Can Lampard and Gerrard effectively play in the same side?

One is blue and one is red. They don't mix.

Royalties shouldn't mix with commoners

Sure, why not...maybe not when both are in the center of the midfield, though.

One is blue and one is red. They don't mix.

Purple?

The answer to this one is simple.

''Do i like my kneecaps where they are?''

Of course!

Fark me. Both of them are within the top 5 midfielders in the world, and last time i checked, both of them have a brain.

Every time England balls up, journo's and fans alike reach for the nearest excuse, and that happens to be this one!

Gerrard and Lampard should be the least of our worries!

What about Hargreaves?

What about P. Neville?

What about Downing?

What about none of our forwards managing to score?

Christ.

I personally don't think that Lamps & Gerrard can work. Perhaps with a better coach along the lines of Jose or Wenger maybe, but then Jose hasn't got Lamps and Ballack working very well so who knows? These are two very good players but maybe the way they play just isn't suited. I would rather we play one of them and get the very best out of them than continue to play the two together and have them both under perform. Hate to say it, but if one had to play, I would go for Gerrard on current form.

What we also desperately need though (as well as Joe back on the left) is a decent striker that can find the back of the net regularly. I really think Owen's best days are behind him so I wouldn't pin too much hope on him even when he is playing again. Rooney and Johnson though is NOT the answer.

I will never let my Chelsea tinted sunglasses blind my view and I will be the first to admit Frank has been very ineffective for England for around 18 months now.

However what i find so confusing is that so many people think dropping Frank and playing Stevens will suddenly turn us into world beaters and Stevens will lead England to glory much the same way Maradona did do the Argies in 1986.

Ive seen nothing from Gerrard for England (oh, and last night doesnt count) Well, all ive seen is a stunning lack of positional discipline and a stunning amount of wasted possession. For about 5 years now.

So, to answer the question can they play together. Well, no i dont think they can. A bit like the situation Frank is in now at his club with a certain German. But which one to play ? Who goes ? Well it seems the media darling will get his way, but i dont know why ? On what evidence.

Frank is currently the scapegoat. Our country loves to have one. This time last year it was Hargreaves and now the same people who were having a pop at him are saying his is the most important player we have. Just the way the same people who voted Frank Englands player of the year for 2 years running are wearing this. As Chelsea fan it just makes me want to support Frank more and makes me want to hate England more.

I cast my mind back to 1998 and the sh*t Beckham got after the World Cup. I remember the Man Utd fans singing 'Arg-en-tina' and 'You can stuff your England up your arse'. I remember like most people being appalled but i now know where they were coming from. They were just sticking up for their man under farcical vitriolic circumstances. And i feel like doing the same.

Sorry, i know ive gone off topic but i dont care.

f**k England.

I know what you're saying BJD and I agree with just about all of it. I would feel pretty much the same if it weren't for JT being skipper and the fact that Joe will be back soon (not too bothered about Ashley to be honest - he again showed much petulance last night and is as bad as Rooney - I really do prefer Bridge).

And don't get me wrong, I am not in the Pro Gerrard anti Lamps camp and I don't like Frank being the scapegoat. I don't think Gerrard is as good as many make out and I've always been critical of his giving away of the ball with all those eye catching 50 yard passes - great when they come off but 1 in 10? But that said, he does seem to have the ability to up his game and tempo and he can play in a number of different positions - all pretty well. Frank, great as he is for us, for England, pretty only has one position and very rarely seems able to take the game by the scruff of the neck so to speak.

But if it wasn't for the other Chelsea boys involved, I really wouldn't give a stuff about England.

I also think the vilification has a huge anti-Chelsea element to it. It will be JT next mark my words. Just wait wait for the Gerrard for captain lobby to start - in fact im sure Alan Green has started it.

The abuse Frank is getting now is scandalous. I can take people criticising if its sensible and balanced, but we are talking about vicious, personal attacks now. I can really see Frank f**king off at the end of the season because of it and i wont hold it against him if he does. No-one has to put up with this.

What we are getting i reckon is a mix of two things.

Firstly there is a real feeling of resentment towards the 'big four' and the way they are percived as running and ruining the game in this country. What better way of the fans of the non-big four clubs to have a pop at them by having a go at their players when they lay for England. Ferdinand gets his share, so does Rooney, Carrick etc. Gerrard has plenty of critics. Lets face it, it must be a lot more pleasureable laying into a player who plays for Man Utd or Chelsea than it is for one who plays for West Ham or Portsmouth.

Secondly, and keeping with the 'big four' - as we know the 3 red teams arent best happy about the new boys on the block. Over the last 3 years there has been a massive level of 'throwing the toys out of the pram because we dont have the monoply anymore' aimed at Chelsea and of course lots of silly things made up about them in pure resentment, and again what better way to have a pop than at their players who represent England.

All in all its somethnig i think we should get used to. Lets face it it was never like this when we were all thrilled that Davey Beasant was Englands 3rd choice keeper!!!! I reckon over time and as Chelsea establish themselves in the new order it may die down but right now there is just such a huge element of bitter resentment against us and it seems that Frank may well be taking the brunt of it.

Sorry to the thread starter, ive digressed slightly from the original subject.

I'd play Gerrard at right-full - he's done well there in the past at underage level and against Argentina and Sweden I think it was - and leave Lamps in the middle.

Next to one another? Don't think so. Even if I never saw England play I would say this because I just can't see any plays being created by either one of them when together. They are just way too similar. Fighters with not much creativity. And that's exactly why Lampard is not having a great year for Chelsea this year, because there is no Joe Cole and Robben (most of the time) to fill in the missing puzzle. Just look at all of the line-ups of the matches in which Lampard was great. Same thing with Gerrard.