Frank Lampard

[The only place to be 11,313]

Mate, if you're only going to pick & choose minute phrases out of that entire wall of text that I posted - seriously - just fuck off.

I quite clearly made the point that it is not on reputation/sentimental value alone that he deserves a contract - it is based on the player that he still is today. I know that he is not the same player he was 5 years ago, no one is claiming that & in fact I said that much but conveniently you didn't bother to quote that part. But he isn't exactly a shadow of his former self either, he definitely still has the technical prowess, vision & composure that he has always had, even if he doesn't have the legs that he once did. The fact is though, that pace/pure running ability was & never will be the focal point of his game - so it is ultimately irrelevant. Especially so when he has a midfield partner such as Luiz who is relentless in his desire & hunger for the ball.

& I really don't know where all of you are getting this 'inside scoop' on contract negotiations, but how exactly is it that you happen to know what Frank is asking for? I would imagine that is relatively classified information available only to the player & his agent & the club...but maybe you know something that I don't? & maybe you don't realise what Lamps makes for the club in terms of merchandise sales too - him & JT are easily the best selling prints - & though it may be minor in the overall annual revenue compared to gate sales, profit is profit & they make it on a daily basis with their names alone.

Nevertheless, I'm sure that if push comes to shove, at the end of the day Lamps will have no problem taking a slight pay cut - but a significant one? That would be insulting to him as a player & a servant to this club. Business or not, it is a matter of respect & even Abramovich is able to grasp that concept of humanity. Again, he may not be the player he once was - but he's still certainly one of the best around & there would be many a top club more than happy to have him in their ranks - I'm just not sure why you aren't?

It's great to think about the future & all, but the way you speak is as if a player like Lampard is a dime-a-dozen average run-of-the-mill midfielder who comes & goes - when in reality, he is indisputably irreplaceable & I guarantee that none of us will ever see a goal-scoring midfielder as complete & inspiring as he is any time soon.

I tend to pick out the salient points in the walls of text you post. I'm obviously not going to respond to each point you make.

I honestly don't need you to tell me what a great player he is. But I think you need to take a step back from the overwrought sentimentality and recognise that the club has to make tough choices, and that we are going to operate in different ways. It would be great if he stays but it has to be what's best for the club too. I'm sure he'll find a nice home in Monaco or LA and he'll always be welcomed back to the Bridge with love.

[Heisenberg 1,824]

Mate, if you're only going to pick & choose minute phrases out of that entire wall of text that I posted - seriously - just fuck off.

I quite clearly made the point that it is not on reputation/sentimental value alone that he deserves a contract - it is based on the player that he still is today. I know that he is not the same player he was 5 years ago, no one is claiming that & in fact I said that much but conveniently you didn't bother to quote that part. But he isn't exactly a shadow of his former self either, he definitely still has the technical prowess, vision & composure that he has always had, even if he doesn't have the legs that he once did. The fact is though, that pace/pure running ability was & never will be the focal point of his game - so it is ultimately irrelevant. Especially so when he has a midfield partner such as Luiz who is relentless in his desire & hunger for the ball.

& I really don't know where all of you are getting this 'inside scoop' on contract negotiations, but how exactly is it that you happen to know what Frank is asking for? I would imagine that is relatively classified information available only to the player & his agent & the club...but maybe you know something that I don't? & maybe you don't realise what Lamps makes for the club in terms of merchandise sales too - him & JT are easily the best selling prints - & though it may be minor in the overall annual revenue compared to gate sales, profit is profit & they make it on a daily basis with their names alone.

Nevertheless, I'm sure that if push comes to shove, at the end of the day Lamps will have no problem taking a slight pay cut - but a significant one? That would be insulting to him as a player & a servant to this club. Business or not, it is a matter of respect & even Abramovich is able to grasp that concept of humanity. Again, he may not be the player he once was - but he's still certainly one of the best around & there would be many a top club more than happy to have him in their ranks - I'm just not sure why you aren't?

It's great to think about the future & all, but the way you speak is as if a player like Lampard is a dime-a-dozen average run-of-the-mill midfielder who comes & goes - when in reality, he is indisputably irreplaceable & I guarantee that none of us will ever see a goal-scoring midfielder as complete & inspiring as he is any time soon.

POST OF THE YEAR.

