Edging Nearer and Nearer

Oh really Rafa? So you rate Lamps now? That's good,Coming from someone who said Frank was 'Over-rated'. Lol. The whole merry-go-round regarding Frank's Contract will continue till the summer...As far as we know,no negotiations have been held and its all paper talk.

No, the darkest day was when a player deliberately underperformed to get the manager he does not like sacked. Any club with class, history, honor and principals would have terminated his contract right away or gotten rid of him at the end of last season.

i dont get why people want lampard to break tamblings record. It seems every other chelsea supporter is of post abromvich era and thinks lampard is bigger legend than zola or tambling just because he won some trophies. Plastic fans. Lampard maybe a great player but he is not a model professional so not a legend.

How is he not a model professional?

zg seems happy when we got to 6th position.who started all this.lamps and co.will barry or milner do this at city? No coz they know,replacement is in waiting.now a player using fans to force a position he cant even handle and disreguard defensive duty.look at yestarday how rafa was been directed by a player on subs.its a shame how the vice has affected players.

I find the criticism of Lampard incredible from all but most absurd from our own fans. He was the heartbeat of the team yesterday and has been from some years. An incredible player and professional! He is easily good enough for another year and should be offered a one year extension on a rolling contract. We need players like him to inspire and guide our next generation. Its a no brainer and unfortunately the people who run the club (not abramovich) have no idea what they are doing - see example of loaning out half our squad then leaving our first team short in several vital areas. Oh and we need to remove the MOTM vote on the right as it is being sabotaged. #TorresOut #RafaOut

You are wrong @Superman, Lamps is a legend @Chelsea and to football @large. One of the greatest Mids of all time, he deserves that legendary status, I dont know about Tambling but If a midfielder can overtake him as our all time highest goal scorer especially in our most successful era then he deserves it fully. He is one of the reasons we have won so many trophies since Roman took over, he is a quality player that keeps himself fit and is not prone to injury, you should be happy we have a player like him if you are trully a fan and stop calling us plastic fans cos we refuse to recognize Tambling. He deserves your respect and to be called a legend , Tambling or no Tambling.

Roman's the big man. The real legend who made CFC with all the great players he brought in. No Roman, no Drogba, no Essien, no Cole, no Carvalho, no Mourinho, therefore, no PL, no CL.

certain people I just cant bend to argue with...its imposible...and no disrespect intended...it just cant happen...its like some folks just dint attend elementary school...the thinking is just waaay too low...huh!!

I find it very funny and difficult to comprehend that someone who calls himself a Chelsea supporter will spite lampard at every opportunity and can't simply find anything good in him no matter how well he plays @Superman and mzee9.the greatest moments of this football club,lamps was intergral to it.like him or not,he is chelsea's best of all time to me and a simply remarkable player.

My question to all Lampard hater,Is he demanding a pay rise and a demand for 1st eleven.

Lamps,despite being played out of position,has been the leader of the team so far this season alongside with Mata. Jeez,but for Super Frank we would stand in the second half of the table.And one can hardly think of a better penalty taker than our #8. Never have I been more convinced that we will score than when Frank is behind the penalty spot.Do I need to remind you the finals in Munich and Moscow,the Napoli and Benfica home games,Liverpool in 2008 when his mother had just died,and West Ham away when he had to retake a penalty twice and he scored on all of the three occasions? It takes incredible confidence and mental power to do what he has done.Last but not least, what kind of Chelsea fans are you to doubt in Frank's proffesionalism and dedication??? Or you think you know him better than Redknapp and Mourinho,who both declared that Lampard lacked talent,but compensated that on the training ground where he ' always goes first and leaves last'? To those of you who think of themselves as Chelsea fans and doubt in Lamps's commitment and work ethic all I can say that maybe the FSW was actually right to dub us as plastic fans.

You dont have to call him an idiot

Anyone that posts another lampard thread is an idiota (said in spanish). So everytime he scores a goal, a new thread reminding us how close to breaking Tambling's record he is, is shared? To this, all we see here is, Lampard is a legend or Lampard isnt a legend, senseless arguments that bore me. So to this i say again, anyone that shares a thread on Lampard, counting down the goals to break Tambling's record, is an idiota (said in Espana), better still wait for him to smash the dam.n record before you share another thread on the subject, period.

last night ramires also scored goal so why there is no article on him...not even one...he is also cfc player....if lamps score goals then there will be 6 to 7 article on him...the same other players does but there is not a single article on them...chelsea has become just a topic of one player..

