Premier League Comparisons- Lampard vs. Gerrard

The first instalment of what I hope will become a regular feature to the board; Premier League Comparisons!

Take two top players from the history of the English Premier League and consider who the better player was.

First up Frank Lampard vs. Steven Gerrard:

Steven Gerrard captain of both Liverpool and England has lead his home town club to two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup, and two Super Cups. He has made 622 appearances scoring 158 goals Liverpool and 101 appearances for England scoring 19 goals.

Gerrard came second only to Kenny Dalglish in the "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" – a Liverpool fan poll. Zinedine Zidane said in 2009 that he considered Gerrard to be the best footballer in the world. In 2005, Gerrard was honoured as the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or Bronze Award. Additionally, he has been named to the PFA Team of the Year seven times, the UEFA Team of the Year and FIFA World XI three times, and was named the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009. In 2010, The Guardian named Gerrard to their World XI team, which compiled the greatest footballers of all time onto one squad. He is, to date, the only footballer ever to have scored a goal in an FA Cup Final, a League Cup Final, a UEFA Cup Final and a Champions League Final.

Frank Lampard has help lead Chelsea to the clubs most successful period in its history, ever present since his debut in 2011 Lampard set a Premier League record of 164 consecutive appearances for an outfield player.

A three-time Chelsea Player of the Year, Lampard is the club's second highest all-time goal scorer with 199 goals in all competitions. Lampard is one of seven players, and the only midfielder, to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League. He is second in the Premier League's all-time assists table with 91 assists. He has had over 1400 successful passes and 10 or more assists every season

Lampard has 790 total club appearances scoring 239 goals with an additional 94 caps for England scoring 27 goals.

Franks career honours are UEFA: Intertoto Cup (1): 1999, FA Premier League (3): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, FA Cup (4): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, Football League Cup (2): 2004–05, 2006–07, FA Community Shield (2): 2005, 2009, UEFA Champions League (1): 2011–12

Stats and info taken from Wikipedia


So who is the better player? Who has had the most impact on the premier league and their respected clubs? Who’s had the better career? And ultimately which one would you pick in your starting 11?

I think Lampard will be happier with his career, he's won every competition he's taken part in which at the end of the day is what all footballers hope to achieve. He's been a key part of one of the best Premier League sides of all time and will be remembered as one of their best ever players.

But, I think Gerrard should always be remembered as the better player and so much more important to his team than Lampard ha ever been. Lampard is a good goalscorer, but for me Gerrard is probably one of the best all-round players there ever have been, it's hard to think of a player that can pass, tackle, shoot, head, cross or read the game as well as Gerrard, while there will certainly be players better than him in one of those areas, I can't think of many who are as good at all of them as he is.

I think Gerrard will go down as one of the best ever players never to win a Premier League medal, when he clearly deserves one, he's adapted his game so much over the years and yet since about 2001 has been key to a Liverpool side which until recently has been pretty successful with FA Cups, League Cups and Champions League wins as well coming so close to ending the run without a league title. He started out as a tenacious central mdifielder, keen to tackle and run with the ball, then developed into a right midfielder who would whip the balls in, then just off the striker before now dropping into a deep midfield role where he can ping the balls with terrifying accuracy.

I'd always pick Gerrard in my first 11, because he offers so much more than Lampard who is a good player, but for me Gerrard is vastly superior.

Agree that Gerrard is more of a complete player in fact maybe the best complete English player of his generation but Lampard's goals make this such a difficult decision for me, left foot, right foot, header, free kicks, penalties. The only midfielder to score over a 150 premier league goals really puts his achievements into contexts and we're not just talking about goals against Wigan and stoke, he scores big important match winning goals against the likes of Man Utd and Barcelona.

His record of 164 consecutive appearances free of injury or suspension whilst playing a pivotal role in the team is unlikely to be matched for some time, a machine of a footballer who still has so much to offer.