[Heisenberg 1,824]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GnFdnJXbBk

[RedWhite&BLUE 37]

Such a class performance, and so recently back from his injury as well. If Terry can return to form as quickly as Lampard has we'll be in serious business!

[super_frank8 186]

Yes, and that was in the post. Te simple fact s that he is declining as a player and can't give first start performances week in week out, which does not reflect the wages he is getting.

So Lampard was instrumental in winning the champions league? What about Drogba? What about Cech? What about Ramires? Cole? Mata? In my mind they played a more bigger part for these achievements last season and some were not throwing a tantrum in the first half of the season and contributed all year round.

And I'm sorry but I really can't take you seriously, because you seem to get completely offended that some one had the audacity to not give 100% praise to him. Its like thinking that he was not brilliant all the time is a crime. Your fanboyism is just laughable and makes critical debate impossible. He had a good performances today. But they are fewer and fewer and in my opinion keeping him for more then 2 years on massive wages is logical. Experience is not an excuse and if he can't except a one year rolling deal then he has to leave, its his choice and the club should not change their policy for just one player. We are going to experience life without him anyway, and trying to squeeze every last second trying to make him a focal point of thee team is not doing anything for us long term, in fact some might argue that we have become too (at least thinking) reliant on him and have this small mentality that without Lampard equals doom and destruction.

Do you remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mmYEi2jre4

We would never have even made it to the final if it wasn't for those two unreal passes (& we would never have made it to the semis if it wasn't for his goal against Napoli). Of course Drogba, Cech, Cole, Mata, & Ramires were vital too - because it was in fact a true team effort. I never said they weren't instrumental. But as captain for the last two games, he was exceptional in his performance & the true heroes were himself along with Drogba, Cech & Cole. They wanted it the most, & they showed it. In reality, that's what got us the trophy we have been trying so desperately to win for the last 10 years.

& I'm not sure what you mean by throwing a tantrum in the first half of the season - that was quite clearly because AVB was an insolent little cunt & was being a right knob to Lamps (along with others) - to be perfectly honest I never liked him from the very start. & guess what? The moment he was sacked & Lamps was reinstated to the starting line up, we went on to win the CL & the FA cup. Coincidence? I think not...

Yes, I am a fanboy (surely my username was a bit of a giveaway?), I'm more than happy to admit that because he is my favourite player of all time & that is never going to change til the day I die. I'm sure that you're exactly the same way about your own hero or favourite band, no? However, I don't simply say that 'he is the best, because he just is' - I actually justify my opinion with what I feel is sound reasoning regardless of any prejudicial allegiances, because contrary to what you suggest, there is in fact genuine cause for my beliefs.

& I certainly am not offended by anyone not giving him 100% praise - I am however more than willing to display my objections & aggrievances when someone doesn't give him the praise that he deserves. Because if there is anyone who has been wildly underrated & overlooked in the football world for the last decade, it is Frank Lampard. & yes, I guess I do take offense when you go as far as to discredit him as a player, due to the bitterness that has accumulated everytime I have had to listen to some babbling bafoon attempt to dismiss him as if he is just another reasonably-talented player or even simply 'not as good as Stevie G'.

I'll be the first to admit that he didn't have an outsanding start to the season, nor did he last year - however that was mostly down to the manager not picking him as opposed to Lamps actually doing anything wrong. However, the moment RDM came in, he did what he does best & put in consistent performances for the rest of the season, along with a few truly exceptional ones when it mattered most in knockout cup competition. This season, he wasn't picked by RDM for a couple of games & then put in a few good performances before getting injured for 2 months - so how you are able to make any form of reasonable judgement from that alone, & furthermore a comdemning one, is truly beyond me. You must be some kind of football expert god to be able to ascertain that kind of information about a player's performances; when he is not even actually on the pitch. The reason his good performances have been fewer & fewer is because at the start of the season he was being played with a generally useless Mikel most of the time & also because he was obviously being asked to perform a considerably different & more restrictive role to what he is used to - & thereafter as I mentioned he was sitting on the sidelines in case that has escaped your attention.

