Good Bye Frank Lampard
It was too convenient for Steve McLaren to please the media by cutting off David Beckham and placing Lampard and Gerrard in the starting XI.
The England fans were delighted because they wanted to see changes after their country’s exit in FIFA World Cup 2006 and the brave moves made by Steve made him popular to deliver them to the promised land.
The fantasy is over and more than England fans care to admit, Steve’s decision backfired against them as they move closer to elimination.
The combination of Lampard and Gerrard is not working. Lampard is having a great footballing year at Chelsea but his open style, do whatever he wants setup at Stamford Bridge is not the style of football England does. Steve has a more controlled environment with Gerrard on the side of Lampard which translates to unproductive results from the Chelsea superstar.
I don’t think England should build their team around Lampard and instead place Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves in the middle.
There are a lot of adjustments to be considered like playing Gareth Barry at left-back or putting Downing and Lennon on the wings. There is also the possibility of getting David Beckham and treat him as their most valuable reserve.
For all these changes, the immediate action to be taken is to sit Frank Lampard on the bench.