I know all of that, maybe I don't want to believe... So far, our midfield looks completed.
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Lampard To Juve ??? I Doubt (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Baggy20M
- Start date
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i dont think we ever replaced torricelli, perhaps potentially balzaretti was the only player to come close or even match him, as for di livio *sigh* the little soldier 
Lampard: I needed a break
Frank Lampard admits he has been happy to have a break from contract talks with Chelsea.
The midfielder has spent the best part of 12 months discussing an extension to his current deal, which has two years remaining.
He has been linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona, while reports on Sunday claimed Lampard has turned down an offer to become Chelsea's highest-paid player.
The England international has expressed a certain sense of frustration at the delay in reaching an agreement, but feels a summer holiday has revived his enthusiasm.
"Talks have been going on for over a year now and nothing is really decided," Lampard told the Daily Star Sunday.
"I said after the FA Cup final that I wanted to stay, but it is down to them.
"I needed a holiday to get away from everything. I didn't read papers or watch TV. I did not want to spoil the time with my wife or spoil her enjoyment.
"I needed the break, mentally as well as physically.
"I still trained while I was away, but it was nice to get away from the pressure cooker atmosphere of playing game after game and contract talks. It was a long season.
"I have had a clear month away, but I am now feeling hungry again and it's nice to get back into training.
"England's last game was four weeks ago, but I am not one that feels he needs to have too long away from playing. I need to go back."
skysports.com
Frank Lampard admits he has been happy to have a break from contract talks with Chelsea.
The midfielder has spent the best part of 12 months discussing an extension to his current deal, which has two years remaining.
He has been linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona, while reports on Sunday claimed Lampard has turned down an offer to become Chelsea's highest-paid player.
The England international has expressed a certain sense of frustration at the delay in reaching an agreement, but feels a summer holiday has revived his enthusiasm.
"Talks have been going on for over a year now and nothing is really decided," Lampard told the Daily Star Sunday.
"I said after the FA Cup final that I wanted to stay, but it is down to them.
"I needed a holiday to get away from everything. I didn't read papers or watch TV. I did not want to spoil the time with my wife or spoil her enjoyment.
"I needed the break, mentally as well as physically.
"I still trained while I was away, but it was nice to get away from the pressure cooker atmosphere of playing game after game and contract talks. It was a long season.
"I have had a clear month away, but I am now feeling hungry again and it's nice to get back into training.
"England's last game was four weeks ago, but I am not one that feels he needs to have too long away from playing. I need to go back."
skysports.com
Why Barcelona Must Sign Frank Lampard
Abhishek Thakur explains why Barcelona simply must sign Frank Lampard if he is available.
A quick look at Goal.com’s message boards is the appropriate thing to begin this with.
Says Abdul from Egypt: “Lampard has a rudimentary Premiership style that will not fit with Barcelona’s flowing football.” He is not the only one, and I am willing to agree with him.
Kim from Korea offers a more comparative opinion: “Lampard will never have the technical ability that Deco has, and will never be able to perform that role.” I simply could not agree more.
And yet, I must disagree with the hypothesis that Rijkaard does not need Lampard. The key question is: must he perform that role? Let me use Andrea Pirlo and Milan as an example as I make my point, if only to keep our Serie A readers in the loop.
Pirlo is one of the most complete midfielders around, and the one who can keep the Rossoneri functioning like a well-oiled machine. But imagine Milan playing with three Pirlos on the pitch!
Perhaps they [the three clones] will have so much class that they will take up three different roles, and try to complement each other. They might even do it better than some speacialists would, but is that justification enough?
Well, that is where Barcelona stand with Iniesta, Xavi and Deco. These are three players who have essentially very similar tendencies. Yes, no two players are similar, and they have shown that, working ever so hard to blend together in the same eleven. They are all quality players, and have even succeeded, for when they start running the show, they really do.
But again, is that justification enough?
True, Lampard does not have the technique that these three have, the class that 'purists’ including me like to gush over. However, he has something that these three will never have, try as they may! He has something that Barcelona lack when they pass and pass outside the box, but struggle to penetrate those really organized defenses – midfielders bursting through, players offering something different.
How does that help? In two ways, one direct, one less so! First, when Lampard gets the ball outside the box, he goes for goal, and gets a majority of his shots on target. He can score with scorching drives, “lucky” deflections or some tap ins after neat work from the forwards. There is surely method to the madness that gets him 20 goals a season.
Xavi has never been known to have a crack at goal. Iniesta, while having the imagination to surge into the box, lacks the accuracy, and more so the raw instinct. Deco is slightly better on those fronts, and does try the odd shot, but again, the Portuguese is a player who would prefer to play it back to Xavi, or out wide to Messi, than have a go.
That is where the other part of my argument kicks in, the less direct one. When Lampard will get the ball outside the box, he will force defenders to come out and close him down quickly. That, in turn, would create more space for the forwards. Against Xavi and Deco, the opposing defense can afford to focus on keeping its shape, on remaining compact. There is no immediate urge to rush out and prevent that shot on goal.
In other words, despite their imaginative attack, Barcelona can be made to look predicatable. With Lampard, there is that second option available, a very direct one, and an explosive one as well! Then, if he does chooses to pass - and he can pass despite the "English" tag most Spanish and Italian fans are quick to stereotype him with - he will run his friends into more space.
Finally, in what is most definitely not insignificant given Barcelona’s front line, Lampard is far more effective in his own penalty area than Deco, Xavi or Iniesta. There may be fears that he will slow things down, but with the likes of Deco, Ronaldinho and Messi to pass to, I really do not see what the fuss is all about! He is a box to box midfielder, and those are seldom slow. Yes, there will not be those fancy flicks, but there will be a lot of no nonsense football.
