In the red corner, we have Liverpool’s captain and ‘the complete player’, as acknowledged by many coaches, Steven Gerrard. In the blue corner, we have ‘the best player in the world’, according to Jose Mourinho, Frank Lampard. The million dollar question: Who is better?
Liverpool supporters will say it’s Gerrard, the one in the pair who has been crowned a European champion. Chelsea supporters will take pains in pushing forward the case of Lampard, extolling his virtues till the cows come home. For what’s it worth, I will tell you who’s ‘better’. When assessing anything, we have to find out it’s purpose. Then we have to decide to what extent the purpose is being carried out.
As Gerrard and Lampard are two of England’s shining beacons in midfield now, they must surely carry out their intentions well. The ‘perfect’ midfielder would be one who runs till his muscles ache, has the fitness to allow him to resist that feeling for longer, be able to pass well, shoot well, tackle well, read the game well, dribble well…basically being an expert in all facets of the game. As the midfielder is at the heart of the action, the more qualities he possesses, the better. And if those qualities are laced with supremacy, you have a world-class midfielder.
The beauty of these two luminaries is that they are so complete in the footballing sense. Unlike David Beckham, who is seen as one-dimensional, or Cristiano Ronaldo, who is fanciful dribbler with many weaknesses, there are few weaknesses in Gerrard’s and Lampard’s game. But our mission is not to uncover the strengths of the two (although they will be discussed), as they possess many, but the weaknesses, as they are few.
The Chelsea man plays in a better midfield, has better wingers to flank him, the world’s best anchorman as his bodyguard, and arguably better forwards to feed. All this makes the task easier.
Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, has not forged a proper midfield partnership yet at his club, is sometimes played out of position, has a lack of width surrounding him, and erratic strikers for him to search out. And this means his task is comparatively harder.
It’s important to consider that as a man has never won a football match on his own since Diego Maradona led his country to World Cup glory in 1986. Team-mates can often help a key man look better, or worse than he actually is.
Now that we have considered the two teams both of them play in, it’s time to look at their individual abilities. Ask any football coach what a midfielder must definitely possess, and the answer will probably be a competent ability to pass the ball.
I will be a little controversial here by saying I think Frank Lampard is the better passer. Simply because he is more consistent in his level of delivery. While Gerrard sometimes places too much weight in his passes and over-hits them, Lampard is more often than not unerring in his accuracy.
Because of this bad habit Gerrard has, sometimes his team-mates have trouble killing the ball and bringing it under their control. Having said that, his ability in passing the ball still surpasses many mere mortals.
Consistency
Lampard has often been praised for his sometimes extraordinary consistency levels. The consistency in which he keeps starting games and the consistency in which he keeps the standard of his play high, is what persuaded Mourinho to proclaim him the numero uno on the planet.
Gerrard, on the other hand, has a dire record with injuries. Metartasals, groins, ankles, calfs…he’s got it all before in the Liverpool shirt. When he’s out of the team, the problems start for Liverpool. When he’s out, and Liverpool lose, Liverpool get branded a one-man team. When he’s out, and Liverpool win, there is talk that the club can do without him.
Such is the status he has acquired, any injury that Gerrard sustains becomes a Red crisis. And he does pick them up often. This is where Lampard beats Gerrard hands down. If Gerrard is not playing, he can’t make any real contribution.
Late Bloomer
In many regards, Lampard is a late bloomer. When Gerrard was strutting his stuff in the 2000 European Championships, Lampard was busy captaining the Under-21 side in the ‘junior’ version of the competition.
While Gerrard started his career at a club near the top, Lampard plied his trade at West Ham, a club which in a few months, can turn from challengers of a European spot, to relegation candidates. Even when he came to Chelsea, Lampard started off slowly. Believe it or not, his first goal for the club only came several months after he joined.
Both missed out on the 2002 World Cup, but while Gerrard was left out because of injury reasons, Lampard was ignored because he simply wasn’t wanted in the final 22. Then, in 2003/04, Lampard burst to life. Surely that had nothing to do with Roman Abramovich and his roubles?
