English Premier League 2012-13

A more apt comparison than mentioning Fat Frank in the same breath as Xavi or Iniesta.

 

He's one of the top ten European central midfielders of his generation, no question, the fact that Xavi is at the top of the tree doesn't change that fact.

 

Gerrard and Scholes were better than Lampard.

Lampard was a great goalscoring attacking midfielder but is more compairble to Rivaldo or Ballack as he has never been a centre-mid like Scholes or Gerrard who would be capable of playing a deeper role. As an attacking goalscoring midfielder he was also better than Scholes or Gerrard but as a footballer and centre mid he wasnt.

Ive always looked at Lampard as a Kris Boyd type of midfielder, in that he doesnt get involved in the game much, doesnt put in much work rate and always looks to linger around the box and shoot or get involved in attacks.

The best centre-mids of 2000's for me would be

1. Xavi
2. Zidane
3. Iniesta
4. Pirlo
5. Vieira
6. Gerrard
7. Seedorf
8. Schweinsteiger
9. Scholes
10. Nedved

Best attacking midfielders

1. Ronaldinho
2. Rivaldo
3. Zidane
4. Iniesta
5. Kaka
6. Riquelme
7. Ballack
8. Deco
9. Nedved
10. Lampard

 

He's been playing as a deep lying midfielder for the past two years, successfully.

Scholes was great at his peak, as was Gerrard, but Frank is better than both as of now. Gerrard has been on the wane for ages, Frank, despite being two years older, is still at the top of his game.

Gerrard has failed to adapt to successive managers, whereas Lampard has successfully reinvented himself and proven his versatility as a result.

 

I wouldnt say sucessfully, he isnt a good centre mid. He lacks the mobility, defensive ability, passing and intelligence in that role for a good team like Chelsea. He has always been better the closer to the oppositions box he plays.

As a centre-mid he doesnt come close to Gerrard or Scholes who could have played there for anyone.

 

Scholes is better than Lampard easily.

However I'd definitely say Lampard has been far more consistent than Gerrard has been. Do be really do the same job, or have done throughout their prime, their the main goal scoring threat from midfield for their respective teams and the fact of the matter is Lampard has done it more consistently.

He's not Iniesta or Xavi.... mainly because his role isn't the same as theirs.

Gerrard has recently though in the past 2 or 3 years became more of a creative midfielder from deep positions and has been letting the likes of Coutinho, Henderson, Downing, Bellamy, Rodriguez etc, be the ones who've contributed to the goals.

A similar fashion to the way Lampard has now become a holding midfield for Chelsea and did it so well in Chelsea's champions league winning campaign last year.

There's very few players in the premier league who've spent 10 years being as consistent as he has been, even Gerrard has had his quiet spells during seasons.

 

He's not Iniesta or Xavi because he doesn't have a fraction of their ability.

 

Scholes at his peak also played as an attacking goalscoring midfielder, basically a second striker. A lot of people forget that and talk about Scholes like he has been a quality centre-mid all his career but he never really started playing in the centre of midfield until about 2005 before then he always played off the strikers and was known for scoring goals and getting in the box for headers etc

Same as Xavi, Xavi until about 2005 used to play as a holding midfielder and never became the Xavi we know now until he started playing with a holding midfielder behind him.

As attacking midfielders id rank them

1. Lampard
2. Gerrard
3. Scholes

and centre mids

1. Gerrard
2. Scholes
3. Lampard (a very distant 3rd)

Id put Gerrard above Scholes as although Scholes can play the deep playmaker role well I dont think he had the allround ability to play in a 2-man centre-mid when he played there, he lacked a lot of defensive qualities.

 

Yeah I can't argue with most of that tbh.

 

You said he wasn't 'capable' of playing in a deeper role, which is fallacious. Yes, it isn't his best role and he is naturally a box-to-box midfielder, but he has successfully adapted his game to playing in a deep lying role over the last two years.