There was no leadership vs QPR, Southampton, West Ham, Reading, CWC final, COC, Super Cup, Charity shield.

Didn't Frank score 2 goals the day Chelsea won their first Premier League title in 2005? Didn't Frank score in the 2008 Champions League Final? Didn't Frank score the winner in the 2009 FA Cup Final? And didn't Frank captain Chelsea to their greatest every victory in Munich last year? Any one of these would put a player in a clubs "legends" class, to have done all the above plus be on the verge of being the clubs all-time top scorer puts him up there in the top 3 Chelsea players of all time without a doubt.

shlok27 If was ramires was closed to becoming the best goalscorere in chelseas history then it would be many more articles about him.

If he can play with the likes of Terry, Luiz, Cahill and Iva for a whole season he will become world class. His defending and positioning is excellent for a 19 year old.

Hats off nigeria,cograts for winning AFCON.

Mikel man of the match,is it?

Mikel with the most completed passes in the tournament.

there are some on her that dislike frank, and some who appreciate him. I think he deserves all the praise he gets....well done frank!

congrats to jon mikel obi, victor moses and kenneth omeruo on winning the ANC. now please hurry back to cobham because we need you.

If one thing Frank is known for it is his professionalism lol

atleast some chelsea players won some silverware this season. Congratulations to victor Moses and mikel and kenneth omeuro. You have made us proud.

@layorh, well its finger crossed time, let us wait and see what tubby will do with more men at the helms of affairs. @puttinutan, thankz mate.... We needed that trophy and the thought of going to the confederations cup to play the likes of brazil, uruguay,mexico,tahiti,japan and spain is making me salivate with interest.

@BAWA,am very shocked..dont know leaks the infos to him,something should done urgently to stop this guy and his cohorts from raisin dust at cfc b4 things get out of hand(if its not already out of hand)

We have no obligation towards retaining Lamps, why should we?? We have better players coming through, and we'll buy even better players who bring overall improvement to the squad (as a whole, not individually)

......"Chelsea executives told Frank in Japan during the Club World Cup, then again reconfirmed with me after the Everton victory, that in no circumstances will he be offered a new contract at the club," said Lampard's agent Steve Kutner, according to Kutner Lampard was told reasons why he won't get a new contract.....I applaud the stand by the club, we can't allow our decision-makers to be caught in the euphoria that so many have been caught on. Yes Lamps scored a free kick in a friendly, and he scored the 3rd goal vs Wigan (after Hazards set up) but that's all he contributes, which over the course of a season is largely meaningless. It's either he stays and plays Attacking Mid (dislodge who, Mata, Oscar?? You'd be crazy) because defensive mid just isn't fit for him, we've dropped many points stemming from lack of "quality" the defensive mid (Ramires included) which I'm sure will be rectified in the summer, and where will all this leave Lamps?? Paying an obscene salary to some1 who will not benefit the club in the long-run (instead of developing players with that play time we keep loaning them out to our detriment) so it all makes sense. We appreciate what he's done, but we need/have/should move on

Lakupiippu....CHELSEA is not about just one man...its about a whole team...the problem is that you guys give more important to one man rather than giving the whole credit to the team...its like if lamps doesnt score we wont win if lamps doesnt play we are bad team...you guys are making like chelsea is nothing without lamps...yaa lamps is good player but dont make him bigger then chelsea...i hope lamps leaves chlsea by the end of this season....dont want this circus continue for net season also...

i can surely tell you that a flame lightens more and more before it goes down eventually.. although i dont wish this to frank because i respect him as a legend.. i can surely tell you that his performances will go deep once he breaks the record.. so what all of you want??? him leaving next year after having become unwanted or you want him to leave this summer like a hero and legend???

@Mq. To compare Frank Lampard to Josh McEachran is like comparing Messi to Emile Heskey.

you misunderstood my comment COBHAM it was in reference to us having players on loan that will perpetually be loaned out "unnecessarily" just to accommodate 1 player who, to be honest, doesn't have a position he's "outstanding" in. Put him in Defensive mid, he's garbage. Put him in Attacking Mid then drop who, Mata?? You'd be a madman to do that. Maybe as a striker but Demba Ba already has more goals/game this season than Lamps, so why keep a player who isn't "outstanding" (in relation to the team) at the expense of progress?? We have "better" players for everything he does thus far, and given that we'll most likely buy a CDM in the summer (it's a "need") there won't be footballing reasons we retaining him, perhaps for the euphoria and appeasing the fans he can stay but that's it really. For the salary Lamps gets, we can pay "another Demba Ba" (goal scoring) and perhaps Fellaini (defensive mid), are you telling me you'd have a reason to justify Lamps staying then??