The problem with his goalscoring record is that it is perhaps boosted quite considerably by his penalties.

Just found this online, stats on big game performance:

Opponent 1 - Manchester United

Lampard - Apps - 34 Goals - 7 ,Assists - 5
Gerrard - Apps - 27 Goals - 5 , Assists - 3

Advantage - Lampard

Opponent 2 - Arsenal

Lampard - Apps - 34 Goals - 3 ,Assists - 7
Gerrard - Apps - 25 Goals - 5 , Assists - 4

Advantage - Gerrard

Opponent 3 - Liverpool or Chelsea

Lampard - Apps - 42 Goals - 8 ,Assists - 6
Gerrard - Apps - 31 Goals - 1 , Assists - 3

Advantage - Lampard

Opponent 4 - Manchester City

Lampard - Apps - 19 Goals - 7 ,Assists - 4
Gerrard - Apps - 21 Goals - 5 , Assists - 2

Advantage - Lampard

Opponent 5 - Tottenham

Lampard - Apps - 31 Goals - 9 ,Assists - 4
Gerrard - Apps - 17 Goals - 2 , Assists - 2

Advantage - Lampard

Opponent 6 - Barcelona , ACMilan , Bayern Munich , Real Madrid ,Intermilan

Lampard - Apps - 12 Goals - 6 ,Assists - 2
Gerrard - Apps - 13 Goals - 4 , Assists - 0

Advantage - Lampard

Overall

Lampard - Goals - 40 ,Assists - 28
Gerrard - Goals - 22 , Assists - 14

But the problem is that's only measuring goals and assists, where Lampard is naturally going to come off better.

That last post is interesting and quite conclusive. Advantage Lampard?

I'd go along the same lines as Crimey on this one though.

Good idea this Mt.

Gerrard is the better player for me, always unnecessary bashed by the English media and public because he was once so lauded, and then when he has a good game they pretend they loved him all along.

Hes brought quality to Liverpool in many roles and I also dont think Lampard has ever had a game where he was so overpoweringly good that you'd call it his game.

I hate them both for very different reasons. I didnt watch that cup final goal in 2006 for 5 years.

Granted, my views of Lampard are always blighted by the fact he is one of few people I'd happily spit on but still I think Gerrard is the better player.

Lampard is nailed on to score this weekend btw, money for old rope that

Gerrard. More versatile than Lampard - think I'm right in saying Gerrard can play anywhere in midfield, up front, and at right-back. Gerrard's a better leader as well, he can pick a team up by the scruff of the neck even when they're not playing well. Yep, Gerrard all the way.

I think that's important to note as well, while Lampard might have more goals in big games, Gerrard has easily had a bigger impact on big games than Lampard has.

Gerrard. Difference between the two for me is often Gerrard was left to carry a mediocre team, while Lampard was a cog in a very good team.

Crimey wrote:I think that's important to note as well, while Lampard might have more goals in big games, Gerrard has easily had a bigger impact on big games than Lampard has.

Without breaking down the figures here's how I see Gerrard's and Lampard's "impact goals"

Gerrard's biggest goals have come against Olympiacos (to get them through), AC Milan (started the comeback), West Ham (two equalisers I think) and that's about it.

Lampard scored the goals that won the title in 05 against Bolton, he scored in the UCL semi against Liverpool the week of his Mother's death, in the UCL final in Moscow and the winner in the 09 FA Cup final against Everton.

We can talk about who's got what goals and what trophies but as a Chelsea fan I think Gerrard just shaves it by the smallest margin imaginable but I also believe the "Gerrard lifting a poor team" line as BS. Liverpool have been bad since Rafa left and during his time in charge after making Gerrard captain Liverpool have had their best seasons since they last won the league. Look at the teams they fielded in that period, yes, Lampard has been a part of a great Chelsea side but Gerrard was also a part of the best Liverpool side of my generation. Liverpool started declining and not even the power of the mighty Stevie G could do anything about it until Rodgers came along. Gerrard is better for his versatility and nothing else.

