Frank Lampard was dropped by Fabio Capello for two games for England this season after some poor form for Chelsea, but with his club game improving will he be thrown back in for the two friendly’s next week? Surely Lampard’s best is behind him and with youngsters such as Jack Wilshire and Jack Rodwell coming through strongly and the revitalisation of Scott Parker in the Premier League dominating; Lampard could be nearing the end of his international days, with his Chelsea place also coming under threat.
With Paul Scholes’ retirement at the end of last season pulling the curtain down on another fantastic career, another of the golden generation disappeared. Scholes’ replacement in the England team when he retired from international football was Steven Gerrard; another player that has come in for some major criticism, mainly due to his injury problems that seem to never leave. Gerrard made a brief return to first team football last month but is once again on the sidelines and will miss England’s games next week, leaving question marks over his future.
With a hefty wedge of money spent on the Liverpool squad this summer, it will not be easy for Gerrard to walk straight back into the side if they are performing well and he is not 100% fit. The 31-year-old could see his final chance at a major international tournament pass him by next summer if he doesn’t return to fitness and form in time to impress the England staff.
The likes of Joe Cole, Jermaine Defoe and Michael Carrick all broke into the top level game at a similar time at West Ham, but all three seem to have fallen down the pecking order at their clubs in the past six months or so and that raises questions as to whether we have seen the best of them already. It will be tough for each of them to fight their way back into contention and it seems with more time they could just fall further down the ranks in their clubs.
This generation of players have been a joy to watch over the past ten years but it seems, them and more, are coming to their end of their prime in football and so will need to work extra hard to impress in the future, with reputation and history now not enough for a place in their side. A new look England side from that of four years ago will contest the Euro’s next summer and a breath of fresh air seems to be blowing the golden generation out of the way with no room for sympathy.
Written by Brad Pinard for FootballFanCast.com
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