He is not a defensive midfielder, of course, but he is a competent tackler and to say otherwise is ignorant. One of Frank's biggest hurdles over the last couple of years has been the lack of a true defensive midfielder alongside him at Chelsea, which has somewhat hamstrung him in central midfield.

As for lacking 'intelligence' and passing ability, bosh.

As for Scholes and Gerrard being able to play centrally 'for anyone': Scholes, yes, at his peak few matched him in that position. He was the best passer of his generation as far as England players went, but he was defensively suspect. You cannot point out Frank's defensive deficiencies and ignore Scholes', who is/was not a good tackler.

Gerrard, not so much. Gerrard has been punted from pillar to post by a succession of managers over the years because he wasn't cut out for a central role: box-to-box, attacking mid, second striker, left midfield, right midfield, etc.

Gerrard was a world class attacking midfielder at his peak, he has never been a world class central midfielder and has only recently adapted to the role on a permanent basis.

 

Anyway, I've stated my case and am off, but will part with my personal view of the top ten midfielders in Premiership terms:

1. Scholes
2. Lampard
3. Vieira
4. Keane
5. Gerrard
6. Alonso
7. Fabregas
8. Makelele
9. Le Tissier
10. Essien

 

He isn't better than the likes of Alonso either. He's nowhere near the top ten of the last ten years either.

Xavi, Iniesta, Zidane, Scweinstieger, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Pirlo, Seedorf, Davids, Vieira, Scholes, Gerrard, Riquelme, Deco, Kaka... All better players.

I don't think he is a bad player, he just isn't up there with the others. He's in the same class as players as Thiago Motta, Ludovic Giuly, Overmars, Emmanuel Petit etc. very good players but not in that top tier.

His consistancy is admirable and he is very dangerous but his all round play isn't up there with the others.

 

QPR FC ‏@OfficialQPR 2h
#QPR's Players' Player of the Year is the fans #ForeverRs

 

Gerrard one club man could have left Liverpool but he has stayed when others would have left the club great player.

 

Blue and White * finally off it :icon_mrgreen:

 

Arguably should have left.

He would have gone on to win titles, once the dust settled from the vitriol the Liverpool fans were aiming at him it would have proved to have been the correct decision on a personal level.

It's one of those Van Persie situations really, notwithstanding the whole local lad come good angle, but RVP made the brave choice whilst Gerrard wavered in the face of some pretty nasty stuff. (I don't blame him, not many would have had the bottle to leave)

At his peak playing off of a striker he was superb, albeit limited, nowadays he's average.

 

I think your the only person ive heard claiming Lampard was better than Gerrard.

Gerrard has won 5 Player or Young player of the year awards to Lampards 2, been named in the World XI 3 times to Lampards 1, UEFA team of the Year 3 times to Lampards 0, Premier League team of the year 7 times to Lampards 3.

Done most of that too while playing with guys like Finnan, Henchoz, Riise, Skrtel, Hamann, Murphy, Lucas, Biscan, Smicer, Berger, Kuyt, Riera, Downing, Cisse, Baros etc with very few quality players like Alonso, Mascherano, Suarez or Torres.

Compared to Lampard who has pretty much always played with guys like Desailly, Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, A.Cole, Makelele, Essien, Veron, Deco, Ballack, Hazard, J.Cole, Robben, Mata, Gudjohnsen, Drogba, Shevchenko, Crespo, Hasselbaink etc

 

As attacking midfielders they were on par at their respective peaks, Lampard has the overall edge as his career hasn't nosedived and he has been far more consistent.

Team of the year popularity contests mean sod all as they are not, by their very nature, objective.

As a big fish in a small pond Gerrard rightly attracted a lot of plaudits, but you can't just dismiss other players exploits because they had a better supporting cast.

 

Did Gerrard not once put a transfer request in? to try get a move to Chelsea.

Mancini to be sacked today or tomorrow also.