Understandable praise accompanied Frank Lampard’s recent rise to third in Chelsea’s all time top scorer list. But just when it appeared safe to express a public liking for the England midfielder, the snipers were out once again to disregard his undoubted merit as a world class player.
Even putting bitter West Ham fans to one side, Lampard seems to be genuine football marmite. To some, he is overrated and scores most of his goals from deflections or the spot. Whilst to others (the sane ones) he is the epitome of the modern athletic footballer.
For the past six seasons, Lampard has arguably been Europe’s most consistent central midfielder. With the exception of Barcelona’s talismanic Xavi, few have hit such constant levels of performance.
But if consistency sets the Chelsea vice-captain apart, it perhaps contributes to the caveat-laced praise he regularly receives. The ability to deliver seven-out-of-ten performances every week doesn’t quite ignite the imagination in the same way as the mercurial Iniesta, Kaka or even Gerrard.
Over the years, comparisons between England’s two top midfielders have become exhaustive. Yes, given the choice most would favour the Liverpool captain. And when both hit their zenith, Gerrard just edges it as the better player.
For the moderate football consumer, spoon-fed on Clive Tylsely superlatives – Gerrard will always have Istanbul. Sadly, Lampard doesn’t have the same prestigious peg on which to hang his career. Statistics don’t have the same sexy ring as transforming the biggest club game in the world. But in spite of this, the figures will tell you that Lampard is worth more to his club than nearly every other midfielder in Europe.
As well as his ubiquitous twenty goals each campaign, the Chelsea number eight creates nearly twenty more and rarely misses a game through injury. Add in the fact that thirteen of his twenty England goals have come in competitive internationals and one wonders why there is such a split opinion amongst neutrals.
The 2006 World Cup bore witness to an insipid England showing, but why was he singled out by the boo-boys? Could this be a hangover from his early career?
It’s easy to forget that Frank Lampard was reviled by a large section of West Ham fans for the perceived nepotism that carried him through the ranks. Whilst there is no excuse for treating any young player with such vitriol, the Upton Park faithful definitely had a point. Lampard ‘junior’ might have demonstrated an eye for a goal and a pass, but he was also prone to going missing for long periods of matches. So when Chelsea paid £11m for him in 2001, the jury was still very much out.
After an unremarkable first season under Claudio Ranieri, Lampard missed out on the 2002 World Cup. This upsetting, but not unexpected blow was the cue for a profound change in his attitude towards the game.
If the ability was always there, changes in diet, fitness and training began to build a physical presence which would soon transform previous flashes of brilliance into regular occurrences. The next two years saw the midfielder hit an upward curve, and when Chelsea’s new money ushered in Veron, Cole and Duff he stepped up to fight for his place for both club and country.
The subsequent arrival of Jose Mourinho added steel and self-belief to a player who under his tutelage will always be remembered for scoring the goals that won Chelsea’s first league title in half a century.
Lampard’s role in Chelsea’s annual Champions League progression makes a mockery of the major accusations of his detractors. He has scored ten goals in the last eight and beyond, disproving the theory he goes missing in big games. Meanwhile those who suggest he lacks the flair of a genuine world great, should consult You Tube for his stunning goals against Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
For whatever reason, football sometimes throws up players who have to work harder than others for recognition. In 2005 when Lampard was runner-up to Ronaldinho as World Footballer of the Year, he gained that acknowledgment from his peers. The same year large sections of the press who had previously panned him, honored him with the Football Writers Award.
Maybe one day, long after he has hung up his boots, some of the nay saying neutrals will look back on the stats, performances and goals that tell the story of a remarkable career and concede they might just have been wrong.
Frankly, until then, I don’t a damn.