This article is not about how they will all fit in, for I admit that it will be a challenge to keep them all together. However, handling Deco, Xavi, Iniesta and Lampard will be no tougher than handling Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi.
I personally believe Barcelona must be smart and play a 4-3-3, instead of tiring their four strikers out over the first four months by playing them all. Five midfielders (add Toure) for three spots is just about perfect, come to think of it. We haven't yet spoken of injuries, remember!
There will be up to 60 games over 38 weeks for Barcelona, up to 68 for the internationals, so there is no reason why every player cannot get 40 games. It will also see them remain fresh for the business end of the season! If Rijkaard can stick to his 4-3-3 philosophy, and intelligently rotate his top players, he could well have the best team standing come April!
Coming back to Lampard, I would like to conclude by saying that Barcelona do not need three similar players for a job that can be done by one, or at most two. Rijkaard's boys played some of their best football when Cocu, Davids and Xavi ran the midfield towards the end of his first year in charge. They were just as sensational when Marquez, Deco and Xavi did the business the season after.
Iniesta, Deco and Xavi together on the pitch always seems to shout out: "good, but too much of the same." Lampard has something completely unique to offer, and Barcelona will be silly if they "choose" not to sign him! He is, simply put, the missing piece in that attack.
goal.com
Abhishek Thakur explains why Barcelona simply must sign Frank Lampard if he is available.
A quick look at Goal.com’s message boards is the appropriate thing to begin this with.
Says Abdul from Egypt: “Lampard has a rudimentary Premiership style that will not fit with Barcelona’s flowing football.” He is not the only one, and I am willing to agree with him.
Kim from Korea offers a more comparative opinion: “Lampard will never have the technical ability that Deco has, and will never be able to perform that role.” I simply could not agree more.
And yet, I must disagree with the hypothesis that Rijkaard does not need Lampard. The key question is: must he perform that role? Let me use Andrea Pirlo and Milan as an example as I make my point, if only to keep our Serie A readers in the loop.
Pirlo is one of the most complete midfielders around, and the one who can keep the Rossoneri functioning like a well-oiled machine. But imagine Milan playing with three Pirlos on the pitch!
Perhaps they [the three clones] will have so much class that they will take up three different roles, and try to complement each other. They might even do it better than some speacialists would, but is that justification enough?
Well, that is where Barcelona stand with Iniesta, Xavi and Deco. These are three players who have essentially very similar tendencies. Yes, no two players are similar, and they have shown that, working ever so hard to blend together in the same eleven. They are all quality players, and have even succeeded, for when they start running the show, they really do.
But again, is that justification enough?
True, Lampard does not have the technique that these three have, the class that 'purists’ including me like to gush over. However, he has something that these three will never have, try as they may! He has something that Barcelona lack when they pass and pass outside the box, but struggle to penetrate those really organized defenses – midfielders bursting through, players offering something different.
How does that help? In two ways, one direct, one less so! First, when Lampard gets the ball outside the box, he goes for goal, and gets a majority of his shots on target. He can score with scorching drives, “lucky” deflections or some tap ins after neat work from the forwards. There is surely method to the madness that gets him 20 goals a season.
Xavi has never been known to have a crack at goal. Iniesta, while having the imagination to surge into the box, lacks the accuracy, and more so the raw instinct. Deco is slightly better on those fronts, and does try the odd shot, but again, the Portuguese is a player who would prefer to play it back to Xavi, or out wide to Messi, than have a go.
That is where the other part of my argument kicks in, the less direct one. When Lampard will get the ball outside the box, he will force defenders to come out and close him down quickly. That, in turn, would create more space for the forwards. Against Xavi and Deco, the opposing defense can afford to focus on keeping its shape, on remaining compact. There is no immediate urge to rush out and prevent that shot on goal.
In other words, despite their imaginative attack, Barcelona can be made to look predicatable. With Lampard, there is that second option available, a very direct one, and an explosive one as well! Then, if he does chooses to pass - and he can pass despite the "English" tag most Spanish and Italian fans are quick to stereotype him with - he will run his friends into more space.
Finally, in what is most definitely not insignificant given Barcelona’s front line, Lampard is far more effective in his own penalty area than Deco, Xavi or Iniesta. There may be fears that he will slow things down, but with the likes of Deco, Ronaldinho and Messi to pass to, I really do not see what the fuss is all about! He is a box to box midfielder, and those are seldom slow. Yes, there will not be those fancy flicks, but there will be a lot of no nonsense football.
This article is not about how they will all fit in, for I admit that it will be a challenge to keep them all together. However, handling Deco, Xavi, Iniesta and Lampard will be no tougher than handling Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi.
I personally believe Barcelona must be smart and play a 4-3-3, instead of tiring their four strikers out over the first four months by playing them all. Five midfielders (add Toure) for three spots is just about perfect, come to think of it. We haven't yet spoken of injuries, remember!
There will be up to 60 games over 38 weeks for Barcelona, up to 68 for the internationals, so there is no reason why every player cannot get 40 games. It will also see them remain fresh for the business end of the season! If Rijkaard can stick to his 4-3-3 philosophy, and intelligently rotate his top players, he could well have the best team standing come April!
Coming back to Lampard, I would like to conclude by saying that Barcelona do not need three similar players for a job that can be done by one, or at most two. Rijkaard's boys played some of their best football when Cocu, Davids and Xavi ran the midfield towards the end of his first year in charge. They were just as sensational when Marquez, Deco and Xavi did the business the season after.
Iniesta, Deco and Xavi together on the pitch always seems to shout out: "good, but too much of the same." Lampard has something completely unique to offer, and Barcelona will be silly if they "choose" not to sign him! He is, simply put, the missing piece in that attack.
goal.com
