15 Dec 2016 08:22:23
ed001, do you think I'd be correct in drawing similarities between Lallana's current role and Lampard's typical role at Chelsea?

{Ed001's Note - no Lampard never did the running with the ball that Lallana does. He fetched and carried in the midfield, then looked to break onto things in and around the box, shooting quickly, so the defenders and keeper had no time to set themselves. I can't remember ever seeing Lallana hit a shot from the edge of the box, he is always looking to work it inside. We are playing far more like Arsenal than Chelsea, the way Wenger's teams always look to get in the box and score the perfect goal is similar to us right now.}

1.) 15 Dec 2016
15 Dec 2016 09:59:29
Well I'm arguing with this Liverpool fan over whether not Lallana is truly being used as a centre mid. His argument is he is still an attacking mid, and centre mid merely by label, because heat maps say he spends most of his time in the opp' final third.

So I pointed out that: a) since Liverpool spend most of their time in the opp' half, it's hard for Lallana to disappear himself from the final third, and b) Lallana doesn't only just occupy AM zones on the pitch - he runs everywhere, and is very involved defensively. I then additionally pointed out that he's similar to Lampard in that like Lampard, he goes forward a lot as a CM and puts himself into goalscoring positions in the box. Of course they have their big differences like you pointed out, but in terms of the volume of attacking involvement high up the pitch, they are both similar as CMs.

{Ed001's Note - ah got you, in that respect yes, they occupy a similar position in the pitch, but they do play their role differently. Though Lampard only really played like that after they got Makalele behind him, before then he had to play deeper.}

2.) 15 Dec 2016
15 Dec 2016 10:25:52
What's your take on Lamps as a whole Ed? Curious.

{Ed001's Note - good player who made himself into a great Chelsea player by making the absolute most of his talents. He wasn't the best at any area of the game naturally, he earned his ability through graft and I admire him for it. As a youngster he was in a few scrapes but he sorted his head out, settled down and became a top player. He would do things like nap after training, to allow his body to recover, while too many other players are busy playing games, down the casino or pub etc. He became a dedicated pro and that is why he is still going strong now. He was also able to realise how to utilise his talents. He knew he had a good accurate shot on him, so he would take shots a lot. The thing he did differently to most was not to take too many touches to allow defenders time to react and the goalkeeper to prepare and get a view.}

3.) 15 Dec 2016
15 Dec 2016 10:49:07
Cheers Ed.

{Ed001's Note - welcome mate.}

4.) 15 Dec 2016
15 Dec 2016 11:23:22
Lampard is one of those player who has achieved everything by sheer hard work. I see the same Lampard in Henderson.

5.) 15 Dec 2016
15 Dec 2016 11:24:12
Lampard became a great player mostly because he is a very smart person. Apparently he has a genius-level IQ, or if not, very close to it.

6.) 15 Dec 2016
15 Dec 2016 14:50:33
Great player but still going strong? Lol no.