Source: Daily_Mail
How can Frank Lampard get his England place back?
When Fabio Capello went out of his way to praise his midfield after England's 3-1 Euro 2012 qualifying win in Switzerland, the most logical interpretation of his words carried a stark message for one of his most trusted players. For now, there is unlikely to be a place in the starting XI for Frank Lampard. [LNB]And the thorny question that has dogged successive England managers - how to accommodate the Chelsea stalwart and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard in the same midfield - has been answered in the simplest way possible. You don't. [LNB] End of the road? Frank Lampard could be left out by Fabio Capello next month[LNB]Lampard's absence against the Swiss, and Bulgaria at Wembley four days earlier, forced Capello to explore alternatives. And it gave Gerrard the chance to prove the central role he craves is the one that brings results. Gerrard responded with impressive displays in two victories which did much to dissipate the disappointment of the World Cup, albeit against limited opposition. [LNB]In South Africa, Gerrard operated from a free role on the left while Lampard was employed in the centre of a largely dysfunctional midfield. [LNB]After the Basle victory, Capello was happy to address the question of how England coped without Lampard, who had a groin operation, and his Chelsea team-mate John Terry, sidelined with a hamstring injury . [LNB]'The balance of the midfield was fantastic,' said Capello. 'It was very, very good. There were not a lot of chances for the opposition to go forward or to score and we won back the ball very well. [LNB]Middle man: Steven Gerrard has taken on the key central midfield role alone[LNB]'Terry and Lampard are always important players but I have to decide after these performances. I choose the players who are in the best moment. I selected some this time but they were injured, but those who played these two games played very well, not just like good players but like a team - and that is very important' [LNB]Asked whether the return of Lampard for next month's qualifier against Montengero at Wembley might upset that balance, Capello said: 'We will have to wait and see. There is one month and we must wait.' [LNB]Lampard retains the trust of Capello, however. Though some queried the player's decision to opt for an operation on his groin when Capello faced two games deemed by many to be crucial to his future, the manager was not one of them. [LNB]Terry's withdrawal also raised eyebrows, given that Capello had stripped him of the captaincy and then slapped him down during the World Cup finals when he attempted to press for a tactical change. But his Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, says the defender will have to take regular breaks from playing if he wishes to extend his career, and if Capello felt let down by the actions of two of his most senior players, he did not show it. [LNB]'I don't like to speak about what has happened or the players who aren't here,' he said. 'The players who I selected and were injured, the doctors and their manager said they were injured. OK?' [LNB]In fact, Capello, who as manager of AC Milan dropped Ruud Gullit for a Champions League final, appears to be relishing the opportunity to make some tough decisions.[LNB]'It is like when you are a club manager, you have to decide whether some can play or be on the bench,' he said. 'If they want to stay with me they have to accept my decision. Competition is good. It's important players are not sure they will play; that makes it competitive.' [LNB]Capello has been particularly impressed with the way the likes of Adam Johnson and Joe Hart, both 23, have seized their opportunities and also with 21-year-old Theo Walcott's return to form prior to an ankle injury which will keep him out of the Montenegro game. [LNB] Happy days again: Capello has hinted that he may not change a winning team[LNB]The England manager said: 'Now the level of some of the young players is the same as the older players so this creates more competition. Before, the older players were ahead of the younger ones; they were green, but now they are ready.' [LNB]Ready to replace Lampard? That remains unproven but as Capello seeks a new England, the Chelsea midfielder looks likely to find himself on the sidelines next month. [LNB]He first started a game alongside Gerrard in midfield for England in June 2003 in a dire end-of-season match against Serbia and Montenegro at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester under Sven Goran Eriksson. [LNB]It was one of those farcical friendlies, with five half-time substitutions, that did so much to undermine England internationals and that led to the direct intervention of FIFA president Sepp Blatter to limit the changes that could be made in a match. [LNB]Yet for the first 45 minutes of that game, when Gerrard and Lampard appeared together, there were promising signs of a long-term partnership, Gerrard exchanging passes with Lampard and Michael Owen to open the scoring in a 2-1 win. [LNB]No one could have imagined then that the initial pairing of such talented players, who have since matured into world-class footballers and between them have won every club honour, would eventually cause such angst to England fans. [LNB]And that only now, more than seven years on, does a solution appear to be unfolding, albeit one which will see a trial separation of the golden couple. [LNB]Every conceivable formation and plan has been used to accommodate them - and not without success. Indeed, it is only a year ago, almost to the day, that they had their best game together, the 5-1 win against Croatia in World Cup qualifying, in which both scored twice and which now is in danger of being the zenith of Capello's reign.[LNB]Lampard's decision to have surgery during last week's international break - a move that his club insist was essential rather than provident for Chelsea - may finally have brought an end to the agonising. And Lampard may have a wait on his hands before he pulls on the shirt of his country once more.[LNB] Martin Samuel: Sorry Frank Lampard, you've lost centre stageGerrard could keep England armband after perfect displays wow CapelloLampard and Terry ruled out of England's crucial Euro 2012 qualifiersCapello is on the road to redemption but he refuses to get carried awayCHELSEA FC