However, he has now just retured from injury in the last two weeks, & already he has put in a good performance as well as a rather brilliant one in the space of 5 days since Wednesday night - so clearly he is making a pretty promising return to fitness & form unless you haven't been watching the last two games. & in combination with Luiz, it looks like we may just have finally solved our midfield dilemma. How you are not encouraged by this is rather perplexing indeed...& furthermore how you can in fact suggest that Lamps only puts in a decent performance every now & then is truly beyond me. Not a single player on this planet has a blinder week in week out - that includes Messi & Ronaldo - & most of our team in general have been fairly inconsistent throughout this season, obviously some more so than others. But the simple fact is that he has been one of the most consistent players on the globe over the last decade & when he (along with JT) is on the pitch & performing - it truly does take the team to a different level. It is not an illusion, it is not simply 'experience' or any kind of faux-dependancy on them as you suggest - it is simply because we truly do rely on them as the world class players that they are, & the confidence it instils in the rest of the team having full knowledge & awareness of this. It is because, at the end of the day, we need them far more than they need us.

& that is why it would be a disgrace to dicard a player like Lamps for the sake of these 'long-term aspirations' that have no actual guarantee of bringing any kind of success. You don't build a trophy-winning team in a day, or a week, or a month, or even an entire season - it just doesn't work as was so painfully evident when AVB tried to pull that amateur bullshit last season. It takes time & patience (& a fuckload of money) to do that. Eventually, when the likes of Lamps & JT & Cole & Cech do become liabilities to the team & to the club, I am sure that they will be the first to recognise it & call it themselves, because of the respect & humility they have as players who actually care about their fans - & I am sure that by that point there will be others who will be able to fill their boots adequately at least in some aspects.

But right now, at this moment, & for the forseeable immediate future - & it certainly doesn't even take a die-hard Chelsea fan to see this - their numbers definitely aren't up yet.

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

Do you remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mmYEi2jre4

We would never have even made it to the final if it wasn't for those two unreal passes (& we would never have made it to the semis if it wasn't for his goal against Napoli). Of course Drogba, Cech, Cole, Mata, & Ramires were vital too - because it was in fact a true team effort. I never said they weren't instrumental. But as captain for the last two games, he was exceptional in his performance & the true heroes were himself along with Drogba, Cech & Cole. They wanted it the most, & they showed it. In reality, that's what got us the trophy we have been trying so desperately to win for the last 10 years.

Yes, it unlocked their defense, but both also need Ramires using his sublime pace to give him the option, the first one needed Ramires to continue the run into the box to pick out Drogba who had to get a difficult finish right and the second one needed Ramires giving a sublime chip (it takes two to tango), not to mention with the Napoli game, thins may have bee completely different if Mata did not get that away goal or Ashley Cole blocking a fourth goal of the line in the first leg, and Ramires giving that sublime cross for Drogba to head in for the second leg. I'm sorry but to me Ramires (who I think gets a but undervalued when it comes to our CL success) was a player who was more consistent in performances (there is a rason why he won the Players' Player of the year award and came second in the Player of the Year award and Lampard did not) and was a key part in the very defensive counter attacking strategy RDM was using. Everyone played a part (that includes the likes of tee unpopular Kalou and Meireles) but if we had (and I hate doing that) to draw a list of the most important - then Lampard would not make the top 3 or probably top 5).

What the whole AVB fiasco got to me was not because necessarily Lampard got dropped (he actually started in the majority of games under AVB) but the fact that he would have one good game every now and then but a few awful performances, get dropped (for good reasons) then go and moan in the press. That's when my respect for him started to drain because he came across as a spoiled 6 year old. And it was not exactly like the CL win was a case of us playing dominating football with the likes of Lampard, Ramires, Mata or Mike completely dominating the field . It was a case of us playing extreme defensive football a lot of the time using mainly counter attacking tactics, not to mention a quite a bit of luck to hold on against the pressure

The rest of the post is just rehashes of the same hit over and over again (although its funny when that you ignore the fact that Lampard was the captain during the Super Cup and CWC final, both where we had abysmal performances) although thanks to admitting your a fanboy, that means I know that rational debate on this subject matter is out of the question and I don't have to waste my energy.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Hands down, Lampard's the best player in Chelsea history!

[super_frank8 186]

I tend to pick out the salient points in the walls of text you post. I'm obviously not going to respond to each point you make.

I honestly don't need you to tell me what a great player he is. But I think you need to take a step back from the overwrought sentimentality and recognise that the club has to make tough choices, and that we are going to operate in different ways. It would be great if he stays but it has to be what's best for the club too. I'm sure he'll find a nice home in Monaco or LA and he'll always be welcomed back to the Bridge with love.