GSC wrote:Gerrard. Difference between the two for me is often Gerrard was left to carry a mediocre team, while Lampard was a cog in a very good team.

Don't let Chelsea's success deny Lampard's quality, I honestly think without Lampard's contribution we wouldn't of won maybe a third of the trophies we've won under Roman's reign. He's scored 13 or more goals in all competitions for the last TEN seasons including a run of 19 in 04-05, 20 in 05-06, 21 in 06-07, 20 in 07-08 & 08-09, and 27 in 09-10, that's 117 goals in 6 seasons. He also has 89 assists in that time too. To simply refer to him as a "cog" of the team is an insult. He will go down in history on par with Osgood, Tambling, Dixon, Zola, Vialli, Di Matteo, Wise, and Drogba too.

Gerrard is better because he can be spread about the field more easily but that's the only area he shades Frank. But Frank played left midfield for England in Euro 2004 fyi.

Also he hasn't won everything, as Gerrard hasn't won the league, Frank hasn't won the UEFA Cup/Europa League.

Also he hasn't won everything, as Gerrard hasn't won the league, Frank hasn't won the UEFA Cup/Europa League.

I'm sure Lampard won't get as many sleepless nights over not winning the UEFA Cup as Gerrard will over not winning the league.

Do some research Crimey. If you see the teams we used to lose to before Roman you'd think he might have lost sleep before winning the big one last year.

Also on the leadership point, Frank captained 10 men whilst 2-0 down in Barcelona and 11 men in Munich and we all know how that turned out.

MockingJay33 wrote:Do some research Crimey. If you see the teams we used to lose to before Roman you'd think he might have lost sleep before winning the big one last year.

Also on the leadership point, Frank captained 10 men whilst 2-0 down in Barcelona and 11 men in Munich and we all know how that turned out.

I don't think you compare never winning the league title in your career, to never winning the UEFA Cup. Particularly as for the vast majority of Lampard's time at Chelsea they weren't ever involved in the competition on account of them reaching the latter stages of the Champions League every year!

I think Gerrard has pulled Liverpool out of a whole more times than Lampard has for Chelsea and I am convinced if you took him out of Mourinho's side, he'd have been easier to replace than if you took Gerrard out of any of the sides he was involved in. While Liverpool's side obviously improved, Gerrard remained at the very heart of it. Lampard has been a great, great player for Chelsea, but I don't think he has ever been irreplaceable in the way Gerrard has.

That isn't to say that the Chelsea side was better with him it, just that I don't think Lampard has been as crucial to Chelsea's success as Gerrard has been to Liverpools. I think Chelsea were perfectly capable of winning the league with or without Lampard, I don't think Liverpool would have won the Champions League or the FA Cup the following year without Gerrard.

Lampard hasn't been so important recently, last 3 seasons, but in Jose's time in charge he was the driving force in the team. Spreading the ball to the wings, getting great balls into the box on set pieces, and getting goals including a load from Drogba knock downs. Lampard's decline started after we won the double. He only scored 13 goals in 10-11, 16 last season and 13 so far this year, plus 18 assists in the three seasons. Gerrard has only scored 20+ goals in a season three times.

He was also runner up in the 2005 Ballon D'or and FIFA World Player of the Year.

I agree that he was important to the side, but I think there is a difference between important and irreplaceable.

It's a very fine line between the two on how important or irreplaceable either were to their teams at their peaks. The Liverpool team in their greatest time had players like Mascherano, Kuyt, Alonso, Torres, Riise, Luis Garcia (who was underrated IMO), Benayoun (at his best), and then Riera & Keane who underperformed but had their moments of brilliance on occasion.

That Liverpool side was great and had what it took to overthrow Chelsea at times. Chelsea have the trophy haul but between 06-09 Liverpool were the better team.