Who could replace Frank Lampard at Chelsea?

Chelsea fans will have been rocked this morning by reports that Frank Lampard will be quitting the club following the Champions League final for a four year contract at Inter Milan worth a cool £5.8 million per year to the England midfielder. And although Chelsea have been quick to play down the speculation ahead of the biggest game in the club's history, there is a nagging doubt that one of their key players could soon be off to pastures new.

If so, could Chelsea cope without Lampard, who has proved talismanic since his move from Upton Park in 2001 and showed his dedication to the cause with his brave performance against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final following the death of his mother.

Where will Chelsea find a 20 goal a season midfielder? Could Michael Ballack fill his shoes. Villified for his sluggish early season form, the German has shown his true worth in the second half of the campaign, while the combative Michael Essien seems entirely wasted at full back.

Do Chelsea have a contingency plan should Lampard prefer pasta to pies? Let us know your thoughts.

Comments

[RockfordPiles]

The Q. was asked why Lampard isn't liked. Just read his comments after Moscow and witness the lack of grace of the man. Before every West Ham game he criticises them and again says he wasn't appreciated, then upsets himself again when he is booed. His point is proven with his boots well enough, he need not encourage their distaste. Even I could sense the emotion in his first game after his sad loss, but to continue the theme lacked dignity. Although he is certainly not the only footballer to be guilty of that.

[Steve, Ottawa]

If nothing else, Lampards' 20+ goals per season has warranted his selection - but he is not irresplaceable - his strike rate is so high because others around him have failed to do their job (Drogba aside last season).

So it's not who should replace Lampard like for like - it's how can Chelsea re-organise to best effect without him - Essien and Ballack in central midfield should be able to find 5 goals each per season, Joe Cole plus an improved Malouda or new buy could add 5 more and a new central striker (should Drogba move) should add another 5 - that's Lampard's 20 covered in one swoop.

[Haze17]

Ol devil - I too am in agreement with your comments. Well said. Although it should be ''you're'' a fool, not ''your''.

[Jon M]

Lampard is certainly not irreplaceable, as has been said elsewhere Ballack has finally stepped up this year and for me Lampard has never quite hit the bracket of 'irreplaceable' e.g. Ronaldo, Drogba, Kaka, Messi etc. (I'd only put about 10 or so players in this category - but that's another debate)

He is undoubtedly a good player in the correct system though and he was a key player for Chelsea 2-3 years ago, but even at his peak he lacked the all round game to adapt if required; hence why it was invariably Gerrard moveing around the England midfield at the time as he does have the skills to adapt if required.

Bottom line as a Liverpool fan I wont be celebrating Chelsea's demise if he leaves, they will undoubtedly buy a quality replacement and right now I'd class there 2 irreplaceables as Essien and Drogba, everyone else in the squad can be replaced with an equally skillfull player (paticularly when you have Chelsea's budget). I'm sure some Terry enthusiasts may take offence but for me he is not in the top 5 cb's in the world and could be replaced.

[Jamie]

i think a bit of Ronald Mcdonald would do the job perfectly

[Michilini]

What a fantastic post by ´Ol devil. The world would be a better place if journalists were as honest as that man. Nobody who is remotely aware of the statistics would try to argue that Lampard isnt an effective goal scorer. However, Ol devil is spot on when he says that players like Fabregas, Carrick and Riquelme are of far more value to a team over 90 minutes due to their playmaking skills and technical abilities. Lampard is in a sense both overrated and underrated. On the whole journalists adopt the stance that Lampard is a "world class" player, whilst most of the general public undestate his value as it has become fashionable to do so (especially since world cup 2006). I might also add that the nonesense so often written regarding the reasons behind chelseas success which systematically exclude any mention of Abramovices millions are sickening. Well done Ol devil.

[Alex Kelsey]

Surely there must be plenty of overweight, lazy, shoot on sight central midfielders across Europe.

Thomas Brolin?

[ph]

No one, bring Ballack and Essien as a midfield partnership with Cole in there as a central influence to provide some flair.

Then they should get some decent wingers, they haven't had one since Robben left.

Simple, i'm certain they wouldn't miss him.

[Toby]

Why is it we find it so difficult to understand why a player would stay at a club for a lengthy period of time and not get bored or disenchanted. Maldini and Raul hold the highest status players can have in their respective Milan and Madrid so why is it that we can't seem to have the same fondness to Lampard. He has been one of, if not the best midfielder in the Premiership for the last 5 years and the stats show it. I have to admit that at international level he has not shone in the same light but thats not to say he has been a disappointment.
I would love him to stay at Chelsea, not just because his partnership with Ballack looks like it is improving but also the fact that he will always get goals.
He has shown a dignity in handling the media intrusion that goes hand in hand with footballers nowadays and never sought to fight his corner in the face of overcritical review.
Put it this way compare Lampard and Scholes. Being dropped from the international team made one of them quit that level. The other saw it as a challenge to up his game and again prove the doubters wrong. No prizes for getting that one right chaps.

[StrikerViper]

Good point by Matt. Lampard to his credit, did play well in the semi-fianl v Liverpool. But as a Liverpool supporter I was delighted Essien played at right back. There is no problem now that Lampards move seems imminent. Essien and Ballack at the heart of midfield is clearly the blues best partnership.

Lampard always goes missing in the big games. His best years at Chelsea were when the great Makelele 'had the legs'. And he virtually had a free role. Even when England tried to accommodate him in this role he never stepped up. Just imagine how Scholes or Gerrard would play given such freedom...

I really think their best option is to keep other key players. Drogba and Carvalho's rumoured exits could be disastrous. I feel they along with Essien are Chelsea's best players. Drogba the complete opposite of Lampard, nearly always steps up on the big day. He can do everything- hold the line on his own, score, provide, good in the air, strong(except for his diving exploits). He really suits their system.

Carvalho is their best defender- very underrated and makes up for Terrys lack of pace, by his great reading of the game. He is Terrys 'get out of jail card'. If Chelsea are looking for a creative player perhaps Deco and Diego are good options. But would they have to adopt a new system to do so??

[Jamie]

I think alot of the time the best replacement is someone who brings something very different to the table, practically a different position. look at carrick/keane and cesc/viera.

With Mikel coming through the ranks it looks like chelsea are set to have a very powerful engine working away there, I just think they need a flair player to go alongside joe cole and supporting drogba/anelka to complete it,

I'd like to see either messi or robinho in the mix (wishful thinking i know)

[Ad]

It's Drogba they can't replace, not Lampard. How much will Gerrard cost them?

[Moe]

Yes Chelsea can live without Lampard. Let's not forget that Chelsea got enough money to replace Lampard. Deco is one candidate who can replace Lamps. David Bently is another candidate

[Moe]

May be Deco can replace him perfectly.

[SuesieG]

Chelsea already has one of the best central mid-fielders/all round players in the world in Michael Essien, who unfortunately, has been shackled at right back a lot of the time this season. Given the opportunity to roam about, Essien's much more dangerous and lethal than Lampard.

I'm not a Lampard-hater and think he's a decent enough player, but Chelsea would be wise to sell him now while he's still under 30 and worth some money.

[Will]

I know the perfect replacement. Michael Essien. It's about time he got to play in midfield. The idea that Chelsea need a midfielder exactly like Lampard is stupid. They have plenty of talent there.

The idea that he is near impossible to replace is nonsense. He's a very good player, but Chelsea can buy any two or three young midfielders they like. Haven't you Chelsea fans worked that out? You don't win two titles in a row, out of no where, with sensible spending and good managing. Instead of a midfielder they can pay 20m for Roque Santa Cruz and if he does an Anelka just buy another in January.

Lamps isn't my favorite player, but he's talented and I'd love to see him playing overseas. Far too few British exports and this seems a good time for him to try something new. You only live once.

ROY PINNEY, Rio has never been touted as a role model. England captain yes, but even John Terry got that. I'd rather English younsters play like Rio than Terry.

