For the umpteenth season in a row, Frank Lampard has continued to roll back the advancing years to notch up a goal-scoring record that most strikers would be proud of – just ask Fernando Torres. 13 goals and 2 assists in 33 games this season has brought him up to 199 goals and 130 assists in his twelfth season at the Bridge. He is the only player to have scored 10+ goals in 10 consecutive Premier League seasons. He has the most goals (161) of any Premier League midfielder ever. He has won no less than twelve trophies at Chelsea and has been crucial in each one.
And still, he isn’t being offered an extension to his contract that runs out at the end of this season. Which begs the question, why? Well, I’ll try to answer that, looking at it from the board’s perspective, because they are the people that matter.
#1: Age :
Much has been said about Chelsea’s recent policy of not offering a contract longer than 1 year to players over the age of 30. This policy saw Didier Drogba leave at the end of last season, and the same seems to be happening to Lampard, Ferreira, Benayoun, Malouda and Hilario this season. At the same time, a new generation has been emerging from the academy. Nathan Ake, who made his first Chelsea start last night, is a prime example.
There are too many promising youngsters at Chelsea to list, and what is wrong with allowing one of them e.g. Josh McEachran, who is 15 years younger than Lampard, to take over? And if we won’t break our policy for Drogba, Malouda or Ferreira, who have been fantastic servants to Chelsea, why should we break our policy for Lampard?
#2: Wages:
Frank Lampard, along with Fernando Torres, John Terry and Eden Hazard, is one of Chelsea’s highest paid players. Lampard’s wages are believed to be £150,000 per week, which sets us back £7.8m per year. In perspective, the signings of Ba, Azpilicueta and Marin were all less than that, so is it worth retaining Lampard as the expense of signing someone younger, with outstanding talent and lower wages? Is a 34-year-old Lampard without any sale value more valuable to the club than buying a Demba Ba or Cesar Azpilicueta every year, who will be on significantly lower wages?
#3: To keep Lampard motivated:
With 199 Chelsea goals, Super Frank is just 3 goals away from equalling the Chelsea record of 202 club goals, held by Bobby Tambling. At his current rate, Lampard is well on course to break the record before the end of the season. 4 goals in two and a half months isn’t easy, but should be no problem for Lampard, provided he gets sufficient game-time. But if the time available to Lampard was 14 and a half months, not two and a half, that would be a guarantee that he would become the all-time leading goal-scorer.
Clearly, the title of Chelsea’s all-time highest goal-scorer is something that any Chelsea player past, present or future would love, Lampard as much as anyone. So could this be a clever ploy by the club? There is a quantifiable chance that he won’t break the record this season, and could be stuck on 201 goals and be forced out, if he doesn’t continue to play at the highest level and smash in the goals. But is the time-frame was longer, and he had another season or two to go, Lampard would be able to relax, safe in the knowledge that he would very easily claim the crown of top goal-scorer, eventually. While I strongly doubt this would be the case (Lampard has always given 100% to the cause and always will) it is possible that the club is planning to keep Frank pushing for more goals until he gets the record, at which point he is offered the contract he covets. If he doesn’t get to 203 this season, he’ll get an extension to 2014 that sees him comfortably break the record. Clearly, this would be the ideal scenario.
#4: The club wants to promote from within:
As I mentioned earlier, there is a phenomenal crop of youngsters emerging at Chelsea. Guys like Courtois, Wallace, Kane, Kalas, Omeruo, Bruma, Ake, van Aanholt, Chalobah, McEachran, Musonda, De Bruyne, Piazon, Oscar, Boga, Feruz and Lukaku all look set for a fantastic future at SW6. Not all will become first-team regulars, but all have the potential to.
Have I missed any? Probably. There is surely no other club in world football with as many world-class prospects up their sleeves as Chelsea.