Well if you're not going to respond to full sentences & points at least, then don't bother because you're basically going out of your way to take what I'm saying out of context & you clearly have a rather notorious habit of doing so based on my past feuds with you.

& okay so if you actually do in fact recognise his abilities as a player, then sentimentality aside - surely you realise that he still deserves to be a first team player for this club? I would have to guess not considering you appear to be saying that it would not be 'best for the club' & 'our long-term future' - but I think you need to stop getting so hung up on the immediation of a revolution & evolution of our club & realise that these things take time. You can't expect to let the likes of Lamps & JT & Cole & Cech just walk out the door & suddenly a whole new generation of players are just going to fill their boots without any trouble. These are the kind of players that are truly irreplaceable to a team - & it is going to take a lot of time & money before we can build another trophy-winning side for the next generation. It certainly isn't going to happen over a single season.

You can already see what the hastiness of transition has done to our team in the last 2 years - we are most definitely nowhere near as formidable as we were prior to the AVB disaster - which is why fans like yourself who desire the kind of radical change that has ultimately proved detrimental to this club need to take a step back & think about what is truly best for us if we are going to continually challenge for trophies WHILST simultaneously building our side for the future. There really is no point in attempting to immediately replace legends who simply can't be, especially when they are still performing as they currently are. It is an unnecessary & pointless exercise that will inevitably backfire & create even more disrest & disrepute amongst fans, players & owner alike - as has been evident from past experience.

Of course I agree that we need to think about the future of this club & integrating young players into this side to reign in the new era - however, you can't expect to do this over such a short period of time & you certainly can't expect to have any kind of success attempting to do so. The likes of Piazon, KDB, McEachran, Chalobah, Coutois etc. will have their time soon enough, but I think many of you are getting a little too over-excited & impatient with all of our exceptional youthful talent bubbling under the surface. They will be unleashed at the Bridge once they are ready & well-equipped enough to do so - however, for now, we still have a golden-era of world class players at our disposal - the best this club has ever been fortunate enough to witness & support through thick & thin - so leave it to them to lay down & stabilise the foundations that we can build this new team on so that we can continue our success & growth through the transition rather than jumping the gun & plunging us into the depths without our anchors before we are actually ready.

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

I love Lampard but he doesn't suit what Chelsea are trying to do. Hes not a technical player in the same sense as Mata, Hazard, and Oscar are. Hes got a great technique but he isn't in that mold of a 5 ft 7-10 player with a small frame but an amazing footballing intelligence and adaptability to play in 3 or 4 positions like them. When they have the ball, they are 6 ft 7 because of their technical qualities with the ball and their intelligence to make runs and find space in between the lines.

Lampard is a decent player still but those who say he should get a 2 year contract because of two mediocre performances against 2 sides - one a shite Leeds side and the other a young inexperienced Villa side - need to honestly calm the fuck down. Bosingwa would have looked good vs both sides.

[Muzchap 8,966]

I love Lampard but he doesn't suit what Chelsea are trying to do. Hes not a technical player in the same sense as Mata, Hazard, and Oscar are. Hes got a great technique but he isn't in that mold of a 5 ft 7-10 player with a small frame but an amazing footballing intelligence and adaptability to play in 3 or 4 positions like them. When they have the ball, they are 6 ft 7 because of their technical qualities with the ball and their intelligence to make runs and find space in between the lines.

Lampard is a decent player still but those who say he should get a 2 year contract because of two mediocre performances against 2 sides - one a shite Leeds side and the other a young inexperienced Villa side - need to honestly calm the fuck down. Bosingwa would have looked good vs both sides.

Hmm Bosingwa ain't playing to look good, too busy sulking - now a sulky Unibrow is a sight to behold like a caterpillar having a fit

[The Mak 4,459]

@super_frank8, Mate, I appreciate your enthusiasm for Frank and you bring up very valid points: he can still contribute, Luiz & Lamps looks promising, he is already a legend at this club and yes, letting Drogba go was a massive mistake, and I'm not just saying it in retrospection.

However, I believe your love for Frank is blinding you a bit...I said:

Yes, he needs a contract. Not a big one like he's been on for the past number of years.