[jobrighton]

Franks going nowhere. His agent has linked him with Barca, Real Madrid & AC Milan in a bid to wring more money out of Chelsea. Inter aren't interested in him. Only Frank's agent is interested in him. He's tried to call Chelsea's bluff so often now. They'd love to sell him before his contract is ok, but truth is no one wants him.

[Chris]

Over-rated? What absolutely waffle. Just look at Lampard's record at Chelsea and then make comments like that.

[D Patel]

Lampard is one of the souls of Chelsea FC, one of the core players that forms the club. Along with a guaranteed 15 goals a season, he provides us with the attacking impotus through midfield.

I can only think of two players that could replace him in terms of midfield impotus and goal amounts: Steven Gerrard and Kaka, and even thugh we have all the money inthe world, I can't see either player coming to play at Stamford Bridge.

We need to keep hold of Lampard, however possible

[Richard, Nottingham]

Great post Matt Nicolson. It had to be said.

However, I think Lampard moving to Italy would be good for him. He would improve as a player. And good luck to him. I wish a few more Englishmen would follow in his wake. It could only improve our national squad.

[Rob Lyttle]

The issue with putting these types of questions to the public, that is blatantly obvious here, is they don't know or understand football. The general public have no idea about football, to call lampard overrated is a joke to bring england form into is ridiculous (as they are all painfully bad all the time), and to pass your hear'say, match off the day, highlight watching, Sun reading misinformation off as fact ludicrous.

['Ol Devil]

Chelsea will wait until United need a midfielder and then they'll know who to go after.

[Matt Nicolson]

I have a blind cat at home, ill happily lend him to Chelsea should Lampard leave. Even with 95% blindness he could still pick a better pass than Lampard.

Of course I exaggerate a tad, but without The Times very own sycophantic, Frank Lampard cheerleader Martin Samuel around these here parts, I thought I would get that in. The simple answer to the debate is Michael Ballack. The guy has dragged awful Germany sides to results in major tournaments that would have got an England coach a 50% pay rise. I do not support, or even like Chelsea, but a midfield with Ballack and Essien in any formation (4-3-3, 4-2-2 etc) would be formidable.

Lampard's major quality is that he is English. The written press were so determined to attribute Chelsea's success to anyone other than a Russian billionaire and an invasion of foreign mercenary's that Lampard and John Terry became world class over night. Their terrible form for England (penalty aside, Lampard was pathetic in the Croatia match and throughout qualifying) was brushed to one side as it did not fit the media profile. So "journalists" like Martin Samuel adopted a stance of "if you don't rate Lampard your a fool". When that did not work, not rating him became "you all HATE Lampard" and then, most pathetically exploitative of all, these "journalists" used Lampard mother passing as a way of winning their argument, almost suggesting not rating Lampard was akin to being glad his mother had died.

Well I am sure I am not the only one who was delighted when he tucked his pen against Liverpool away. Delighted for him as person with whom I empathise with because of the backdrop of personal tragedy. But only the most blinkered Chelsea fan or Times football correspondent could argue that across 90 minutes Lampard justifies his billing as the third best paid player in the world. He has solidly had at least one, often two players around him doing all of his work for him. It works for Chelsea, Lampard is as effective a goal scoring midfielder as there is in English club football. But ask him to run a game, control the tempo ala Fabregas, Carrick, Xavi etc and Lampard looks a poor player. In the mud and sweat of the Croatia game, a Portsmouth player and some guy from Croatia Zagreb controlled the pace and outplayed the English midfield. Lampard remained spotless, not a bead of sweat, not a hint of effort in the form of mud stained his pristine white kit.

Now he does not have Jose fawning all over him, I think Avram Grant has seen what an overrated player he is and would probably be delighted to flog him back to his Portuguese safety blanket when he takes the Inter job. Give the shirt to Ballack, sell Lampard.

[Sid]

"He has always conducted himself with dignity both on and off the pitch."

Er, wasn't he the ringleader in the laughing at Americans at Ground Zero story?

[adam]

Dignity off the pitch?!? I've seen the Ayia Napa video.