Friday, August 04, 2006

Why Lampard Isn't Fit to Lace Gerrard's Boots

West Ham Fans have always had a problem with Frank Lampard. But not me. Until today. Contrast the hate-filled piece he's written about West Ham in The Sun today with this piece from his England team mate and all round good bloke Stevie Gerrard. The two pieces illustrate why Gerrard should be England captain and Lampard isn't fit to lace his boots...

"After I finally laid off spraying people with champagne and was leaving the Millennium pitch, Alan Pardew stopped me and shook my hand. ‘I’d hoped you were saving that for the World Cup,’ he said with a smile. Top man. Pardew’s players were also first-class. They came across, man after man, concealing their agony to say, ‘Well done.’ Everyone associated with West Ham behaved with real dignity in Cardiff, just like the way I try to be in defeat. If they had won, Liverpool could not have complained. Too many of our players were too disappointing. West Ham were desperately unfortunate to lose. Having played so well, it must have been gut-wrenching to go home without the FA Cup, yet they were all gracious. It really moved me that in their hour of utter desolation, West Ham fans stayed behind to applaud as I lifted the FA Cup. I’ll never forget that sporting gesture. I’m Liverpool through and through, head to toe, but I have a place in my heart for West Ham supporters after Cardiff. Fans like West Ham United’s make football special. Usually when we do a lap of honour with a cup, the opponents’ section is empty. The fans have disappeared, dragging their heartache with them. Not in Cardiff on 13 May 2006.

"The West Ham fans were tremendous, clapping us as we paraded the cup. Both sets of fans were brilliant, which made it such a terrific occasion. Back in the dressing-room we continued to celebrate, but I was gutted for Harry Kewell, who sat there, ice pressed on his damaged groin. Harry was really emotional, ripped apart with frustration after limping off in another final. I know how bad he felt in Istanbul, so my heart went out to him in Cardiff. It’s horrible seeing a team-mate I respect in bits. But the rest of the team were in party mood. ‘What a fantastic game!’ I screamed. Everyone raved about the match. The 125th FA Cup final was called the greatest ever, even ‘The Gerrard Final’! That meant the world to me. I love the FA Cup. It has taken a few knocks over recent years, and Premiership clubs are perhaps more focused these days on the Champions League, but Liverpool and West Ham put the shine back on the trophy that day in Cardiff. Good."

Marina Hyde (for it is she) has written a scathing review of Lampard's book in The Guardian HERE. Should you be interested. Thought not.


19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hang on, do you really believe Gerrard actually wrote that? You know how publishing works and the text posted must have been ghost-written, no doubt to portray Gerrard as a great guy. Nothing wrong with that of course...

strapworld said...

Iain,

Like father like son?

Actually both Gerrard and Lampard need to be brought down a peg or two. Gerrard wanted to move to Chelsea but 'threats?' to his family forced him not to go...that was the story at the time is that in his book?

Lampard has knuckled down since his two outrageous and well documented occasions (the gang bang and the drunken exploits at Heathrow) BUT he was an absolute pigs ear in the world cup

I would love the new england manager to place them both on the subs bench for the next game and for John Terry to be made captain. He is a Bryan Robson type player and the team will respond under his leadership. I would make Rio the vice Captain.

All this from a Leyton orient Supporter who only get West Ham cast offs.

I could send you the history of the O's if you like?

Iain Dale said...

Strapworld, is the book by Steve Jenkins? If so, he's my cousin in law!

Anonymous said...

Surely the point is that it was the West Ham fans who were filled with hate, not Frank Lampard. Why blame him for the vile abuse he got from his own fans, who very quickly were proved completely wrong about his playing credentials.

Were you one of the fools who booed your own players?

And I wonder if we'd have heard such sweet words from Gerrard if Liverpool had lost. It's always easy to be gracious to the losers.

Alfie said...

Stevie Gee - Stevie Genius....

But will he become England Captain? If he doesn't then it's failure all the way yet again I'm afraid....

The England team spine should be Terry, Gerrard, Rooney - and everyone else should be brought in to support them. Iff they cannot play with them - for instance, Lampard, then they should not get in the side. For what it's worth, I think Lamps will really struggle to get in the Chelsea side this season... and after his dire performances in the World Cup that proposition isn't as strange as it once would have seemed.

And regarding the Sun piece - it may have been a bit ghost written, but after the Final he was interviewed live on Radio Merseyside - and he basically said exactly the same thing, paying tribute to the West Ham players, Pardew and their fans - the only difference being there were a few more 'gutteds' 'over the moons' and 'made ups' in his interview.

