After 13 years as a Chelsea stalwart of the midfield, Frank Lampard has completed his playing career with a wild two year MLS run. There are definitely elements of the move that can easily be pointed out to conclude it’s failure. However, Lampard may have actually achieved exactly what the City Football Group were hoping for.
At the end of 2013-14 season Chelsea announced that Frank would be one of the players released. For his part, and focused on the 2014 World Cup, he claimed it would be decided later that summer.
What followed was another England international collapse, his Chelsea release and an announcement with the MLS. At the time it seemed a likely route for Lampard, who would get two to three years in America before retiring.
However, as the weeks and months went by he never arrived. NYCFC fans went from excited to disappointed. Lampard would spend six months in England with the mothership - Manchester City.
As the winter break in the 2014-15 season approached, it was released that Frank had actually signed a contract with the City Group and not NYCFC. Additionally, he would now finish the rest of the season with Man City.
Meanwhile, NYCFC’s inaugural season was in collapse. David Villa could score goals, but the defense was in shambles and the midfield was disconnected. NYC fans forgot disappointment and turned to anger towards Lampard. NYCFC would miss the playoffs and were tied for the most goals conceded in 2015.
When Lampard finally arrived to MLS he was booed by the home fans and constantly focused on by the media. He spent much of those first 12 months injured. While he had a few bright moments for the team, including a brace against Seattle, most viewed him with disdain. He had been seen as a chance to build a great team from the start. Instead he was the symbol for how the club was more hype than substance.
The 2016 season proved to be a justifying turn for the City Group and Lampard. NYCFC finished 17 points higher than the year before and second in the Eastern Conference. Simply making the playoffs made the year a success, even though that isn’t too hard in the MLS.
It can be argued that that improvement has more to do with new boss Patrick Vieira, the amazing play of David Villa, and year two of the team’s cohesion. But Frank’s contributions were critical to this year’s run. He was the team’s second highest goal scoring, and finally brought a consistency to the midfield.
While NYCFC fans and the MLS front office will always be left to wonder how good could the team have been had this been Lampard’s second season in the MLS. So while his time in America is up, and likely the game as a whole, the City Group and Frank I believe will be satisfied with the results.
The City Group acquired another big EPL star, Man City were given midfield depth when it was needed, NYCFC benefit from the press coverage, and eventually made it to 2nd place in only their second year. Years from now, most around the world will have forgotten his time with City and NYCFC, instead remembering his Chelsea run. However, for NYC fans the Lampard saga will always be remembered with conflicting feelings.
