Sorry to bring this one up again but I didn’t start it, John Terry did!
The Chelsea skipper has said that he firmly believes that Frank Lampard is the best midfield player in England.
“Frank does it season after season. He is different class. In training he is unbelievable and he works so hard on his shooting and his running off the ball. We will do a warm-down and he will be doing laps around the field on his own. He is an inspiration to everyone in the team to really push on and give it everything in our short careers.”
Whilst there are several other contenders around the country, I would imagine that this would boil down to a straight choice between Lampard and Liverpool’s Steve Gerrard. There have been many arguments about whether they can play together, but which one is actually the better player?
It is not possible to compare players in a totally scientific way, but there are some categories where you can compare like for like. We’ll try to do that here and see if a clear winner emerges.
Despite an apparent loss of form last season, Lampard continues to be a driving force for Chelsea in the middle of the park, and scored a wonderful chip during a comfortable 3-0 win over Hull on Wednesday.
Gerrard has also had his doubters but is still the ‘main man’ at Liverpool, and when they needed someone with a cool head to take a crucial penalty on Wednesday, there was nobody else in the frame.
We can look at statistics in relation to games played, goals scored, team honours won, England caps and goals and personal awards won, particularly those selected by other players.
International Career
In relation to England caps, Gerrard has seventy and has scored fourteen goals and Lampard has sixty-six and has also scored fourteen goals. That is too close to award that section to either of them. I would say that both players have performed, on average, slightly below the level for England than we all think they could do when watching them at their clubs.
It is impossible to award this category to either man and therefore the score remains at:
Steve Gerrard 0-0 Frank Lampard
Club career
We will look at the statistics since the 2001-02 season when both players were established at their current clubs and with the national side.
Steve Gerrard has played three hundred and fifty two games in all competitions, scoring ninety goals. Frank Lampard has played three hundred and eighty three games and scored one hundred and seventeen goals.
Lampard nicks the award on games played but of course, he hasn’t been subject to Rafa Benitez’s wonderful rotation policy. In any case, he has only played an average of about four extra games per season, so I am not giving this section to him based purely on that.
The ratio of goalscoring needs to be used as well. For Gerrard the figure is one goal every 3.70 games. Lampard comes in at one goal every 3.27 games.
Based on the fact that Lampard has played slightly more games and scores slightly more often, this section goes to him.
Steve Gerrard 0-1 Frank Lampard
Team honours
Steve Gerrard has collected seven medals with Liverpool in the time period we are looking at. He has won the Champions League, two Uefa Super Cups, the FA Cup, the League Cup and two community shields.
Frank Lampard has collected six medals. Two Premier Leagues, the FA Cup, two League Cups and the Community Shield.
I’m not sure you can split them on this one. I think Stevie G would probably swap his Champions League medal for Lamps’ Premier League one, but Lamps would probably be happy to do that swap.
After this season, one of the players might take a serious lead, but at the moment it is too close to call.
Steve Gerrard 0-1 Frank Lampard
Individual honours
Both players have been recognised for their ability and they have been awarded the title of Uefa Club Player of the Year on one occasion. They have also both been selected in the FIFpro world team and the Uefa team of the year, but Gerrard has the edge on both of those statistics.
Steve Gerrard has once been voted as the players player of the year by his fellow professionals, an award that Lampard has never won. That puts Steve Gerrard in the lead and the final point to sway things in his favour is that on five occasions his fellow professionals have selected him in their Premier League team of the year. Frank Lampard has also been selected, but only on three occasions.
Great record for both, but there can only be one winner.
Steve Gerrard 1-1 Frank Lampard
There we are then. After all that I’ve got them absolutely level again. Come on, you can decide once and for all. Who is the best, Gerrard or Lampard?
