So, you read the title right? I put up a poll as well on this topic and 75% of us were in favour of Lampard starting every match. Well, there are two ways of looking at this – one is the compassionate, gratuitous and hopeful way and the other is ruthless, business-like and realistic way. So, I here play both the ego and alter-ego for this debate and try to see which side weighs more.

Through the compassionate, gratuitous and loyal eyes

Over the past few seasons, including the last one, he has been a tremendous player for us. He has been a very loyal servant (at 100,000 plus pounds a week!) and is always ready to contribute. He even went on to make a premier league record of consecutive appearances and has played in the rain and shine of his health. No, it’s not because he felt insecure of losing his place if he doesn’t play. When he was making that record, he was our champion midfielder and there was hardly any doubt about that. In fact, for a few weeks now, he has been playing with some minor injury while there are players (Thie . . Henr. .) who pick and choose matches they don’t want to play, by sighting injury reasons. So, I feel that his commitment is unquestionable and not under discussion.

Is he in form? It takes a die-hard fan of Lampard to even think about saying ‘yes’. I’m not one, I just like him and certainly do not and will not dislike him unless he does a Galloss or something like that. Players do go out of form, don’t they? So, being out of form is not the problem now should he play (or he be played) when he is not in form? What do we call here as out of form? He is not scoring goals – in the pre-season, community shield and against Birmingham. That’s fine, it was not Steven Gerrard who scored 20+ goals last season.

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Lampard has not made many goals in the last few matches (friendlies included). When the formation changes and the style/approach of play changes, the players who are involved in the attack and who create goals will also change. With what we have seen so far, we are going to see less of centre attacks and that means lesser number of assists from Lampard, which is what is happening now. In a few weeks, oppositions will start concentrating and marking our wingers and that would create space for surging central midfielders. Is he currently playing a crucial role in the build-up of the attacks, well yes. He’s cut down his shooting instincts and you could see that he’s playing as per Jose’s instruction of just feeding the ball to the wings at the right moment and see them fly. I heard you saying he loses possession too often. As far as I remember Essien lost twice and Lampard lost thrice against Birmingham. I’m not saying it’s allright but, come on it’s allright, it happens!

Through the ruthless, business-like and realistic eyes

While the their view confirms that he is not in form, why do we have to play him, especially when you have multiple options for his central midfielder role. Mikel, Diarra or Makelele can be used and given the current set-up they would return the same output that Frank returns. When Ballack returns from injury, only Lampard’s merit, and not anything else, should find his name on the teamsheet. Jose did say that he does not pick the team but the players (and their performance) picks themselves. If this is truly the case, either Lamps should improve or see himself on the bench. And ye, if he has an injury, then what’s he doing on the pitch? He should stay away from playing and aggravating his injury.

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What hurts is not his lack of goals or assists but only his loss of possession and that too in very crucial areas that would normally have the opposition cut through you. Someone playing in the midfield role should be lot more wary and careful of what damage they can do to their team. The alternative you have is Mikel, who is modeled after Essien in ball control and after Makelele in pace and movement. With Mikel and Essien as central midfielders, the opposition will have a torrid time in the middle and can hardly sneak through. With two in-form wingers and in-form strikers, do we need an attack-minded midfielder or a neutral minded one?

And, finally . . .

frank1.JPGFor sure, Jose seems to be thinking the former way and that’s why you still see Frank on the pitch and that too as the captain. If I were Jose, I’d rest (not drop, mind you!) Lampard for a few games and let Essien and Mikel marshal the midfield. But Jose can’t whip him like to does to Mikel. We certainly have to respect a player of Lampard’s calibre and also for his contribution to our achievements. At no cost, Lampard should feel ill-treated for a short loss of form, as he knows he was in top form for successive seasons and he has certainly built up loads of goodwill to his advantage.

In short, rest him for awhile and let someone else play but he’s still a very important player and he is part of the core of our team because he is one of those players who has it ‘in the blood’!