Haha ,sad aul bloke you are @mq . Come back when you cop on to what Frank Lampard does on the football pitch . Your a FOOL if you cant appreciated his passing abil.........actually no.. ,,i couldn't be bothered explaining or discussing anything with the eeejits on this site .

Merlin, please don't get sentimental about this. not renewing a player's contract no matter how good he is not new and several big clubs had done that in recent past successfully. Beckham, Eto, Raul etc. Lampard has paid his dues, was amply rewarded for it and if the board decides not to renew his contract, they should shake hands and part with no hard feelings. Before we move further we should also refresh our memory that Lampard was the arrow head of the cabal that truncated AVB's tenure, Undermined his leadership and constantly paddied up to the press to mount an unbearable pressure on the young coach so if he is also shown the door, he will getting his just desserts. Calling it the blackest of the blacks is just melodramatic and uncalled for. I want him to get an extension but if he doesn't the world moves on and so will I.

People here think that chelsea were a BIG club who won lot of trophies, top tier club...they easily forget that we were one of the top 7 club before Roman came...Then we became a force with Roman's money...Roman is the one who made this club what it is today with 10 trophies in last 8 years...

when are we going to move on from Lampard, Terry or Cole??? When will Kalas, Bertrand, Josh, Chalobah, Piazon going to get their chances...Will the LEGENDS agree to a 1yr rolling contract, low wages, limited gametime to stay at chelsea...if yes, chelsea will definitely offer them a contract...Now, with cole deal agreed, I dont see Lampard agreeing a new deal below his current wage of 150k pw. If a lampard deal happens, I will be really worried that chelsea are going backwards and not forward... will be a another bad decision by Roman going by the public sentiments (first one being hiring RDM)

The owner who has spent his money to improve this club for last 9 years has to get the same respect we give to a player who has played for 12 years...

true talk Blu run

what else does Lamps bring besides "goals" (which can easily be accounted for by Demba Ba and the purchase of another striker on lesser wages) ZOLA??

You actually don't need much more then goals in a football game. If you have a 1 legged player who scores goals for fun, you keep him.

Not from a midfielder ZG2000 you need them to mark effectively (if defensive) or create numerous chances for himself or the striker (if attacking)

More idiocy from the usual suspects. SB said it well: you don't understand football if you don't value Lampard's abilities. I'll add to that: there are many, many people who do understand football--many professionals, pundits, journalists, and supporters both in the CFC family and outside of it--and they'd all have a good laugh at the likes of Mq and FV, among others. This is the downside of the internet--it gives colossal fools such as those two autonomy and a voice on par with the rest of us. Neither deserve it because neither have the skills nor the knowledge to assert opinions that make any sense at all.

Lazy, inept logic from FV. He defines "top midfielder" in a particular way without concession for other alternatives. No one is denying that Pirlo is a wonderful midfielder, but there's plenty of other midfielders (Pirlo himself, I have no doubt) who envy Lampard's ability to change a game in a moment with a decisive assist or a great goal. Lamps has been doing this for a decade as well. See, when people accuse you of not understanding football, FV, this is a perfect example of why.

How do you know what Pirlo thinks? You don't know. He's won everything. Lampard hasn't.

I don't understand football then. How did Southampton and Reading get draws if there was work and leadership off the ball?

Oh shut FV...stop talking trash! Both are entirely different type of midfielders with different style of play. Pirlo is what you call a regista in italian(a dictator),Lamps is an attacking midfielder,a great striker of the ball,a good passer,and widely known for his timing runs into the box(No midfielder does that better). "They would be mad to let him leave Chelsea. "He's still one of the best in the world. If he wants to play in Italy I would welcome him to Juventus with open arms. "Lampard could have another four years at the top in Italy." *****!