And you responded with:

Look, if you don't agree with me, that's fine - you're entitled to your own opinion as much as I am to mine - but from my point of view I just can't possibly fathom how you are unable to see that Lampard deserves at least a 2 year contract to reward him for all that he has done for this club; if not for his exceptional ability & inspiration on the field that is still there to this very day.

Dude, I'm agreeing with you.
I just do not believe Frank, a 34yr old, should be on 150k a week. It's just not logical considering the obvious points I have mentioned. Just as an example, I'm pretty sure Giggs and Scholes' wages fall around the 70k mark, which is fair. So I do not understand why you seem to be fighting for Frank's wages?

If Frank really is everything you say he is, and I love him to bits myself (I was the most happy for him in Munich), there should be no problem over money; because Frank is a legend at this club, so it should be about more than just money, correct? It's about playing for your club, doing whats best for your club; because no one man is bigger than the club, right? We love Frank, he loves us. If a fair contract is offered to him, there shouldn't be a problem; but I'm afraid that's down to the board, and I hope they make the right, fair, decision.

[super_frank8 186]

Yes, it unlocked their defense, but both also need Ramires using his sublime pace to give him the option, the first one needed Ramires to continue the run into the box to pick out Drogba who had to get a difficult finish right and the second one needed Ramires giving a sublime chip (it takes two to tango), not to mention with the Napoli game, thins may have bee completely different if Mata did not get that away goal or Ashley Cole blocking a fourth goal of the line in the first leg, and Ramires giving that sublime cross for Drogba to head in for the second leg. I'm sorry but to me Ramires (who I think gets a but undervalued when it comes to our CL success) was a player who was more consistent in performances (there is a rason why he won the Players' Player of the year award and came second in the Player of the Year award and Lampard did not) and was a key part in the very defensive counter attacking strategy RDM was using. Everyone played a part (that includes the likes of tee unpopular Kalou and Meireles) but if we had (and I hate doing that) to draw a list of the most important - then Lampard would not make the top 3 or probably top 5).

What the whole AVB fiasco got to me was not because necessarily Lampard got dropped (he actually started in the majority of games under AVB) but the fact that he would have one good game every now and then but a few awful performances, get dropped (for good reasons) then go and moan in the press. That's when my respect for him started to drain because he came across as a spoiled 6 year old. And it was not exactly like the CL win was a case of us playing dominating football with the likes of Lampard, Ramires, Mata or Mike completely dominating the field . It was a case of us playing extreme defensive football a lot of the time using mainly counter attacking tactics, not to mention a quite a bit of luck to hold on against the pressure

The rest of the post is just rehashes of the same hit over and over again (although its funny when that you ignore the fact that Lampard was the captain during the Super Cup and CWC final, both where we had abysmal performances) although thanks to admitting your a fanboy, that means I know that rational debate on this subject matter is out of the question and I don't have to waste my energy.

I apologise for being so blunt - but due to the overwhelming evidence of your post - I can only possibly come to the conclusion that you are ignorant beyond salvation.

The point I was making was who else could have made those kind of passes against the best team in the world? The answer would be possibly a select few players consisting of the likes of Gerrard/Alonso/Modric - & even then it is unlikely that they would have had the intelligence & composure to make the right decision, as well as the actual ability to execute the final ball with such inch perfect precision. It was not a competition of who was our best player of the year/competition or whatever - I never suggested anything of the sort - & I certainly didn't mention any kind of list. Ramires was exceptional throughout the season & he was probably the most consistent player which is why he was voted to be so by the rest of the team. Do you actually think I didn't realise he was the player on the end of BOTH of those Lampard passes? I was screaming his fucking name to the heavens when that glorious goal went in, you have no idea of the sheer ecstasy that was sent erupting through my body when that flew into the back of the net. But as you said, it takes two to tango. & not once, but twice Lampard provided the incisive pass that set him on his way - which in a footballing sense, was the most impressive aspect of the build up to the goals. Maybe you're not much of a footballer yourself - but trust me when I say pulling that kind of technique out of the bag, let alone in a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona is no trivial matter as you seem to be dismissing it as - of all the components involved in those two goals that you mentioned, the most important was what you didn't mention in those Lampard passes.