Anonymous said...

what is more imprtant is we need an enforcer in midfield. Gerrard as Captain is obvious and lamps on bench but who sits between Stevie G and defence clearing up and hurting the odd opponent? Hargreaves is good but a little small.

Iain Dale said...

anonymous, I have never booed any ex West Ham player. Indeed, whenever Lampard comes back to Upton park I make a point of clapping him. I shan't bother to do that again, though.

Paul Linford said...

Marina's piece on Lamps is a real cracker, which is why I linked to it yesterday ;-)

Sng said...

Lampard's comments are pathetic. He is like a jilted ex-lover with something still to prove with the references to his two Premiership medals and being voted World Player of the Year runner-up. He needs to get over the fact that West Ham fans have always thought more highly of Rio Ferdinand and (the significantly more talented) Joe Cole.

Anonymous said...

iain, can you write something bad about arsenal again I found it hilarious last time you got loads of abuse from some crazy supporters, it was absolutely mad.

Ps. i am an arsenal fan i just find it entertaining how people go a bit loco at the slightest thing.

Barry Beef said...

i am not a Hammer but it was Lampard who started the slagging off not West Ham fans. he felt that his family/long term friendship loyalty to redknapp and lampard snr gave him some right to sput sh*t.
to the extent of my knowledge ex-Hammers like Cole and Carrick have no problem going back and it is only the ones who have left under a cloud (ince and defoe) who get jip.
Gerrard is a much better player than Lampard. Lampard also has a slightly ugly wife and Hargeaves should be in centre mid with Steve G. Terry for captain.

Anonymous said...

At risk of defending the often useless Lampard. Do you think it was right that a large section of the West Ham support, and even Brown, suggested he was in the side because of his family? Do you think that shouldn't have upset him? Do you think it was right that those West Ham fans cheered when he broke his leg(aged 18)? Can you see why he might be a bit upset about that?

Basic rule: any criticism of the "salt of the earth" Hammers fans is always wrong. Rather irrational and bordering on stupid actually. I don't like him, but in this case Lampard was the wronged party and he has definitely had the last laugh.

strapworld said...

Iain,

I am afraid I cannot answer that. My book is being read, avidly, by the boys in Basra as we speak!

However when my pigeon returns I will send it back with a request for the author. If it is Steve Jenkins you can then tell him he is a favourite read of our troops in downtown Basra.

P.s. Spent many happy Hours at the Boleyn Stadium watching your team.Certainly not up to the standards of the O's but my second favourite eam in the smoke.

skipper said...

Iain
Why should anyone not be interested in reading MH's witty review of this ghost written rubbish? Because she writes for the Guardian...?

Praguetory said...

Of course you have to remember that Frank has made himself a target of the Left after his words with Cameron at Beck's party. You can imagine the scene. Marina, we need you to do a hatchet job on this book.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Lampard had a lousy World Cup.
The abiding memory is of him booting the ball over the bar, time after time.
Now, I was a decent amateur player many years ago. I learnt very quickly that if you kept your knee over the ball it won't rise above bar height.
I also took the trouble to practise kicking with my left foot and felt confident enough to take free kicks and corners with the wrong 'un. How many two footed players do you see, even in the Premiership?
I'm afraid it confirms my view that professional football gets, on the whole, the dummies who are not clever enough to get into the traditional professions.

Anonymous said...

Marina Hyde reminds me why I hate liberal girlie hacks - they are so crushingly naive. Unfortunately it seems that there are too many on here who also flew in with the stork.

Doncha know that the traditional 'Sunday Roast' is just rites-of-passage stuff for most footballers and that there is no shortage of birds that are up for a good basting? The Screws, after all, will more than compensate for any loss of virtue.

Lamps has been off colour for sometime now. His impressive goal tallies for Chelsea (which owes something to his shooting, his ever presence and Drogba's awfulness in front of goal) blind us to his limitations as a player.

It is not fair to compare Lampard with Stevie G who is the reincarnation of the late, great Duncan Edwards. Gerrard is unquestionably the best English player playing today (a fact which is completely lost on our Rooney obsessed media).

And it doesn't particularly bother me what he has for Sunday lunch...

Anonymous said...

Strap an England shirt on either of them and (with microsecond lapses in each 90 minutes) they both play like Wembly Stadium Builders - as if the goal posts were at either end of the halfway line. And nw we have Mclaren. Not more of the Sven-song same, officially. In reality about as 'different' as the Lib Dems have been under Campbell rather than Kennedy.

Anonymous said...

bebopper: is frank a dummie? I have a sneaky suspicion he got an A* in his Latin (yes, Latin!) GCSE.

There certainly are some dunces in the game, but Frank ain't one of them...