On a weekend in which the feats of Brighton & Hove Albion, and primarily Luton Town and Macclesfield Town deservedly stole the F.A. Cup headlines, Manchester United rescued their hopes in this year’s competition with a characteristic late equaliser at West Ham United.
The 3rd round’s showpiece match was most notable for the welcome sight of Joe Cole returning to the forefront of ‘big-time’ domestic football, and the wonderful touch and finish applied by Robin Van Persie to score that 90th minute leveller.
As good as the Dutchman’s strike however, was the precise raking pass which found him running beyond the Hammers’ backline. The man displaying unparalleled vision and technique to deliver that ball was 39 year-old Ryan Giggs. A late substitute, the Welshman provided the best possible demonstration of his continued worth at the highest level.
Giggs is understandably now used sparingly by Sir Alex Ferguson, but it is no coincidence that two of his recent 90 minute performances have come in United’s four goal displays against Newcastle United and Wigan Athletic.
Not as old as Giggs, but another individual advancing in years, is Frank Lampard whose future continues to be subject to frenzied speculation. At 34, Lampard has re-invented himself in the same fashion as Old Trafford’s once flying winger, and in the manner which the very best of players are capable of.
No longer a swashbuckling, forward thinking midfielder, full of lung-bursting runs beyond his strikers, the ex-West Ham player is now deployed in front of his back-four. For such an effervescent presence, the ‘holding’ role isn’t one with which Lampard would be readily associated. Nevertheless, he demonstrated quite how effective he could be in the position in the very toughest of environments, when his contribution was so vital to Chelsea’s famous Champions League rearguards in Barcelona’s Nou Camp, and Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Those displays exhibited a hitherto unseen discipline in Lampard’s game. The energy expended in his team’s late season surge undoubtedly led to fatigue, which in turn contributed to Lampard suffering a thigh injury which caused him to miss England’s Euro 2012 campaign. With much of his early campaign disrupted by a calf injury – another indicatior of a weary body – the transient nature of football is such that Lampard’s name was quickly forgotten, particularly with his club’s thrilling early season form.
Giggs has been on rolling contracts on several years and only half Lampard’s wages. Giggs has adapted a new role to allow the new blood to shine and does his job for the good of the team.
I love Lampard but he’s held the club to ransom (using Inter interest) to get a five year deal on his current wages at 29. He was also the ringleader of the group that got a manager sacked which is unprofessional no matter what AVB did.
He’s served his term and it is him and his people that has dragged this into the public eye with the implication he’s somehow being mistreated.
He’s been given the reason and should respect it as Drogba did. He’s had a great career and has been well looked after by club and fans for 12 years. Time to respectively step aside.
That’s a fascinating insight Eidur and shows there’s always at least two sides to every story.