Of course Ramires did amazingly well thereafter, but those two passes set him up to be in an advantageous position against the defenders & ultimately that is what was most vital in those goals along with the absolutely brilliant finishes from himself & Drogba. However, unfortunately he was suspended for the final - & I was obviously rather upset for him along with Ivanovic & JT that they would have to miss the greatest night in our history (& at the time I feared the worst due to such key players being out). That by no means discounts his efforts prior to that as he was amazing & yes his chip against Barcelona was just as marvellous as the assist that set him up - but he was not one of the heroes on that night, simply because he didn't play. Lampard did, & he put in an awesome captain's performance & led our team to the greatest achievement ever witnessed. That does not disregard the fact that Drogba & Cech were the real highlights of the night if you want to be picky about it - but it also doesn't change the fact that Lampard & Cole were also exceptional. It was a team effort, for the entire tournament & I'm not sure why you are particularly trying to discredit one player's valiant efforts in it when you should be hailing every one of their performances - but nevertheless I would imagine that the majority of Chelsea supporters would agree that the aforementioned players were the true heroes, all things considered.

As for the rest, I disagree with your thoughts on the AVB issue...because from what I heard your recollection of the events differs to mine based on the evidence provided...but I'm not going bother arguing about what our previous cunt of a manager may or may not have done/said, when we already have a new one in charge at the moment. & I'm not sure why you have made the point about playing counter-attacking football...I think that was fairly obvious for anyone who watched the games...but it certainly doesn't discredit our performances in any way, because I couldn't be more proud of them. For the most part, the reason for playing more defensive football was because we were up against Barcelona & Bayern - arguably the two best teams in the world at the time. Prior to that, we certainly weren't overly defensive against Napoli until we had scored all of our goals in the second leg - in the first leg, I still have no idea what the fuck AVB was thinking tbh. But yer since we're talking about Lampard, he did put in a brilliant performance against Napoli & just as much as anything else it made a difference & we went on to the next round where he did it again & well, the rest is history....

Anyway, as for the Super Cup & CWC, I wasn't glossing over those at all, although to be perfectly honest judging from your retort, I'm guessing that they don't mean quite as much to me as they do to you. But yer, players have bad games, of which the Super Cup was one for our entire team, not just Lamps in particular. My memory though is that our defence & Mikel were to blame that night more so than anyone else, so not sure what your point is once again. The CWC was a slightly different occasion as it's not as if we played that badly in terms of making mistakes or conceding hapless goals, it was more a case of a generally lifeless performance due to complacency & it was fairly obvious that most of our players just didn't give a shit/were too tired to care considering we all thought it would be a routine victory. Lamps certainly didn't have a shocker in that game though, at least not compared to the likes of Torres, Mata & Ramires. Ramires being particularly culpable for the goal (but of course you couldn't possibly blame him for that right?).

I don't understand why you think that I am not providing a rational debate, considering the various points that I have continuously provided in rather substantial walls of text. & if you're saying that it is a rehash of the same thing then you obviously are to lazy to actually read them thoroughly & put some actual thought into a reasonable response rather than choosing to simply resort to being entirely dismissive of what I have to say just because we are talking about my favourite player. Again, your immaturity & ignorance seem to get the better of you. That, or you're just a bit of a cunt.

[Manuf 1,448]

TLDR

[Naked Mole Rat 437]

TLDR

This guy.

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

Thanks for the heads up. I've just copied that post in a Word document and it came up with over 1,100 words, that's nearly halfway the amount of words used in an Undergraduate essay. Yet its just babbling on the same points over and over again, along with some weak attempts of using insults.

[super_frank8 186]

@super_frank8, Mate, I appreciate your enthusiasm for Frank and you bring up very valid points: he can still contribute, Luiz & Lamps looks promising, he is already a legend at this club and yes, letting Drogba go was a massive mistake, and I'm not just saying it in retrospection.

However, I believe your love for Frank is blinding you a bit...I said:

And you responded with:

Dude, I'm agreeing with you.

I just do not believe Frank, a 34yr old, should be on 150k a week. It's just not logical considering the obvious points I have mentioned. Just as an example, I'm pretty sure Giggs and Scholes' wages fall around the 70k mark, which is fair. So I do not understand why you seem to be fighting for Frank's wages?

