Date: 14th December 2011 at 10:17pm
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Frank Lampard was hailed as Chelsea’s Messiah after his goal against Man City on Monday evening. His late penalty winner against League leaders Manchester City on Monday reactivated the argument that has been going on for the last 18 months. How do you get the best out of Lampard and is he now past that best?

He was left to fester for quite some time on the sideline. Someone even asked me: “how long is Lampard going to be on the touchline waiting to come on?” The persons face when I told them he had been on for 10 minutes was a picture. Yes there was a script written that portrayed Lampard in his former light but with all the media swarming around him, it took the gloss off the rest of the team some what.

Ramires, Meireles and Romeu were excellent all night and the distances the trio covered was amazing. Sturridge and Mata caused City’s full-backs problem after problem and although the Chelsea defense conceded early, they looked stronger the longer the game went on.

Long before Lampard’s cameo Chelsea looked like grabbing a winner as City threatened very little after going down to 10 men. Then on came Lampard to grab the headlines. Or should that be Lampard scored and wrote the headlines. His after match interview was an insight to a player that isn’t aware of what is going on around him.
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It seems that he hasn’t orbits hasn’t noticed his pace has lessened over the last 18 months nor has that same orbit taken in the fact that he has consistently under performed in an England shirt. After a poor World Cup and the emergence of England’s youngsters and he is no longer guaranteed a starting place for his country. A new manager with different ideas and philosophy has taken over at Chelsea and certain players don’t fit for him. Lampard is one that Andre Villas-Boas feels he can use but more as an impact sub.

Now I completely understand that Lampard wants to play and support him for publicly stating “Obviously I want to play”. What I don’t agree with is Lampard stating he has no idea why he isn’t playing. Well he didn’t start the Valencia or Man City matches because the Chelsea manager probably felt younger legs were needed in the middle of the pitch. Tactically the best thing for Chelsea has to start with him on the bench.

You look at Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.

They are both starting to lose that yard of pace but have developed their games to prolong their careers at the top. It is hard to see how Lampard can evolve any further. He still feels he should be scoring 20 goals a season and that the team should be built around him yet his Chelsea career will end before Villas-Boas’s does. You get the picture of Lampard going to Abramovic’s office to complain about the situation. Some of the looks Lampard was expressing whilst sat on the bench were the last thing you would expect an alleged model professional to display. A mixture of scorn and contempt highlighted what has been so wrong with the England team for a while now.

All the time there are individuals like Lampard who think just because they earn £150,000 a week they should be automatic selections then we are always going to have problems creating a team ethic at international level. For Chelsea in the big matches Lampard isn’t a guaranteed starter but he is a useful sub to throw on and prove a point. For England if everybody was fit then you would find it hard not to argue that Gerrard, Milner, Parker, Wilshire, Jones and possibly Cleverley and Rodwell are all overtaking him for selection.

Maybe it would be best for all if the swap deal involving Real Madrid’s Granero went ahead. It hasn’t done Joe Cole’s form any harm moving abroad.

By Wes Hillier for ThisIsFutbol

 

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