Let’s Be Frank

Lampard has never been better

"I think personally it has been my best season."

We’ve never been ones to get caught up in tabloid nonsense or schoolboy prejudices when evaluating football’s best. So we feel obliged to speak up for Frank Lampard, who is not getting nearly the recognition he deserves for the season he’s having. In fact, his absence from the list of nominees for the PFA Player of the Year completely discredits the award. (Ryan Giggs? Seriously? He doesn’t even start for his team!)  Without doubt, Lampard has been the rock in Chelsea’s turbulent season, and now he’s the driving force behind their surprising bid for a treble. For us, here are some golden moments from a golden season.

Chelsea v. Stoke City (Premier League, 2-1): Chelsea’s great escape against the Premiership new boys marked one of the few bright spots under former coach Luis Felipe Scolari. Juliano Belleti leveled the score with three minutes to go. But there was only one person who was ever going to win it in injury time.

Chelsea v. Liverpool (Champions League, 4-4):  With Liverpool threatening to pull off a repeat of its heroics in Istanbul, Lampard took the game by the scruff of its neck and slotted in the final two goals, putting a dream comeback out of reach.

Chelsea v. Arsenal (FA Cup, 2-1): Six minutes from the end of normal time, Lampard hoisted a long pass to Didier Drogba, who burst past his defender, beat the keeper, and nudged the ball home.  Everyone’s talking about Drogba’s powerful display, but it was Lampard’s pinpoint set-up that made the difference.

Chelsea v. Ipswich (FA Cup, 3-1): Lampard’s stunning free kick – Chelsea’s third goal that evening – didn’t affect the outcome of the game, but we list it here because it did seem to break Isaac Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation.