feggydinho
Senior Member
He doesn't seem to care, and I think we'll see more younger players leaving for Saudi money if they keep calling in the near future.
fergus90
Senior Member
I think that ship has sailed now. His latest hamstring surgery seems to have slowed him down a lot also.
Looked really slow and leggy at the tail end of the season. Might actually be the perfect time to get a big contract move elsewhere for the final years.
KingLeo10
Senior Member
This. The likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Modric, Kroos proved themselves in the big games (finals especially) time and again.
KDB, not so much.
serghei
Senior Member
I'd add more that are above him. Pirlo, Lampard to name a few.
Xaviniesta
Senior Member
13/14 toure was the most complete midfielder to grace the PL. i would always have him on my team over Le fancy crosser
Maradona37
Well-known member
I think De Bruyne is clearly better than Lampard. I'd have David Silva above the likes of Gerrard and Lampard - rating Gerrard and Lampard above Silva is everything that's wrong with English football in my opinion. I'd also rate Keane, Toure, Scholes and Vieira above Gerrard and Lampard. But then I have never been a big fan of either player.
Ultimately, none of them are as good as Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo, Kroos and Modric.
Maradona37
Well-known member
England thinks about football all wrong (or did back then anyway). They prefer big physical power merchants like Lampard and Gerrard, who 'drive into the box' and score goals. Gerrard, Mr Hollywood ball and who was poor in tight spaces and left gaps all the time with his Roy of the Rovers me me me lacking in subtlety in your face way of playing football.
They underrate technically gifted patient probing players who have amazing football IQ, find the best spaces on the pitch, make themselves available constantly, are great in tight spaces, can perfectly weight a pass eg Silva.
They do these things and then wonder why a partnership of Lampard and Gerrard gets played off the park against Algeria, never mind Germany lol.
serghei
Senior Member
I don't think so. Lampard must be one of the best scoring midfielders of all time. Don't have the numbers but don't remember anyone that had the finishing skills of Lampard from midfield, he could score just about any type of goal. Better than David Silva, and the ones that say different imo have an issue differentiating style vs effectiveness.
It's true that Silva had traits in his game above Lampard, but Lampard also had things în his game above Silva's abilities. At a higher level. If you want to find a unique midfielder of Silva's profile that is above Lampard you'd need to go into Iniesta territory. Or at at least Modric, or Kroos.
And people should not forget that Lampard scored those high-volume goals playing for a rather defensive Chelsea team. He was very influential in terms of direct contributions. English box to box midfielders of the past were more direct, they could bang a great goal at any moment, their shooting technique was outstanding, power and accuracy combined. Very very few players from midfield had this ability.
It's true that Silva had traits in his game above Lampard, but Lampard also had things în his game above Silva's abilities. At a higher level. If you want to find a unique midfielder of Silva's profile that is above Lampard you'd need to go into Iniesta territory. Or at at least Modric, or Kroos.
And people should not forget that Lampard scored those high-volume goals playing for a rather defensive Chelsea team. He was very influential in terms of direct contributions. English box to box midfielders of the past were more direct, they could bang a great goal at any moment, their shooting technique was outstanding, power and accuracy combined. Very very few players from midfield had this ability.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Fair points, but I still disagree.
serghei
Senior Member
Yeah, for me it doesn't matter what your style is. You have a striker that is a beast in the air and scores 300 goals 200 of which are headers, and does so at the elite level for many years... I don't care if the guy is an average dribbler. Different styles is what makes football fun.
I watched EPL a bunch that season, he had an incredible season, and i remembered he scored mainly from long range, free kicks, or the penalty spot, which explains why i find he missed precicely zero "big chances" according to the statistics.
Now, that may not be exactly true, probably an exagguration, but certainly he was very clinical, and was also just an all-round player, creating chances, putting in tackles.
This was before City became absolute robots under Pep, so not just a system player either.
Maradona37
Well-known member
True, but that is a bit simplistic as to what I am implying. I mean Silva was a brilliant and highly influential player in English football, and I believe won more league titles than Lampard despite playing for a shorter duration. It isn't like Silva is all style no substance. I'd agree if I was rating Di Canio or Le Tissier or Kinkladze over Lampard, but Silva has the supreme style and won plenty at both club and international level (brilliant at Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, bit part player in 2010), and was effective too. Plus there's more ways to be effective than to score a goal - Silva created so much for Man City with his playmaking and clever movement, ability on the half-turn etc. And to show balance, it isn't like Lampard was a clogger who just scored goals - he was also a good passer and decent technically outside the box.
It isn't as black and white as Silva is an ineffective technical marvel and Lampard is a goalscoring clogger.
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