Last 5 posts by Graham Fisher
- United v Liverpool. It's what the Premier League is all about. - March 21st, 2010
- Premier League predictions - United to edge out Liverpool? - March 20th, 2010
- Has Riera hastened Rafa's departure? - March 19th, 2010
- More misery for JT - March 18th, 2010
- European round-up: Higuain hat-trick keeps Real Madrid top - March 17th, 2010
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July 17, 2009
lampard has more skill, scores more goals, is always in the right position at the right time and can do absolutely anything with the ball. all of this without pace, gerrard relys on his pace, does have a great shot, not so much skill and scores great goals, not as frequent as lampard.
lampard is surrounded by greats thats true.
gerrard is surrounded by good players.
the difference is, a player of their calibre can easily stand out in a team with only good players.
lampard can stand out in amongst the best in the world. his consistency is unmatched by gerrard, who sometimes seems complacent.
imagine if lampard played for liverpool. he would stand out like a sore thumb there too, not that he already doesnt in chelsea.
on the national team, gerrard doesnt stand out at all. when surrounded by other greats, gerrard seems as though he’s not playing as good. its not that.. its in fact that his performance is being matched.
however lampard has the ability to stand out in all forms of the game and at all times!
July 18, 2009
let us not 4get the last world cup when one player had 26 chances and had no goals
July 20, 2009
speed,right foot,left foot,heading,energy,power n everything u need for team engine-steven gerrard can play in any position except GK..dun 4get istanbul 2005.n waiting for this bomb nuklear at 2010 world cup..ehh,,sorry i 4got about lampard,westing my time.jangan marah……
July 20, 2009
england midfielders 4 next world cup-CMF-steven gerrard,DMF-gareth barry,LW-ashley young,RW-theo walcott..no place for lampard..agree??
August 4, 2009
stever gerrard is the best!!! moterfucher’s dont you never fotget
August 14, 2009
Stevie G is brilliant, he has flair and skill.
September 6, 2009
Lampard wins by a mile! more goals in premier league fact! more goals for England fact! and better % of passing/completion for both club and country fact!
September 8, 2009
On no account should anyone compare stevie G to frank larmpard.they are not on the same level and i dont believe they would ever be.it is like compariin a recruit in the army to a field marshall.there will always be the huge gap between the two.Terry can say watever he likes,but deep down,as a coach,he would choose to have gerrad before larmpard.gerrad is just to good to be commpared wit liverpool.the end.no more arguemnt.class is class.
November 6, 2009
Hilarious. So because Lampard and Gerrard both have as many goals in an England shirt they are equal? Nope. Gerrard has played on the right or behind Lampard covering his ass in a defensive position, yet still has as many goals as Fat Frank. So this clearly goes for Gerrard.
And as for clubs, Gerrard started off as a RB and then a DM. It is only in the last 4 years that he has been played in an attacking role, and guess what? He scores more goals per game than Lampard over the last 4 years too. Again, another point for Gerrard.
As for medals: Gerrard has achieved all his medals at a club with average players, Lampard one with great players. How are they equal in this respect? Gerrard has pushed on for titles and carried his team while Lampard was merely a cog in a the machine. Another point for Gerrard.
The only thing you got right was the individual accolades.
Gerrard 4 – 0 Lampard.
December 16, 2009
class is class stevie and frankie are not of he same class. while i know frankis is good, stevie obviously is better. stevie is a robust and utility player who has played in virtually every role on the field except goal keeping.even presently coach capello is using him on the flanks and in his maturity he will never complain. He is not just any player, he is a presence and when he’s on the field he exudes so much confidence and passion, consistent over the years, can go on and on…..
he’s got pace, power, accurate telegraphic tailor made passes (both short and long ranges), and above all he’s a team player who can carry team responsibilities single handedly and of course a specialist in raising back to life any dead game. remember istanbul.
all of these and many more has earned him the general o world football no more no less. but as for lampard he still has more to learn from the boss- STEVIE GGGGGGGG
March 11, 2010
lampard is better cuz simply hes the best of the best