I love how FV blames Lampard for our bad results. Sure, Lamps has had his share of bad performances, and these are especially easy to come by when the squad as a whole is struggling. But to single him out smacks of FV's tireless bias. And let me remind not just FV but anyone else who's reading: great players and great leaders (they don't always go hand-in-hand, but in Lampard's case they do) will lose games and they will play badly. This fact doesn't negate their strengths, especially when you consider a larger body of work that, in Lampard's case, points to almost 200 CFC league goals for a midfielder as well as however many trophies and international caps that he's won. He's had a brilliant career and has earned his status as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era. Take it or leave it, FV. I debate you on this subject not because I expect to change your mind but because it annoys me that there are so-called CFC "fans" in the world such as yourself who do nothing but MOAN about our squad, insult our players, and always bitch like a bratty little child when the results aren't what you like. You are the very worst breed of fan we've got. You feel like the club owes you something, which it certainly doesn't--if you're so miserable watching CFC play, feck off and watch Barca or Juve or whatever it is you like, because it sure as hell isn't Chelsea. You bring only negativity here, and of the worst kind, because you make outrageous claims and lack the basic skills to support them. I genuinely have no idea why you're here except to annoy people who actually care about this club and value the players' contribution--especially Lampard for god's sake--a model player who's had a major impact on our success during the club's most successful period of its history. And if you're too thick or stubborn to reflect on how you behave here and not feel completely embarrassed by it, well, go ahead and anticipate more comments from me. This site deserves better than the utter disgraceful nonsense that you espouse.

Sentiments again. Pirlo and Lampard are playing the same position this year ann the difference in class in that position is clear. Juve are still in CL. Leading the Seria A. Why is Lampard playing in the pivot if he can't?

Pirlo is playing in his natural position in a 3-5-2,as a deep lying playmaker. Something he has mastered for years. Lampard is playing in a position he is not too familiar with,but as cover in a 4-2-3-1 for the last couple of months. You know what,I totally give up. You spit gibberish after gibberish.

@foriegn viewer, ur replies shows that u haven't gain much as a cfc member all this while, u mean lampard is playing in the pivot just to break the record? He is forcing himself there? By ur logic he asked the gaffer to play him there right?

A 12 year old fan knows we have been light in that part of the midfield for over a month now and lamps is the only option we have as at that time, playing twice in a week and atimes 3 times in 9 days, that is the reason he is being played there mate, not because we want him to break a record, I agree he is not great in that position, some of ur comments are spot on, but give credit when its due atleast he is delivering consistently other than the pirlo u are hyping up right now

The "detriment" of the team? Now that's interesting. Lampard has provided more goals than anyone of late, so it's interesting to me that his effect in your mind has been negative in spite of that particular fact. I also find it fascinating that you blame Lampard for the role in which he's been given by the manager. He's playing in a role that's deeper, and he'd be most effective farther up the pitch. Is that Lampard's fault? Of course not. Also, have a look at the players we've got who play higher up the pitch: Mata, Oscar, and Hazard can all play as a CAM. Some argue that Oscar could play in the double pivot, which I don't see at all. So it doesn't make sense to drop Lamps and put any of them in a deeper role, and we've no obvious replacement available in midfield right now. Mikel and Romeu certainly aren't creative enough to your liking, and presumably neither is Ramires or anyone else we've got. So do you blame our squad selection and injuries on Lampard as well? After all, you just wrote, "playing in an unfamiliar position to the detriment of the team." Anyway, unlike some people, I do have work to do today. I like a little banter, and I'd like to think I can learn something from some of the supporters here. But it isn't you, FV. I stand by comments--you are bringing the standards of this site down.

A 12 year old fan knows....... FV doesn't.

manop, correct. The pivot needs discipline. Someone like Pirlo will sort out the midfield once and for all. Maybe Mikel can play like he does for his country Nigeria. Who knows.

i m neutral in lampard contract situation i will be happy if he stays but will be not sad if he goes. but he deserves the 1 year contact but if seeks more than that then its better not to offer. but lets support and cheer him to break the record. rest to be disccused later.

@FV i m not questioning what pirlo did. he shows his qualities in every match he plays. but that dosent mean u can criticise lampard since both players require some help from his fellow midfielder. look pirlo aganist chelsea at SB oscar did a brillant job. did u see the old pirlo in that match? even having marchesio and vidal chelsea nullified him. that dosent mean pirlo is ****. he still world class. but saying lampard only scores goals and dosent do his job properly and then praising pirlo for passing ability when his fellow midfielders are doing all the dirty job so that he can pull the strings dosent make any difference. both need help from their partners.