Frank Lampard was once dubbed as one of England’s ‘golden generation’, but now with Euro 2012 on the horizon his international place cannot be assured. But what about his future at Chelsea ?
For some unfathomable reason, Lampard is arguably England’s most unpopular player. After successive team failures at World Cups in 2006 and 2010, Lampard’s subsequent inclusion in Euro 2012 qualifiers was met with derision. So when he was dropped for England’s recent match against Bulgaria, it became a moment of joyful celebration among a selection of England ‘fans’. His many admirers, however, will suggest that a midfielder who has enjoyed the success Lampard has over the last decade deserves more respect.
Up until last season, Lampard had been proud of his record – which saw him rarely miss a single game for Chelsea from the Jose Mourinho years on. But with age comes injury, and they have curtailed his appearances of late. And now new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has come in and taken time to assess the Chelsea the squad he inherited; and it’s is not a good sign for Lampard that the area his new manager has identified as the weak point is the club’s static midfield.
With Ballack and Deco no longer at the club, and Essien out injured, Lampard has been shouldering plenty of responsibility over the last 12 months, but has been unable to single-handedly turn a game in Chelsea’s favour at key stages in Europe, or in clashes with the Premiership’s top clubs (as he once could). And the majority of his goals no longer come from open play, but from penalties.
Lampard’s club future surely now rests on his compatibility with new recruits Juan Mata and Raul Meireles. Both are attacking midfielders capable of playing in interchanging positions, and Lampard is likely to find himself playing a far deeper role than he is used to. How he adapts to this challenge will be key to his future. If he can change his game and redefine himself, he could yet also win back a regular England place. If Lampard doesn’t up his game, however, he could be one of the first high-profile casualties of Villas-Boas’s reign
Provided he stays fit and plays first-team football at Chelsea, however, Lampard will surely go to Euro 2012, but probably only as a squad player. His time with England will most certainly be up after the Euros, and, if he is lucky, he might see out the two years he has left at Stamford Bridge before having to consider a move away, or retiring in dignity. Lampard’s best days, however, are clearly behind him.
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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