By most reports from both sides he has been offered absolutely nothing. This year with Lamp the long sought beautiful football and League Leader, without worst League run in 15 years, with again win after win. Last year with Lamp involved in near every key goal in CL finish , we win and result is 50 + million, without anyone going to seriously argue we would have won it. Regardless of age he was the key player today and only reason we won despite shit performance and shit tactics; Ramires rather than Mata as playmaker wtf ???
On the last point, I thought Mata was effectively man marked out of the game, giving the ball to Ramires more who could do less with it. I put that to evertons approach (Moyes understanding the main source of danger) than a bad gameplay on our part. On a point fern made earlier it is a significant what-if on whether terry buries that penalty on Moscow whether we're clammering for grant to stay at the helm. We were not far off the same fate last year and you could argue we played worse in munich than in Moscow. And I think no one would credit grant with much of that run. Overall though I agree, today was a win in spite of not because of the management.
Looked to me as Ramires started more in the middle, in the hole-ish while Mata was put on the right though that shifted a fair bit later in the game as Mata roamed more freely. don't get the Grant Lampard comparison reply part, Lampard made the key passes in the later competition goals along with all else he did, I do not think we would have advanced and won without him, don't see Grant making a 50 yard pass to Rams feet in perfect stride. I honestly think without Lamp and present management we are a Europa team, with a top 1-3 team. Without our cm's are what Obi, Romeau, Ram, now Luiz , perhaps Oscer perhaps but unlikely Josh, no one fills the needed physical enough box to box exceptional attacking passer let alone best goalscoring mf of his generation; would be a closer issue, just on the football, if we had a replacement in fold, but we don't and I don't trust the suits to get it right in Jan or summer, plus I really do think it far better pure business to show loyalty to a few select legends. (not to mention my guess is he still sells a shirt or two)
as it is blatantly obvious by now- I am not a Rafa fan and tbh I think that if you look a core group of players who have seen several different types of Managers come and go under the tenure ranging from Jose to Grant to Carlo to AVB- these players at the end of the day want to win no matter who is at the helm with that being said I do think it is worth noting that since Rafa has graced us with his presence - we generally seem more organised and seem to leaking less silly goals than we were under RDM this season. Some of the goals we have conceeded came from poor decisions which could have been called in our favour (as Claudio points out with Anichibe today or Carlton Cole being a backpack for Ivan) and we seem to be seeing less "silly individual" errors leading to goals which were rife under RDM as well. I suppose we should not be excited about conceeding team goals but I do prefer that the other team at least earns their goal(s) against us rather than us just letting them have one, two or three - we have seen a significant amount more rotation in regards to several players who did not feature or barely played (Cesar, Moses, etc) featuring a lot more and suddenly Ferreria is back from making the tea at the spa. Other players seem to have seen the other side of that coin- Oscar to a degree and Danny obviously - we have seen a few more "risks" taken in terms of a potential Plan A- Luiz playing the holding role, some defensive responsibilities assigned to the wide players in the three attacking mids, a difference balance in the two holding mids in terms of defined attacking and defending responsibilities - as pointed out by an astute member of this board- at least Rafa seems to understand that value of Frank who seems to have featured more and more since returning from his injury- which included the time when Rafa was appointed - possibily and just possibly we may see a gaff who is willing to give a youngster a brief run out which we have not seen in eons again- I am not a fan of Rafa and believe this will all end badly for him but for now he has done okay
I will let KDB clarify his own comments but I believe KDB was using the Grant example to highlight that RDM had an almost similar run in the CL and for not less than a width of a post we may have been stuck in a similar situation in that we would have almost been forced to retain the Manager who won the CL (in Grant as we were in RDM). Either way it does not seem to matter who is driving the boat, the engine and rudder seem to find their way to successful waters when guided by a consistent group. Just my interpretation. just dont see how we can find a Lampard "replacement" I have long said that upon his retirement he would finally receive the plaudits he deserved in England and only then would the idiotic masses understand why we appreciate him so much
http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/2012/12/30/3817928/everton-vs-chelsea-match-analysis-tactics nice read on the tactics according to the author we came out in a 433 today but finished in the familiar 4231
This is nothing but my opinion, but I really think the club have been waiting to see what type of player Lampard was going to be this season. You don't offer an injured 34-year-old a two-year deal, no matter who he is. I think I've said this on here before, but if Lamps stays fit and contributes through the rest of the season, he will get what he's looking for.
