World Cup qual. - Lampard admits poor form

Eurosport - Wed, 08 Oct 10:11:00 2008

Frank Lampard has admitted that he and Steven Gerrard have failed to reproduce their club form when playing for England, particularly when they are in the same team.

FOOTBALL England Steven Gerrard Frank Lampard - 0

The inability of the two world-class midfielders to gel when playing for their country has long been a source of frustration for the fans and a succession of managers.

"If we are both honest - and Stevie is a very honest man - we both haven't played as well for England as we have for our clubs particularly over the last two seasons," Lampard said ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan at Wembley.

"I think if we had done we probably would have qualified for the Euros.

"That's the case whether we've played together or separately. We have to try and make it work if we're asked to play together and we have to stop worrying about individual players.

"What we need to do now is to look at the team."

Gerrard missed last month's 4-1 victory in Croatia through injury, and Lampard played well in a deeper role than usual.

The Liverpool man recently complained he hardly ever played in an attacking midfield role for England, and now he is available again coach Fabio Capello has some decisions to make.

"I think it's pretty obvious when you play with Theo Walcott, Joe Cole and two strikers and you go to a place like Croatia where they can knock the ball about, if you leave Gareth Barry on his own in midfield you are going to get exposed," Lampard added.

"Maybe we're in a better environment for it to improve now. There is a lot more emphasis on the tactical work now. In the past we probably did just discuss it in the dressing room and say if one sees the other go, he stays back.

"In a lot of games now the midfield is overloaded and you can't just leave one player on his own. But there's no better environment to learn than with Capello and the way we are working now.

"I'd like to think it can work. We both care passionately about playing for our country and we both want to play well for our country."

Reuters

Comment 42 - 61 of 81

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  1. There is no point to blame one or two players. What about rest of the team? In the first instant, FA should be made responsible for appointing a foreign coach for England Team. Are there no qualified and efficient coaches in UK? The main problem is that some high-paid players have become automatic choices in the team, but they should be tried, tested and played according to the present form, situation and performance. The present players are supposed to retire almost same period and so should bring in new and young players one by one to replace them.

    From stevcarol, on Wed 8 Oct 2:54PM

  2. away and kiss your ring, you arse

    From hnd2075, on Wed 8 Oct 2:36PM

  3. Actualy Gerrard is to blame. He shows too much respect for his england team mates instead of taking charge like he does at liverpool. When liverpool arent performing he will lift his game and shout at everyone else to do the same...a real captain but for england he sits back and lets others take charge. That is a waste of his true talent

    From alankelso08, on Wed 8 Oct 2:32PM

  4. Im really disapponited by the suggestion that lampard, gerrard and rooney or infact the whole of the English squad are overrated. This is not true. The English football is improving. The players will always be the best beneficiaries. I remember 4 -5 years ago when I started claiming English football league would soon be the best, people thought otherwise. Now, its coming to pass. Lets just look at the last 4 champions league campaigns and all the English clubs. The most outstanding players were certainly English and not othe nationalities. We all remember Gerrard of 2005 Champions League Final. Last season, 2 English clubs boasting of Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Wes Brown, Wayne Bridge, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Lampard, Hargreaves, Paul Scholes(Retired though) and Wayne Rooney going up to the final. Its not all about Ronaldo (who in my opinion, becomes inconsequential in big matches) or Didier Drogba. Just consider the impact players like Rooney or Lampard had on their team last season.
    Also these players have been consistent for many seasons unlike Kaka that someone mentioned. Why do you think its hard for anyone to beat English teams? Is it because of the foreign players in the team or because of the English players in it? Ask yourselves that question and u'll soon see.

    The reasons these players have not performed well in international football are:
    1. Most of these players play in the same league and they are used to rivalry. Check out what happened to Spain a couple of years back.

    2. Lack of a good coach who cannot be influenced by the Press and public overrated opinions about players.

    3. The press kills talents even before they mature!
    You cant mention 5 best world midfielders without a mention of Frank and Steven.

    English football is still not yet respected by world football despite its improvements. Thats a good thing! By the time they start to see it, it would have been to late for any rivalry.
    Micah Ajayi-Smith

    From Mikkyporatto, on Wed 8 Oct 2:32PM

  5. It amazes me the number of experts we get on here who think they know better than Ferguson Benitez Morinho and Scolari who rate able to buy almost any player in the world rate Gerrard Lampard Rooney et al as some of the best players in the world and pay significant sums of money to keep them in their teams perhaps England would do better if the fans became more of a team and shouted encouragement to the team instead of continually lambasting them on the field. When English fans start to support their team they may just find the team responds and we can all be world beaters again.

