Liverpool legend questions Cesc’s ability to replace hotshot Lampard

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Former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas will bring something to Chelsea, argues Carragher, though the club will miss Blues legend Lampard.

Chelsea’s signing of Cesc Fabregas was one of the first big deals of the summer, but despite the fanfare that surrounded the move, one Premier League legend has been highlighting an area he feels the former Arsenal captain may not be able to match Frank Lampard in at Stamford Bridge.

Jamie Carragher celebrated Chelsea’s signing of Spaniard Fabregas, but doesn’t believe he is a like for like replacement for Blues legend Lampard, primarily because the Spanish international will not be able to match Lampard’s goal tally from midfield.

Praising Fabregas’s creativity, Carragher did nevertheless state his belief that it will be a big bonus for Chelsea to have such a creative player in their locker in the tighter games against defensive teams further down the league.

“It’s whether Fabregas can be as Frank Lampard,” debated the ex Liverpool star. “Franks’s moved on. I don’t think he’ll get those goals.

“I don’t know whether he [Mourinho] is actually brining Fabregas in to play a slightly deeper role in central midfield. It is something they lack a little bit, that creativity. They have a lot of strength and power, some top players, but at times they do lack that final pass.

“We’ve seen how many times they’ve struggled to break down 19th century defences.

“Fabregas will give them that, I don’t think he’ll give them Lampard’s goals, but I think he could do that in those type of games – thread that pass through, because in those games all they need is one goal.”

The stats only partially back up Carragher’s argument. Although there are few midfielders in world football that can compare with Lampard’s astonishing goalscoring record in club football, Fabregas has been a regular goalscorer for both Barcelona and Arsenal over the last five years.

The Spaniard has scored 70 goals in 223 games in that spell, compared to Lampard’s 81 in 222, to show that although he may come up short to the England star, it isn’t by much.