A Tribute to Frank Lampard through a tribute to Steven Gerrard.
This is a bit impromptu. To say this was last minute wouldn’t be inaccurate. But this was a tribute-through-gritted teeth that was long overdue. I don’t know what to write about Frank Lampard, because I know about him as much a Manchester United fan knows about Steven Gerrard. I know him by what he’s not – which was easier than for me to acknowledge his strengths. I guess this allows fans like myself a certain luxury of moral superiority.
As you see, I have wasted no time whatsoever in mentioning Steven Gerrard already. Both have been used as measuring sticks for other, for no reason but the mere fact that they happen to be from the generation of Tiger Magazine, the golden age of Match of the Day, and Roy of the Rovers. They were like most Greek heroes, born around the same time. If only they were born 10 years apart, I could have been objective about this debate, and the world would have had the chance to absorb their genius separately.
They were the ‘Messi vs Ronaldo’ debate before Messi and Ronaldo were growing out of their post-pubescent mullets. While Messi and Ronaldo are the byproducts of a Darwinian evolution of modern football, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were meant for different eras.