    From JohnBoylew, on Wed 8 Oct 2:32PM

  6. STEVIE G IS PLAY BETTER THAN LAMPARD ... THAT'S A FACT. SO LAMPARD PLEASE DO NOT BLAME GERRARD WITH YOUR WORST PERFORMANCE FOR ENGLAND ... YOU ARE SO GOOD WITH YOUR CLUB BUT NOT FOR THREE LIONS ...

    From azhanm, on Wed 8 Oct 2:30PM

  7. gerrard and lampard are both paid so much money that they should be able to work together even on a sunday league pitch. it just seems there is always someone or thing to blame, why can't we just go and do it.As for club football the prem is by far the best in the world in the past 4 seassona liverpool have been in two finals one semi and one quater final man u have been in 0ne final and one quater arsanal one qauter and one final and chelsea two semis and one final thats 4 finals places out of a possible 8 half of all the teams in the final in four years, the prem is the GREATEST

    From jonny.1979, on Wed 8 Oct 2:30PM

  8. I feel the fact that foir their clubs, they both have infinitely better players around them, is the reason for their success at club level, the fact of the matter is, the players selected alongside them at alternation level are not as good.

    From liam l, on Wed 8 Oct 2:29PM

  9. lamps had a great game against croatia without gerrard, it's about time the manager realised he doesn't need both and they should drop gerrard; permanently!

    From anthony, on Wed 8 Oct 2:29PM

  10. why does he also blame gerrard if stevie thought it he would say it himself not that i support england but lampard is @#$% 4 the country and barry and gerrard should be there gerrard has heart thats y hes not at chelsea lampqard only cares about money and hes made that obvious by constantly claiming hes going to leave chelsea if he doesn get paid more....

    From redz132002, on Wed 8 Oct 2:28PM

  11. Cannot believe that Lampard's got the nerve to blame Gerrard too. If he feels guilty, which he should then fine, but it's a bit late in the day to be saying anything. But for God's sake Frank, don't tar Gerrard with the same brush. He's one of the best midfielder's ever. Stop looking for sympathy and start playing for the shirt you wear and the ridiculous amount of money you're paid!

    From Sharon, on Wed 8 Oct 2:19PM

  12. He earns about £150,000 a week! He doesn't care if England win or lose.

    From Richard C, on Wed 8 Oct 2:11PM

  13. lampard has never produced on the international level thats why he gets booed he is a very good club player and that's it, he did not score 1 goal in the world cup.Gerard was the only England player rated in the top 10 best player's in the world before the last world cup Joe cole stepped up Theo just stepped up thats it right now for world class player's maybe owen hargrevies the rest are just good club player's. Lampard is lucky to play after being exposed at the world cup if he was world class he would have done it then thats why he gets booed. world class player's perform at the world cup Simple.Do any of you really think that he would play for any of the top 15 country's with the performance he showed at the world cup and euro failiure no chance

    From ifingaz, on Wed 8 Oct 1:47PM

  14. Why cant Lamps admit he cant play with Gerard

    From peter u, on Wed 8 Oct 1:36PM

  15. At long last a player taking some of blame!!

    From tc, on Wed 8 Oct 1:32PM

  16. awet h lampard best in the world you obviously dont watch football very often and certainly not the england matches to say hes the best===== obviously a chelski fan d####head

    From richard, on Wed 8 Oct 1:31PM

  17. whitesurf36 - your a bit off the mark....English prem teams have been at the forefront of european football for the past years...look at the champions league finals !! We had 2 english sides last year, including englishmen like lamps, cole, scholes, ferdinand, brown, hargreaves, terry etc etc...also gerhard, carragher etc in the semi's...where was kaka, messi in the final huh?? come on...we have quality player...they have just lost the pride, and need to regain it...when we do, then we can beat anyone...nuff said

    From rushpool, on Wed 8 Oct 1:28PM

  18. I agree with Raj, Why DIDNT he say anything after not qualifying. My guess is that other than not REALLY having a set, he's looking for a bit of sympathy and or publicity. Anyone who hasnt got their head up Chelseas @#$% knows that England aer playing friendlies instead of Euro qualifying matches and can see that clearer than the fact that "Lampards good". The guy earns hundreds of thousands of pounds EVERY WEEK (undeserved!)and he actually feels the need to go out and milk a sympathy vote...in between laughing at the guy, im beginning to feel sorry for him, in a way

    From zane m, on Wed 8 Oct 1:27PM

  19. even england is qualified for euro, isn't very important because this team is not ready to win any cup.

    From hassler, on Wed 8 Oct 1:22PM

  20. We do blame you Frank don't worry!!

    From n s, on Wed 8 Oct 1:20PM
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