Frank Lampard: A true Chelsea legend

When Bobby Tambling was introduced to the Chelsea faithful at half time at Stamford Bridge, despite his old age and poor health, the tears streamed down his face unabated. You could see how much the chants of ‘one Bobby Tambling’ meant to the man who scored 202 goals in Chelsea blue as he was taken on a lap of honour around the stadium.

When Tambling visited the Bridge on the 28th of April, one of the first people to greet him was Frank Lampard, who spoke about him in glowing terms after Chelsea had beaten Swansea 2-0. Four games later, Super Frankie Lampard had scored goal number 203 to put his name at the top of the club’s all time leading goal scorers.

Everybody knew Lampard was on course to beat Tambling’s record. It was more a matter of when rather than if. When the goal (in this case goals) did come, it was in typically Lampard style. The goal which equalled Tambling’s record came from just outside the box to bring his team level when they looked short of creativity, the one that displaced him came following one of his trademark late runs.

But that moment, as poignant as it may have seemed, wasn’t about Lampard having climbed to the top of the Chelsea charts. On that day, the needs of the club were more immediate. It was not goal number 203 that mattered as much in the moment, but the final score which read Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea, which gave him significantly more satisfaction, for it meant they were one step closer to achieving Champions League qualification for next season.

And that, essentially, is the kind of player Lampard has always been.

In the world of modern-day football where players have become more important than the clubs they represent, the astronomical wages and the media circus that is waiting for the drop of a feather or an innocuous sneeze to occur around which a controversy can be created and the obsession of players and pundits alike to dissect every piece of information issuing every which way from football clubs, Frank Lampard is a soldier of the old guard. As Santiago Munez in the movie Goal! was told by his manager Eric Dunhelm – who managed Newcastle United in the film – the name in front of the shirt is more important than the one at the back.

But while Lampard and other scions of his generation such as Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Martin Keown have either ridden into the sunset or are fast approaching their twilight years in football, the progression of modern day football is such that the quote used to symbolise his importance above had to come from a work of fiction.

The tenets Lampard seems to follow are perfectly enshrined in the words of former Arsenal legend David Rocastle, who said ‘play for the name on the front of the shirt and people will remember the name at the back.’ Truer words could never be used to describe Lampard’s contribution to Chelsea, and his performances in a Blue shirt were perfectly encapsulated in the 90 minutes he played at Villa Park.

The chips were down, stacked high against Chelsea. Champions League qualification was on the line and they could ill-afford to drop points after Gylfi Sigurdsson had ensured Tottenham Hotspur gained a share of the spoils at Stamford Bridge. The sending off of Ramires was the first nail in their coffin, Christian Benteke scoring was the second.

On that day, Juan Mata was well shackled by Eric Lichaj. Eden Hazard looked exhausted. Demba Ba was robbed of service. Even when Benteke was sent off, Chelsea’s attacks came to nought, with a combination of some solid defending, top-notch keeping by Brad Guzan, and failure on the part of the linesman to allow a perfectly good goal. They needed inspiration.

They needed Frank Lampard.

Indeed, had it not been for him that afternoon, Chelsea might have capitulated against a recently-resurgent Villa, possibly losing out on a place in the Champions League. That performance against Villa was a capsule of what Lampard has always brought to Chelsea. The chips were down, it was the business end of the season, results were vital to the Chelsea hierarchy, and Lampard himself had found himself demoted from the rank of first-team regular.

And if his performance at Villa Park wasn’t inspirational enough, his showing in the Europa League final reminded everyone of what he brought to Chelsea.

At times in the game, Benfica threatened to overrun Chelsea. Pacy Nico Gaitain, blunderbuss forward Oscar Cardozo, twinkletoes Eduardo Salvio and former Blue Nemanja Matic were all on the verge of overwhelming the English side as they sliced through their opponents’ midfield at will. With John Terry once again indisposed and the game poised on a knife edge, Chelsea would either become the first side to be in possession of both the Champions League and Europa League trophies (at least temporarily) or suffer the ignominy of becoming the first English team to lose in eight competitions in one season.

Lampard’s masterclass in midfield ensured it was the former. With the Portuguese side strongly in the ascendancy, Lampard reminded Chelsea that they were European Champions and were expected to play like so as he unleashed a venomous piledriver from 25 yards, forcing Benfica keeper Artur into a magnificent one-handed sprawling save seven minutes from half-time.

That drive sparked Chelsea to life and lasted well into the second half when Fernando Torres shrugged of Luisao, snuck past Artur and planted a low shot into an empty net to open the scoring for the Londoners.

But even then, Chelsea only sporadically threatened and for swathes of the game looked like they were barely clinging on, but Lampard was intent on dispelling the superiority Benfica were showing. Two minutes from time, when the game looked like it could go either way, Lampard thundered a ferocious drive towards the Benfica goal. As providence would have it, that delivery thundered against the crossbar with Artur stranded, but was setting the stage for a more dramatic showdown.

Few need reminding of Branislav Ivanovic’s heroics forty-five seconds from time.

In a season that saw Lampard lose his first team position, watch from the bench as Roberto di Matteo was sacked, with little knowledge of where he could be plying his trade next when his contract was due to expire at the end of this season, his performances – not his words – showed that he was Chelsea through and through. Performances that have awarded him a one-year extension to his contract because he answered the call when Stamford Bridge needed aid.

And that is why whenever Frank Lampard walks onto the Chelsea turf, the cries of ‘one Frank Lampard’ that reverberate throughout West London will be justified.

For there is only one, and he is a true Chelsea legend.