One of the biggest problems any England manager can face is how he will get the best out of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Arguably their respective clubs’ players of the season, both play a pivotal role in Chelsea’s and Liverpool’s fortunes. But put them on the same pitch, on the same side and things just… don’t work.
The same player
Both players need to be the focal point of the team and this is a major problem - there is no discipline. The majority of the play is through the pair and they are allowed to roam as they please. But, both players, when alongside each other, are unsure when to take control or when to drop off – meaning, much of England’s midfield creativity goes missing.
Both Lampard and Gerrard are the box-to-box type that any successful team will have in the midfield – you won’t see them taking on entire defences, but you will see them winning the ball back before joining the attack in the same breath. Subtle differences are evident; Gerrard can hit a coin with a pass from 50 yards and Lampard can play keep-ball with the best, but no team needs two engines, surely?
But how can the world-class midfielder that is left out, not be a starting international? It would be a shame but, for England to have any success, only one can play. Every tactic in the book has been tested to get them to click, but every time natural footballing instinct has gotten in the way.
Tactical headache
Gerrard has been put on the wing but he, of course, drifts inside to get involved. Lampard has been deployed as the deeper-lying holding midfielder, but was ineffective as it is his nature to link-up with the forwards. Capello has even implemented natural defensive midfielders – both Michael Carrick and Gareth Barry – behind the pair in a 3-man central midfield, but we were back to having the original problem; they can’t play alongside one another.
It can hardly be questioned that The Three Lions play better with one or the other, as last September’s excellent win in Croatia showed. Just Lampard was available that day, the freedom he was allowed with Barry sitting behind him let our midfield express themselves and restrict Croatia to just a couple of chances.
This is not a claim advocating Lampard over Gerrard here, but the performance of the team that day highlights the importance of just playing one. It is no coincidence that both have, for many years, been integral to their clubs and it is not because, despite some claims, they care more for club football. It is solely that teams need the type of variation in midfield that Lampard and Gerrard together cannot provide. If their Premier League form could translate to the international stage then England would be a force in World football; and that could happen, but only if we remove the and between their names and replace it with or.
Has it started to work?
Results have, undeniably, been very good under Capello, which has led to sections of the media claiming the Italian has cracked the enigma of playing England’s two best central midfielders. The head-coach is playing the Chelsea man in the more defensive role, trusting Gerrard with the attacking responsibility. Though this has worked fairly well so far, is hindering the influence of one player instead of selecting a natural holding midfielder, the best way to go forward? In my opinion, it isn’t. Making a player adapt, however good he is, will always be less effective than picking one who has played that position his whole career.
If Capello wants to become the most successful England ‘head-coach’ in recent history then, in my opinion, he will be better of picking either Blue or Red – and rotating if necessary.
Lampard or Gerrard?
But which one should get the nod? Both have had glittering club careers, with not much to choose between them; and both have had modest international careers, with not much to choose between them. Chances are, both would excel if allowed to play like at club level. How he would choose between them is anyone’s guess but unfortunately, for now, it is both of them.