Reasons why Frank Lampard should retire

There is no doubt that Frank Lampard has been one of Chelsea‘s best players in the clubs history, but it’s time he retires. And yes, this is coming from a Chelsea fan.

How it all started

It was the end of September when Roman Abramovich announced that all players aged 30+ at Chelsea will be offered only a one year contract extension. This included the likes of Malouda, Lampard, Cole and Terry. Terry’s contract expires at the end of next season, so no one paid heed to his situation. Malouda’s, Cole’s and Lampard’s existing contract expire at the end of this season. Malouda hasn’t played a single second of first team football this season, which suggests that he will leave at the end of this season. However, Cole & Lampard were first team regulars. About two months back, Cole accepted a contract of one year, making him the highest paid defender in the world from next season onwards. On 6th January 2013, Lampard’s agent Steve Kutner announced that Lampard would not be offered a new contract with Chelsea and would leave when his contract expired in June 2013. Then began his excellent run of form where he scored six in his next eight games, after which a few sources confirmed (in the start of February) that Lampard will be offered a new contract. Then began the poor form & Chelsea’s chief executive Ron Gourlay said on 5th March that Lampard will be leaving at the end of this season.

Here are the reasons as to why Frank should retire:

Age Factor

Lampard turns 35 in June, making him the oldest player in our current squad. This is the time when footballers usually retire. Of course, there are quite a few exceptions like Giggs, Friedel & Beckham, but youth is what Chelsea has always preferred. If he thinks he still has the legs, then he should find another club for himself. But Stamford bridge has been his home for more than a decade now, so it’s better he retires rather than moving elsewhere.

Blocking a potential youngster’s position

With the arrival of quite a few attacking midfielders in the past two seasons, Lampard has had to switch to the defensive midfielder role. Unfortunately for him, this is a position where Chelsea already have adequate players. Mikel, after his return from the AFCON (African Cup Of Nations), has impressed in every game since. Rafa has always turned to him for the big games and he, in return, has never let Rafa down. Luiz, who was first used as a defensive midfielder in the Club World Cup, grabbed that opportunity with both hands and has prospered as a player in that position after an unsatisfactory start to the season. Romeu, who is in the fifth month of his six month injury, should be back before the start of next season. Essien, who is doing fantastically in his current loan spell at Reál Madrid, will be given more opportunities next season, if Mourinho becomes our new manager. Lastly, Ake, who is slowly making his way into the first team, has lived up to his expectations too. On Thursday, he played his third game for the first team. He wasn’t looking to do too much. He went by the book, got his passes where he wanted, got the tackles in, with the occasional runs ahead, which just goes to show that Ake is a player with huge potential.

Poor recent form

Lampard started off 2013 with a bang, scoring in almost every game, after which he was tipped to break Bobby Tambling’s record sooner than he was earlier expected to. Two more goals is all he needs to equal Tambling’s record of most goals for Chelsea, after he scored his 20oth against West Ham on 17th March. But before that, it was a poor run of games for him. Recent results show that we are better off without him, than we are with him.

Conclusion

Tomorrow is one of the biggest games of our season. Being in the semi-finals, this is one stage no team would prefer to lose in. So, if Lampard doesn’t start tomorrow, it will just confirm that Lampard isn’t a key player for us anymore and should be satisfied with what he has done for the club in all these unforgettable years, where he will always be remembered as a legend.