Lampard's time is up

[Styles 9,790]

He was our worst player last night. It was touch and go between him and Kalou (another shambolic 30 minute cameo from this joker) but Lampard just nicked it.

In fact he was arguably our worst player over the two legs. He is soon to be 33 and is clearly on the way down. It is time to put him out of his misery and significantly reduce his playing time.

The sad reality is that it won't happen. He will continue to stink the place up because he is Lampard and sentiment will mean he it is allowed to continue for another two years.

[neel 257]

Time will tell us whether he has it. But I agree with you he should not be in the first team week in and week out.

[Madmax 9,219]

Styles needs to stop being so apprehensive all the time. For once, let's assume that we will learn from our mistakes. I agree with you in sentiment btw, and I doubt anyone wouldn't.

[Badboy 1,526]

I agree with you styles Lampard is finished, the days that people feared him are over.

[Ollie 4,400]

He was losing it a bit anyway but the latest injury has well and trully ended him. Time for fresh, hungry blood.

[zolayes 14,489]

I think there is still a place for Frank but no longer as an automatic starter ,,more time on the bench and used as a sub

[Fulham Broadway 16,851]

Lucrative four year contract that his agent wangled was ridiculous.

He should be used as a squad player the way rednose uses Giggs and Scholes.....

[EskWeston 696]

Lucrative four year contract that his agent wangled was ridiculous.

He should be used as a squad player the way rednose uses Giggs and Scholes.....

Absolutely, Lampards form is only one part of the problem. The other is that he (along with others) get played not matter what their form is.....

[DavidEU 2,023]

FB, he signed that contract three years ago and he was superb for two years of it. Can't see your point.

I dont think he's finished at all. He's still getting in the right positions, he's still working hard, passing is fine. He's not taking the chances, but its only such a problem because the same can be said of Torres, Drogba and Anelka. If one of them were, we wouldn't be talking about it at all.

[spuz 143]

Lucrative four year contract that his agent wangled was ridiculous.

He should be used as a squad player the way rednose uses Giggs and Scholes.....

Bad news.It was 5 years.

Don't get me wrong I love Lamps and still think he can do a job and a new manager will bring out the best in him and all the other 20 odd players again.

However at the time when he was showing interest in Inter we shouldn't have given him such a pay rise.

[Krypt 241]

It’s hard to admit but he is going downhill , this season he has showed only glimpses of his former self , we could blame this on his injury or just accept time has took its toll , it was bound to happen the guy never missed a game for a few season Mr consistent he was. I think he still has a place in our squad the same as giggs and scholes do in utd's but we need fresh blood and hunger in the midfield as this is where most moves are started.

[Styles 9,790]

FB, he signed that contract three years ago and he was superb for two years of it. Can't see your point.

I dont think he's finished at all. He's still getting in the right positions, he's still working hard, passing is fine. He's not taking the chances, but its only such a problem because the same can be said of Torres, Drogba and Anelka. If one of them were, we wouldn't be talking about it at all.

Sorry but no. His passing is far from fine. If you don't believe me ask Torres.

[neel 257]

If you don't believe me ask Torres.

[eldo 868]

He is a problem because we don't have a younger player with his qualities. If we had one then he wouldn't be a problem and I must say that it's quite dissrespectful how some people talk about him.

We could give a chance to Clifford though.

[eldo 868]

I may aswell add that Terry is there too. His playing time should be reduced for his own sake.

[Fulham Broadway 16,851]

FB, he signed that contract three years ago and he was superb for two years of it. Can't see your point.

If we're going to split hairs it was 2 and a half years ago -still two and half to go.

Bloke will be edging 36 then and is clearly not that motivated for 50% of the time now. So.......my point is, it was a shrewd bit of business to ensure the millioms keep rolling in to his bank account, but not so shrewd for the club allowing a culture of complacency.

I stilll say players pay at the top level, being the obscene amounts remunerated should be performance related

[Madmax 9,219]

He is a problem because we don't have a younger player with his qualities. If we had one then he wouldn't be a problem and I must say that it's quite dissrespectful how some people talk about him.

Agreed 100%

[BomTrett 50]

I may aswell add that Terry is there too. His playing time should be reduced for his own sake.

Not that i agree with anything else that has been said in this post, but JT is still our best defender, and is not the sort of player that will be thinking of being rested to prolong his career. He'll play until he cant play anymore, and he should stay in our team. True, he's lost his pace, and that seems to be something that is deteriating with age, but he's still our best defender, he reads the game well enough where pace isnt always an issue because he times his tackles right and the opposition dont often go past him. I'm not like a narrow-minded Chelsea fan who believes they should both be automatically starting because they are who they are, but at the end of the day JT has still got a couple more years in the starting XI in him. With David Luiz he creates a good partnership, because luiz has pace and is a fairly, more attacking carvalho-esque player.

And i hope this isnt perceived as off-topic, because i'm talking about JT but i feel the point still needed to be made. As well the fact, that if not Lampard, who else you gonna bring in? We float around these big money names and expect to just plonk them in the centre of our midfield and expect them to do wonders, but at the end of the day thats not true. And to say Lampard was our worst player last night?! Wow. I was watching a different game altogether, because from the game i was watching he, and Ramires was the best two players in that first half. And even aside the fact he perhaps didnt make too much impact in the 2nd half he most definately wasnt our worst player. Taking him out of the team would be a mistake, he's struggled this season with injury and its obviously had its effect, but if you want to chuck players out of the team that have underperformed this season, then Roman's gonna have to open up his cheque book because at least 7-8 players have had a pretty bad season. And the debate with young players will always rumble on but throwing McEachran straight into our first team would also be a mistake. I agree wholeheartedly that he needs much more playing time, but as a sub maybe, yeah.

Apologies if this is seen as a rant