For how much longer will Lampard be Chelsea's hero?

It was one of the most important kicks of Frank Lampard’s career. When the 33-year-old rolled up his socks just before he jogged on to the pitch, his body language personified confidence; his normal hunched self was that little bit straighter and he was out to prove his critics wrong. Therefore, when he actually told Juan Mata, “Listen mate, this one’s mine,” in spite of Andre Villas-Boas’ instructions, Lampard risked it all – his career, his life at Chelsea and the wrath of the fans. The tension was palpable. Their talisman wiped the sweat from under his nose, looked down at his feet one last time as if to check everything was alright (but maybe asking himself what he was doing) and toying with a possible celebration in his mind. [caption id=“attachment_155309” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Frank Lampard scores after coming off the bench to give Chelsea a lead over Manchester City. Reuters”]  [/caption] What followed was not a technical, difficult and well placed penalty. What followed was emotion, anger, frustration at being left out and disbelief at his limited appearances. What followed was a power-laden crash and no one cared where it went as far as the net rippled behind a stunned Joe Hart. In that moment; that tiny moment, Frank Lampard was back. And he wasn’t going to celebrate with his manager as the team has been asked to. He flew over to the home end, fist pumping the air as he was embraced by his teammates. But it was not over, because as soon as he was alone, he picked his moment and pointed at his club crest in a manner which said that he is still the main man at Chelsea. Ironically, the man who was first towards him to celebrate was Juan Mata, a player who is slowly gaining the reputation of having the stealth and finesse of Frank. But is he really back? Is Lampard suddenly going to start playing 90 minutes for Chelsea week-in, week-out? The answer, and a lot of Blues fans will find it hard to digest, is that his career still remains in the balance. Raul Meireles is not a flop signing. In fact, his thumping volley against City would have had most people thinking it was Lampard roaring into the box to score from Daniel Sturridge’s incredible cross. The Portuguese playmaker, bought from Liverpool on transfer deadline day took his time to settle… just like Lampard had when he came in from West Ham but he now looks menacing from outside the box… just like Lampard did. Heck, he even ghosts into the box to score goals… again, just like Lampard does. We all know his tendency to not being able to play alongside a player who is very similar to him. If he was a bit more adjusting, maybe England would have made better use of two of Europe’s best midfielders, Steven Gerrard being the other. But Lampard is used to dictating the field, raising the tempo and deciding who will score. Even though he did earn his right to start in the next game, he cannot say Meireles did not. Similarly, there is no way Ramires can sit out. He is literally a non-stop engine - omnipresent all over the field. A Lampard at his best would be scoring 20 goals a season. But this Lampard looks a bit jaded. It’s not plain dislike from Andre Villas-Boas that he sits out. It is just plain age, fatigue, a quicker tiring body and a complacent attitude when you cannot pull out a stunt which you could a few years ago. A penalty eventually is just a penalty. Lampard has scored six in the year, more than anyone in the EPL, only his second ever as a substitute and he is 20 behind Alan Shearer’s record of most penalties in the league. This is what he does… always. “I want to play, simple as that,” he told the Guardian. “I’m 33 – I understand that – but I want to keep playing regularly because I know I’ve got a lot to give. I’m as fit as I’ve ever been. I’ve been in a good run of form and now I’ve not been playing. “I haven’t spoken [to Villas-Boas] so I don’t know [why], simple as that.” The reason could be that there are a lot of things he used to do regularly and that have been missing now. Until that starts happening more often, expect him to sit on the bench. And until Daniel Sturridge keeps playing superbly, Fernando Torres will be there to provide solace for Lampard. With John Terry and Ashley Cole also in their 30s, this is the time Villas-Boas will exert his authority on the team. It’s time to shudder, boys!