Just when you thought the eternal Steven Gerrard vs Frank Lampard player debate had mercifully begun to fade into obscurity, both of them decided to get stuck into the grizzly world of Premier League management. Welcome to the sequel, folks.
Gerrard and Lampard’s careers have been intertwined for over two decades. They played together 71 times for England including at three major tournaments and against each other 34 times from the Premier League to the Champions League to Major League Soccer. They also briefly paired up in the BT Sport studio after both retiring in 2016 following spells stateside.
But Saturday’s meeting between Aston Villa and Everton will be the first time that Gerrard and Lampard will pit their wits against each other in a dugout as opposed to a football pitch.
Both have been quick to pay tribute to the other in the build-up. “He’s a fierce competitor and a winner, it’s no surprise to see him in a similar position to myself,” said Gerrard on Friday, the “position” presumably being in Premier League management so quickly, rather than nearer the foot than the mouth of the table. “I know Stevie is a hard worker and I’m delighted for him that he’s done so well at Rangers and [is] now at a club with the quality of Aston Villa,” chimed Lampard.
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They have almost identical win percentages: Gerrard has won 34.5 per cent of his 29 games in charge of Villa, while Lampard has fared fractionally better, winning 36.4 per cent of his 22 games. Gerrard’s rate is inferior to that of his successor Dean Smith (39.5 per cent), but Lampard’s is superior to Rafael Benitez’s (31.8 per cent). Everton fans may disagree, but there hasn’t been a marked upswing at either club since their appointments. At least yet.
Gerrard’s need to win the “Golden Generation derby” is probably greater than his opponent’s given Lampard achieved his first target of keeping the Toffees in the top-flight. Villa’s recent form makes for grim reading: last weekend’s surprise 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth means they have taken only nine points from their last 12 league matches. And the two clubs that they beat during that run – Norwich and Burnley – have since slipped down into the Championship.
Villa’s recruitment over the past couple of transfer windows also enhances the pressure on Gerrard. Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne, Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara have arrived with big reputations and minus the latter, big price tags.
Gerrard vs Lampard’s records compared
Gerrard at Aston Villa:
- Games: 29
- Wins: 10
- Draws: 5
- Defeats: 14
- Win rate: 34.5 per cent
Lampard at Everton:
- Games: 22
- Wins: 8
- Draws: 2
- Defeats: 12
- Win rate: 36.4 per cent
As does his two biggest decisions so far: sanctioning a move for Coutinho, thereby muddying Emi Buendia’s role in the process, and stripping Tyrone Mings of the captaincy on the eve of the season. Coutinho has one goal and no assists to show for his last 12 appearances, while Paul McGrath, the club’s greatest ever defender, has come out to bat for Mings, who has also lost his place in the starting line-up. The outcome of the Coutinho/Mings situations are likely to make or break Gerrard’s Villa career.
Lampard is also overseeing a regeneration project, albeit a less flashy one. Everton have reinvested most of the funds generated by Richarlison’s sale by signing Amadou Onana and Dwight McNeil, but it is unclear where the goals are going to come from. Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin contributed 15 last season (35 per cent of the team’s overall total); one now plays for Spurs, and the other is injured for the next five weeks. James Tarkowski and Conor Coady are solid additions at the other end of the pitch, at least.
As those who have been drawn into such conversations will attest, determining which of Gerrard or Lampard were the more talented or effective player is a futile exercise with no definitive answer. It is equally tricky to make a judgement call on the pair as managers, at least at Premier League level. Perhaps the outcome of Saturday’s match will give some clues.
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