It was a Grant-RDM comparison sir. We give a lot of credit to RDM for our Champions League win, but given both finals went to penalty kicks, unless it is possible to 'coach' penalties, I think that a comparison is interesting. And I think most would accept that our winning run was done so with more than just a smidge of good fortune. I am 100% a Lampard fan, make no mistake and have stated several times we should give him an extension. To suggest I want him out is unfair in the extreme.
On your first part, you're right. I don't believe I even referenced Lampard in my response and Grant so not sure where that even came from tbh and I'm actually quite upset that that was the interpretation given I have been nothing but supportive of Frank. The worst that can be levelled at me is trying to understand the club stance (not agreeing mind you, but identifying i) but to suggest that I was talking about on the field play and that Avram Grant couldn't have delivered a 50 yard pass as my intent is frankly insulting my intelligence. Maybe I really wasn't clear, but reading my post back again, I have no clue how it was read as a slight in any way to Lampard who I put on a fairly massive pedestal. On the second point, Lampard is unique in Premier League history and no-one out there will ever be an adequate replacement. I would go as far to say he is top 3 all time in the history of the premier league era.
Never mind, misread it - thought you were replying to my next point in the post you quoted, missed the "Fern said..." part and truly was not trying to suggest in the least I was questioning your Lamp cred, was just saying that was why I was so confused, turns out it was too much spiked egg nog and geezer eyes On that point, not really to you but to a few posts above, any excuse for an end of year rant , though results are key no doubt, but assessing a gaffer lies more in watching the journey, how he goes about his business, tactics, player relations, projecting confidence to the players and organization etc; Grant was no RDM, and I still think Clarke had a lot to do with results. Me gawd no would not have wanted Grant nor will I ever want the fsw, even if he stumbles into a Cup, with our talent, based on watching him manage for years, I think he is an average manager at best and shit at being a quality human.. I had some reservations about RDM going into this season, but they were mostly answered watching him with a better array of talent and options, ironically I think Roman just about was finally getting what he wanted beautiful successful football (Ironically I pm'd a mate and told him I thought the RDM in troube press was rubbish and that I had not felt better in years about our chances and future either the day before or the morning of the axe). Revisionism aside we were 4 very highly disputed points out of first, unknowable certainly but I believe we would be in that range or less minus the ridiculous axe. Yes the CL was effed up, though we went out, (something Fergie has done), with the highest group total for an exit behind two very very good teams. Rafa has a little run against sides we should beat with my puppy as manager, especially with Lamp back, and suddenly he has turned the season around...yea from a disputed close 3rd to a barely in contact with first third. Also disagree with some above that Rafa values Lamp more, RDM was in the press saying he wanted him to stay, another source of friction with the suits, and was played as often when not hurt. Though the change in system to lumping over the mf to Torres, and less short passing thru the middle does perhaps more evidently showcase Lamp's passing and free him for deeper late runs. When I said "replace Lamp" was not trying to infer it was remotely possible to get all of one of the great players of the last decade in one package, was inferring to what I have discussed the last month in the transfer thread, that if we are to play this system we need a cm that is a better and more cutting full range passer than anyone here now other than Lamp like a Xabi type and/or a physical force that can move the ball thru mf like Toure or the old Ess. It would be suicide to try and go forward with our present cm's sans Lamp till we add some passing and physicality to the cm group.