For The Sake Of MLS, Frank Lampard Cannot Extend Stay in Manchester
By Adam Clifton
After his departure from Chelsea and later signing with NYCFC, many believed that Frank Lampard’s time in the Barclays Premier League was over.
Surprisingly, Lampard returned to the Premier League and has made a dramatic impact for his team. The shocking part of this story is the shade of blue jersey that he has worn during his return. Lampard has been an important player for Manchester City since he joined the squad on loan earlier this season.
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NYCFC are an expansion franchise in MLS and will begin competing in March 2015 when the new season kicks-off. When Lampard was allowed to join Manchester City on loan, it was expected that he would leave Manchester and return to NYCFC prior to the start of the new MLS season.
However, Manchester City have repeatedly expressed interest in extending the loan of Lampard until the end of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League seasons. The important part of this story is that both teams are owned by the same group. It now forces the owners to decide where Lampard’s services will be more important.
For City, Lampard has provided a great deal of experience in the midfield. Additionally, he has provided several goals for the squad, specifically an equalizing goal against his former club and current league leaders, Chelsea. With recent injuries to Sergio Aguero, Stevan Jovetic, and Edin Dzeko, Lampard’s goal scoring expertise could be greatly used by City.
Also, Yaya Toure will be missing for nearly a month while he joins the Ivory Coast for the African Cup of Nations. With so many key players due to miss significant action, Lampard could fill a variety of holes for Manchester City.
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NYCFC are about to start their first season as a part of Major League Soccer. Since the announcement of the club, NYCFC have made it clear about taking any necessary steps to building a successful team. This includes signing former World Cup winner, David Villa and the aforementioned Champions League winner, Frank Lampard.
MLS has gained a reputation as a league where the world’s best players go to retire. This implies that MLS is not a serious league and is not close to the level of the other professional soccer leagues around the world.
In order for MLS to be taken seriously, NYCFC must get Frank Lampard to return to the team before the start to the 2015 MLS season. If this move is not made, NYCFC will earn a reputation as the minor league version of Manchester City.