But who could replace Lampard? The truthful answer is that Lampard is a one-off. Finding a suitable replacement to score the goals that he has scored, from midfield, might well be impossible. But which Lampard is it that we want to replace? Is it the 2005 version, the hybrid of a classy box-to-box midfielder with a goal poacher’s instinct? Or the latest edition, the deep-lying playmaker that still makes runs from deep and scores goals? Personally, I’m more inclined to say the latter. The 2005 Frank Lampard was probably the better player, and scored more goals, but attacking midfield is Chelsea’s strongest position. Mata, Hazard, Oscar, De Bruyne, Marin, Piazon. That position is covered. So a central midfielder, who is disciplined in his defending and can execute perfectly timed runs from deep to plunder goals. Our leading candidates look like being Oscar, Kevin De Bruyne, Nathaniel Chalobah, Josh McEachran and David Luiz. I’ll analyse them all in the next Part of this series.
Part 1 here : http://chelseafc360.com/2013/03/01/why-frank-lampard-hasnt-been-given-a-new-contract-part-1/
Part 2 here : http://chelseafc360.com/2013/03/03/why-lampard-hasnt-been-given-a-new-contract-part-2/
i would lyk macechran to be the replacement for lampard or chaloba.
We saw Tom Brady Cutting his salary for Patriots to sign new players last year. this year Tom Brady gave the Patriots a lot of money to sign free agents. lampard should reduce his salary and make that sacrifice for the team. he can do that
LAMPARD WAS WILLING TO CUY HIS WAGE BY MORE THAN 50% TO STAY WITH US!!
SO GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT BEFORE MAKING A STUPID COMMENT!!!!
(PLASTIC FANS)
Did the writer mention that in this article? I don’t think so and oh yeah you call me a plastic fan, when you started watching games ? I bet since Munich 2012.
In my opinion. Juan Mata is the person to replace Lampard, not in terms of position, but playing skill, personality, leadership skills and devotion. He is undoubtedly working his way to become one of Chelseas greats. Much like Lampard who is quite simply a legend even more so than drogba i might say.
Thats shit we shld jst kip him he is a world class,nkt!I hate to think he will leave.
Mate, I’m not trying to argue that Frank Lampard shouldn’t get a new contract. The purpose of this series is to try to explain why the board haven’t given Lampard an extension, looking at it from their perspective. That’s not the same thing at all. Later in the series I’ll explain exactly why losing Frank Lampard might not harm Chelsea at all.
I’will advice Lampard and other old guards to lower their wages just like Rio, Giggs and Scholes and take up the role the took in Man United. Being a Legend is not just featuring in most matches, but sacrifising much for the Club you professed to love. When is all these (13) young lads going to take over? These are guys who can take overa whole team and still finish at the middle of the Epl table. Leave Isco, Fellaini or whom ever and give these guys chance. Enough of all these reckless spending.
FYI Lampard was willing to cut his wage by more than 50% to stay so get ur facts right before commenting!
i never heard of this… sources??? if he is ready to take a pay cut, i would say give him another two years…. respect…
Lamps is a good player but am no fanatic…midfield cordination aint all about goal scoring but laying those killer passes that can change games eg scholes, javi n gerard,alonso etc are known for that. atimes, his desire to score goals makes him forget he’s midfielder which often leave us lagging…he’s a legend but is time he left for younger crop of players to take over…eg josh, ake, feruz u name them.
Lampard have had more ASSISTS than Gerrard or Xavi or Iniesta or Alonso or Scholes… check ESPN website and look their stats
lampard
has more assists than xavu gerrard alonso and one season he himself created 117 goal chances think it was 07/08
Age & Wage is not a matter at all! Lampard was willing to get a MASSIVE wage cut to stay with Chelsea and also look at the giggs and scholes, they’re all a lot older than Lampard but still can contribute lots at the ManU (1st in the league by 12 points)
I reckon Abramovich is going with his gut instinct again and he will regret it AGAIN like the case with Mourinho
No regrets we gat move on…another of breaking the backbone of player power in cfc
No regrets we gat to move on…another sure way of breaking the backbone of player power in cfc
Lampard ur d greapest midfielder worldwide. Don’t worry chelsea will extend ur contract soon. Ride on sir