The Frank Lampard dilemma

As befits the digital age, everyone had an opinion when Frank Lampard’s contract negotiations were dragging out.  The player was left hanging , the board was under fire, the manager was under pressure, and ironically, even Abramovich was coming under criticism. We don’t know if it was pressure (it wasn’t) but Lampard was offered a new deal. It seemed like the logical thing at that time though a combination of things such as the arrival of Mourinho, Chelsea’s golden generation coming of age and raring to go and the sheer brilliance of the ‘Trinity’ has muddled the situation considerably. Let’s take a look.

The reason things have become complicated is that Lampard can no longer be a starter in his favored attacking role instead he has been deployed deeper than he prefers. In this position his effectiveness is limited and due to unfamiliarity with the position, others seem to put in better performances than him. The problem is compounded by the fact that Chelsea’s excellent youth prospects have come of age and need time in the first team to truly make an impact.

Previously we have seen some prospects not getting the time that they deserved but now Chelsea’s policy of heavy spending for young players who now have turned into some of the most bright prospects across Europe has come to fruitation. Chelsea can not afford to let these guys through and for that to be minimized, they need first team action. Chelsea have also been on their way to build good squad depth, Lampard might struggle to even keep his position on the bench.

The season 2012-13 saw Chelsea rely heavily on Lampard to deliver the goals he has delivered for almost a decade now. His performances against Stoke, Everton and Newcastle were worthy of praise.

Unaware of the risks lying ahead, Lampard was given a 1-year extension.

For now, we are going to shed some light on how Lamaprd performed last season:

(This table was extracted from only the Premier League 2012-13 statistics)

As crucial as Lampard has been in delivering those winning goals, his defensive aspect of the game has suffered and it shows from the statistics mentioned above.

Now, I’ll be comparing the stats of all of the Chelsea’s defensive midfielders and then we’ll do a final verdict towards the end. (Note: The stats mentioned from here onward are taken from: Eplindex).

Playing Time Statistics:

Lampard and Mikel are neck to neck when it comes down to game time offered to the players but we have to take the AFCON cup in consideration as well. Mikel was available to Chelsea in that period and hence Lampard got the nod.

Ranking: 1) Ramires. 2) Mikel. 3) Lampard. 4) Luiz. 5)Romeu.

Win Percentage of Challenges Statistics:

Challenges win percentage is a methodology used to nullify the advantage/disadvantage of players playing more or less games.

If you like, you can omit Luiz from this category because I don’t like the idea of him playing as a defensive midfielder as there is more to this role than scoring flashy goals.

Lampard’s aerial vulnerability is there for everyone to see. In another words he is losing more balls than he is winning. Also, interesting to see how Romeu (who is the shortest of all) is doing better than all of them in the aerial department.

Ranking: 1)Romeu. 2) Ramiers. 3)Luiz. 4) Mikel. 5) Lampard.

Contesting For The Ball Statistics:

(Min/Challenge Win is the total of the tackle and aerial wins. Average is of Min/Challenge and Min/Interception)

Again, keep an eye on Lampard. He has the longest time per gain in possession for every sub-category. Funny thing how he was playing as a defensive midfielder and yet failed for such long period to get the possession back for his side. Romeu and Luiz however have done exceptionally well.

Ranking: 1) Romeu. 2) Luiz. 3) Ramires. 4) Mikel. 5) Lampard.

Possessions Statistics:

Romeu and Mikel are the best passers according to these stats, Romeu being the most consistent. Lampard and Luiz joint worst passers – You can expect that from Luiz but Lampard? You won’t be doing yourself any good if you defend Lampard here.

Ranking: 1) Romeu. 2) Mikel. 3) Ramires. 4) Lampard. 5) Luiz.

Offensive Role Statistics:

As Lampard is naturally a more of a forward midfielder, you can expect him to be heads and shoulders above the rest when it comes down to scoring and creating chances for others to put the team infront.

Lampard scored a goal every 123 minutes for Chelsea last season which is quite impressive for a player who is playing in a deeper position.

Ranking: 1) Lampard. 2) Ramires. 3) Luiz. 4) Mikel. 5) Romeu.

The Final Verdict:

Merging all the rankings of individual areas. Here is the final standing of how Chelsea’s defensive midfielders have performed throughout the season.

1. Ramires.

2. Romeu.

3. Mikel.

4. Luiz.

5. Lampard.

With the arrival of Schurrle and the stay of De Bruyne almost imminent, it seems as Oscar will be moved into more of a central role with De Bruyne getting the occasional nods. Stastically, these are the facts and none of can deny them. If Lampard is unfit for the defensive role, it remains a huge question mark where Jose Mourinho will fit the three time Chelsea player of the year.
This was a guest article written by @SyedZarar. Leave him your thoughts/comments in the comment section below. Keep all abuse to a minimal, as per usual.