!!! Why? Because they looked poor in an exhibition game where the entire team played poorly. It's incredible. Lampard was one of the better midfielders in the Premier League last season but one or two mediocre games this year and guess what, he's done. It's not that it's plastic (which it is), it's just stupid to put so much faith into such a small sample size. Meireles has one good game and people forgot all about last year (Next bad game he has, people will forget about this good game). I'm not supporting Lampard because he is the greatest player to ever play for Chelsea, I am supporting Lampard, because he was one of our best players last season and I don't write off players entirely because of a couple of bad games..Also, I don't blame Lampard for every single play that goes wrong the way many do on here.

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

It did work!!!! Chelsea won the FA Cup with Lampard and Mikel in the double pivot. They won the CL with Lampard and Mikel in the double pivot. They have 6 points from the 2 games they started this season with the two of them in the double pivot but it can't possibly work!!! Why? Because they looked poor in an exhibition game where the entire team played poorly. It's incredible. Lampard was one of the better midfielders in the Premier League last season but one or two mediocre games this year and guess what, he's done. It's not that it's plastic (which it is), it's just stupid to put so much faith into such a small sample size. Meireles has one good game and people forgot all about last year (Next bad game he has, people will forget about this good game). I'm not supporting Lampard because he is the greatest player to ever play for Chelsea, I am supporting Lampard, because he was one of our best players last season and I don't write off players entirely because of a couple of bad games..Also, I don't blame Lampard for every single play that goes wrong the way many do on here.

Yes they worked in the FA cup and Champions League, but we basically sat back and defended in both and counter attacked. Lampard was good last year because we played in a way that suited him. However when we are trying to play quick passing football, him and Mikel slow down the play allowing other teams to fall back and defend. Im not writing him off due to a bad game, just saying he needs to improve his distribution and to learn to sit back a bit more, as we are getting exposed at the back and he does not have the pace to get back.. He faced the same criticism when we tried to play attacking football last year and was only good when we played in a counter-attacking style. Yes they have 6 points from 2 games, but they were not hard games and we were often exposed in defence.

[The Skipper 20,609]

F.Lampard (F stand for FAT) 34 years old, lets be honest if his name wasn't Lampard he would've been long gone or rot on the bench like Malouda, cause he is quite past it.I don't mind him playing a Giggs type of role (something like super-sub if goal is needed) but play him in the double pivot as a starter, is quite laughable for a club like CHELSEA.RDM need's to cool his head and make the right decision and that is inevitably to drop frankie.

All you do is slag off every player.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Yes they worked in the FA cup and Champions League, but we basically sat back and defended in both and counter attacked. Lampard was good last year because we played in a way that suited him. However when we are trying to play quick passing football, him and Mikel slow down the play allowing other teams to fall back and defend. Im not writing him off due to a bad game, just saying he needs to improve his distribution and to learn to sit back a bit more, as we are getting exposed at the back and he does not have the pace to get back.. He faced the same criticism when we tried to play attacking football last year and was only good when we played in a counter-attacking style. Yes they have 6 points from 2 games, but they were not hard games and we were often exposed in defence.

I agree that he's not a good fit for the style Chelsea want to move to, but neither is Terry and he's still our best CB. The change to the new system was never going to be overnight. We are not going to suddenly start playing quick, passing football this year. It's a project and Lampard will need to be replaced long-term, but long-term does not mean after a couple of mediocre games.

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

I agree that he's not a good fit for the style Chelsea want to move to, but neither is Terry and he's still our best CB. The change to the new system was never going to be overnight. We are not going to suddenly start playing quick, passing football this year. It's a project and Lampard will need to be replaced long-term, but long-term does not mean after a couple of mediocre games.

Yes i accept it will take a while to develop into a quick passing team, its just i don't think we can do this still playing Lampard and therefore he should be used as an impact sub. I thought we would of brought in a CM to suit our new style this window, it would of made sense.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Where have I read the those posts before? That's right...I read them here last year.

Lamps has been written off so many times it's actually funny. He'll prove everyone wrong gain with a dozen or so goals. What's new this time, is he wasn't anywhere near our worst performer the last match, guess we just need a scapegoat.