Is England better off without Frank Lampard and John Terry?

In the wake of two fabulous displays by the English national side in Euro 2012 qualifiers, one can’t help but notice that Chelsea superstars John Terry and Frank Lampard, both of whom pulled out of the squad due to injuries, have hardly been missed.

When it comes to England, the midfield pairing of Gerrard and Lampard is the one which always draws the most attention and varied opinions because even though both are legends at club level, its a different story altogether for the national side. While Gerrard’s versatility enables him to play in a holding central midfield or an attacking role, Lampard is more often than not found wanting because of the lackluster chemistry between the duo. Gareth Barry, who deputized in that position for the last two games , has been far more effective alongside the Liverpool skipper in the middle of the park.

Don’t get me wrong when I say this, Lampard is a fantastic player, an awesome and consistent performer at Chelsea, but on the International front, he is a figure of frustration. And a major factor for that is the fact that Lampard’s strength lies in his sharp shooting ability and his awareness to make late runs in the box, something he can do in abundance for the Blues, but is highly ineffective as a central midfielder when playing in a more withdrawn role for England.

Moving over to John Terry, the man has an iron heart, is never afraid to put himself on the line for the cause, and is one of the top class defenders in the world. But the mentality of the Chelsea skipper is a serious question mark, because lately he has been a very disruptive influence in the side. If my short term memory serves me well, Terry attacked Capello for not playing his former teammate Joe Cole during the World Cup 2010, and invited the wrath of the FA and his fellow compatriots, only to later apologize for his actions. No matter how big you are as a player, you have to put your egos aside when playing for your country, and John Terry certainly hasn’t covered himself in glory with his recent actions.

I might be on the receiving end of some criticism from the Chelsea fans, but still believe that its time for the Three Lions to look beyond these two, as they have more than sufficient replacements for the duo in the future.