Anyway, now that Lampard had a better team around him, his potential could be fulfilled. He went on to score 3 goals in 4 games at Euro 2004, and cemented his reputation as a top-class midfielder.
And then, what happened? In came the world’s best manager, at the time anyway. Mourinho had just led Porto to two European trophies in two seasons, and he would make Lampard better.
Under the guidance of Mourinho, Lampard can now scale the Premiership and European mountains with ease. All this time has took chunks out of Lampard’s career, however. Lampard is now 27, and he has only really sprung to life from 2003 up till now.
Gerrard, at two years younger, has been a fixture of the Liverpool midfield for six years. And in 2001, while Lampard was toiling at West Ham, he reveled in the glory of the Treble. All this time at the forefront of the game has sharpened many of Gerrard’s edges. He is now an inspiring leader, something which Lampard isn’t yet. Any talk of Beckham’s successor to the England captaincy has Gerrard’s name, but rarely Lampard’s.
Versatility is also an edge the Liverpool skipper has over Lampard. He has played at central midfield, behind the strikers, right-back, right-midfield, the holding role and even left-midfield all with aplomb. Place him anywhere on the park, except between the posts, and he will deliver.
Goals
Partly because of the constellation of stars surrounding him, and partly because of his own ability, Lampard has a goal-scoring record this season (and last) that a top-class striker would envy.
A forward like Thierry Henry would be proud of a record of 10 goals in 12 games. This underlines how much of a threat Lampard is, and how well he has done. Gerrard, on the other hand, playing in a poorer team, has amassed 2 goals in 8 games.
This, of course, is discounting Gerrard’s account in the Champions’ League qualifiers. If we include those, then the tally becomes more impressive – 9 in 14. At the moment, it’s fair to say though is Lampard is much more of a consistent goal-threat.
The Verdict
So Lampard is more consistent, and he’s scored more goals in the past two seasons. Gerrard is younger and yet more experienced. All Gerrard needs to do is to cut out his niggling habits and niggling injuries, and he will be a level higher than Lampard.
At the moment, Lampard is just edging it. But as we have seen, careers are like football matches – the picture at the 90th minute is not often the same as it was on the 48th.
Liverpool supporters will say it’s Gerrard, the one in the pair who has been crowned a European champion. Chelsea supporters will take pains in pushing forward the case of Lampard, extolling his virtues till the cows come home. For what’s it worth, I will tell you who’s ‘better’. When assessing anything, we have to find out it’s purpose. Then we have to decide to what extent the purpose is being carried out.
As Gerrard and Lampard are two of England’s shining beacons in midfield now, they must surely carry out their intentions well. The ‘perfect’ midfielder would be one who runs till his muscles ache, has the fitness to allow him to resist that feeling for longer, be able to pass well, shoot well, tackle well, read the game well, dribble well…basically being an expert in all facets of the game. As the midfielder is at the heart of the action, the more qualities he possesses, the better. And if those qualities are laced with supremacy, you have a world-class midfielder.
The beauty of these two luminaries is that they are so complete in the footballing sense. Unlike David Beckham, who is seen as one-dimensional, or Cristiano Ronaldo, who is fanciful dribbler with many weaknesses, there are few weaknesses in Gerrard’s and Lampard’s game. But our mission is not to uncover the strengths of the two (although they will be discussed), as they possess many, but the weaknesses, as they are few.
The Chelsea man plays in a better midfield, has better wingers to flank him, the world’s best anchorman as his bodyguard, and arguably better forwards to feed. All this makes the task easier.
Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, has not forged a proper midfield partnership yet at his club, is sometimes played out of position, has a lack of width surrounding him, and erratic strikers for him to search out. And this means his task is comparatively harder.
It’s important to consider that as a man has never won a football match on his own since Diego Maradona led his country to World Cup glory in 1986. Team-mates can often help a key man look better, or worse than he actually is.
Now that we have considered the two teams both of them play in, it’s time to look at their individual abilities. Ask any football coach what a midfielder must definitely possess, and the answer will probably be a competent ability to pass the ball.