If Frank really is everything you say he is, and I love him to bits myself (I was the most happy for him in Munich), there should be no problem over money; because Frank is a legend at this club, so it should be about more than just money, correct? It's about playing for your club, doing whats best for your club; because no one man is bigger than the club, right? We love Frank, he loves us. If a fair contract is offered to him, there shouldn't be a problem; but I'm afraid that's down to the board, and I hope they make the right, fair, decision.

Well I simply disagree that he can even be considered in the same class as Giggs & Scholes, because not only is he a few years younger than them, but he is a significantly better player & also has far better fitness & stamina than either of them. They are most definite has-beens in my books - still great players, indisputable club legends - & continue to contribute to the team with occasional flashes of former-brilliance in their cameo roles - but they are without a shadow of a doubt past their best days simply because age has finally caught up to them after all of these years. Unless they're coming on as subs, they do look a little haggard & as if they have run out of steam towards the tail ends of their shifts in intense matches. That's why Fergie hasn't been using them as often as he did last season, because they are essentially bench-warmerss nowadays rather than trustworthy potent weapons on the pitch. This is nowhere near the case for Frank. Maybe you see it differently, but I certainly don't & Frank certainly doesn't believe that is the case either.

He may not be the same player he used to be, but he is by no means a waning old greyhound either. He still has the ability to perform at the very top level at Chelsea - & even the the fat fool Benitez recognises just how vital he is to the team. To even consider halving his wages cut in half is absolutely preposterous. Of course in real life terms that means nothing to his overall financial security, he's made plenty of money already in his time here, we all know that - however considering what he has done for the club & the player that he still remains today - he does not in any way deserve to have his wages cut by any percentage. You can use his age as justification behind your opinion all you want - but for me, that is just a number & by no means a reflection of what he still has to offer this club as a player.

Let me put it to you this way - Steven Gerrard earns 140 grand a week & is probably about to sign a new contract that is going to extend his current deal beyond 2015 - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/23/liverpool-steven-gerrard-contract-new. That is how we should be treating our legends. Now considering Lampard is a better player than him & especially nowadays is undoubtedly declining at a far less rapid rate in comparison to his scouse counter-part who is two years younger, how you can even attempt to convince me that he does not deserve at least the same contract is utterly perplexing.

I realise that it seems like a lot of money, & it obviously would be for any of us mere mortals - but in terms of modern football & Roman's overall pay-roll, it really is nowhere near as outlandish as you seem to suggest. You do realise that Torres is on something ridiculous like 170K+ right? That is what I call insane for a player who has been as appallingly mediocre as he has been for two years now, especially in addition to his extortionate transfer fee. But if we can afford to entertain his fruitless endeavours & continue to do so for the forseeable future - then surely there is no reason that Lampard should not be rewarded with whatever it is that he is asking for. Surely that is only fair.

It is not a matter of money, it is a matter of respect as well as a club's loyalty to a player who has given his all & been so unquivocally instrumental for this club during a decade that has brought so much success & so many timeless memories. It is a matter of the player he is & still continues to be. It is a matter of the fact that this player that we are talking about - is none other than Frank Lampard.

[Spike 12,049]

Ahh, Lamps my favourite player of all time. I would like to see him sign a new contract. He just needs to accept a lesser role, the preperation of life without him should be started sooner rather than latter.

[super_frank8 186]

Thanks for the heads up. I've just copied that post in a Word document and it came up with over 1,100 words, that's nearly halfway the amount of words used in an Undergraduate essay. Yet its just babbling on the same points over and over again, along with some weak attempts of using insults.

Well seeing as this is a forum for discussion, & the only way to engage in this is by using words that I type into this box to convey my thoughts & feelings as thoroughly as I possibly can do, I don't really see any other way of communicating. If I said that all out loud to you, it would probably take only a few minutes, & surely reading through it can't consume more than 5 minutes of your time at the most. But clearly you don't bother to read much do you...

I find it rather sad that you have to resort to simply dismissing what I & I'm sure others would view as various valid points...either because you are unable to digest what I have said & conceive an appropriate response - or just because you are too lazy to put some actual consideration & thought into this 'babbling' of mine. Maybe you don't realise this, but I'm only 'babbling' in response to what you have to say about a matter that is an important one to me - so of course I'm not going to give you a little dainty paragraph that only summarises a miniscule of what is on my mind if you have said something that I simply don't agree with. Just so happens that there's a fair bit of that within your posts...