I will be a little controversial here by saying I think Frank Lampard is the better passer. Simply because he is more consistent in his level of delivery. While Gerrard sometimes places too much weight in his passes and over-hits them, Lampard is more often than not unerring in his accuracy.
Because of this bad habit Gerrard has, sometimes his team-mates have trouble killing the ball and bringing it under their control. Having said that, his ability in passing the ball still surpasses many mere mortals.
Consistency
Lampard has often been praised for his sometimes extraordinary consistency levels. The consistency in which he keeps starting games and the consistency in which he keeps the standard of his play high, is what persuaded Mourinho to proclaim him the numero uno on the planet.
Gerrard, on the other hand, has a dire record with injuries. Metartasals, groins, ankles, calfs…he’s got it all before in the Liverpool shirt. When he’s out of the team, the problems start for Liverpool. When he’s out, and Liverpool lose, Liverpool get branded a one-man team. When he’s out, and Liverpool win, there is talk that the club can do without him.
Such is the status he has acquired, any injury that Gerrard sustains becomes a Red crisis. And he does pick them up often. This is where Lampard beats Gerrard hands down. If Gerrard is not playing, he can’t make any real contribution.
Late Bloomer
In many regards, Lampard is a late bloomer. When Gerrard was strutting his stuff in the 2000 European Championships, Lampard was busy captaining the Under-21 side in the ‘junior’ version of the competition.
While Gerrard started his career at a club near the top, Lampard plied his trade at West Ham, a club which in a few months, can turn from challengers of a European spot, to relegation candidates. Even when he came to Chelsea, Lampard started off slowly. Believe it or not, his first goal for the club only came several months after he joined.
Both missed out on the 2002 World Cup, but while Gerrard was left out because of injury reasons, Lampard was ignored because he simply wasn’t wanted in the final 22. Then, in 2003/04, Lampard burst to life. Surely that had nothing to do with Roman Abramovich and his roubles?
Anyway, now that Lampard had a better team around him, his potential could be fulfilled. He went on to score 3 goals in 4 games at Euro 2004, and cemented his reputation as a top-class midfielder.
And then, what happened? In came the world’s best manager, at the time anyway. Mourinho had just led Porto to two European trophies in two seasons, and he would make Lampard better.
Under the guidance of Mourinho, Lampard can now scale the Premiership and European mountains with ease. All this time has took chunks out of Lampard’s career, however. Lampard is now 27, and he has only really sprung to life from 2003 up till now.
Gerrard, at two years younger, has been a fixture of the Liverpool midfield for six years. And in 2001, while Lampard was toiling at West Ham, he reveled in the glory of the Treble. All this time at the forefront of the game has sharpened many of Gerrard’s edges. He is now an inspiring leader, something which Lampard isn’t yet. Any talk of Beckham’s successor to the England captaincy has Gerrard’s name, but rarely Lampard’s.
Versatility is also an edge the Liverpool skipper has over Lampard. He has played at central midfield, behind the strikers, right-back, right-midfield, the holding role and even left-midfield all with aplomb. Place him anywhere on the park, except between the posts, and he will deliver.
Goals
Partly because of the constellation of stars surrounding him, and partly because of his own ability, Lampard has a goal-scoring record this season (and last) that a top-class striker would envy.
A forward like Thierry Henry would be proud of a record of 10 goals in 12 games. This underlines how much of a threat Lampard is, and how well he has done. Gerrard, on the other hand, playing in a poorer team, has amassed 2 goals in 8 games.
This, of course, is discounting Gerrard’s account in the Champions’ League qualifiers. If we include those, then the tally becomes more impressive – 9 in 14. At the moment, it’s fair to say though is Lampard is much more of a consistent goal-threat.
The Verdict
So Lampard is more consistent, and he’s scored more goals in the past two seasons. Gerrard is younger and yet more experienced. All Gerrard needs to do is to cut out his niggling habits and niggling injuries, and he will be a level higher than Lampard.
At the moment, Lampard is just edging it. But as we have seen, careers are like football matches – the picture at the 90th minute is not often the same as it was on the 48th.
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