Premier League / Dan Fitch / 04 May 2010 /

After years of red domination, the public opinion has swung back round to the blue. Dan 'The Betting Man' Fitch looks at where it all went right for Frank Lampard and all went wrong for Steven Gerrard.

Though they have been England team-mates for many years, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have tended to compete rather than compliment each other.

With both inclined to make forward runs and score goals, many an England manager struggled to shoehorn them into the same midfield, with generally unimpressive results.

Sven Goran Eriksson always seemed to be prattling on about how Gerrard and Lampard could play together, taking it in turns to make forward runs, whilst the other handled defensive duties. In reality this would just lead to a gaping hole in front of the England back four, whilst the pair tried not to make eye-contact and pretended that they thought that the other was staying back.

Most sane-minded people agreed that one should be dropped, but unfortunately none of those sane people were the England manager. Debate raged around the country as to which one should be preferred. It was like the General Election, with your allegiances tied to either the Red or the Blue (thankfully there was no outstanding Norwich midfielder in Yellow, to result in a possible hung-midfield).

It seemed that the majority of people preferred Gerrard. Lampard was brilliantly efficient and was a wonderful goalscorer, but it was Gerrard that would capture your attention with a moment of genius.

Finally though, England recruited a manager in Fabio Capello who worked out how to play them together, as he restricted Frank's forays and stuck Gerrard in a notional-role on the left, where his positional wanderings could do little harm.

So far it's been a success, but if Lampard and Gerrard had been rivals for one position this summer, then it would be interesting to see how many would still prefer the midfielder from Liverpool.

Frank Lampard has had his most prolific season in front of goal yet, notching 26 in all competitions for Chelsea. It's the fifth season in a row that Lampard has scored 20-plus goals and with Chelsea at [1.13] to win the league and [1.17] to win the FA Cup, he looks set to end the season by winning the double.

If that wasn't enough, Lampard's even pulled Christine Bleakley and there is now speculation that he could end up playing at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho. All in all, it's been a good 2010.

Compare this success story with Gerrard's Annus horribilis. Last season he scored 24 goals as Liverpool came within a whisker of the title, but this season his influence has waned, amid injuries and poor form.

Gerrard's 12 goals from midfield is still a decent return, but he's been unable to grab a struggling Liverpool side by the scruff of the neck. Gerrard looks tired of the Benitez regime and the weight of expectation hanging over him at Anfield.

Throw in the latest internet rumours and 2010 is a year that Gerrard will hope can only get better. With all eyes on Wayne Rooney in the summer, perhaps Gerrard will regain some freedom and form at the World Cup. England are [7.8] to lift the trophy.

It's a great shop window for Gerrard, in a summer in which there will surely be speculation regarding whether he stays at Anfield. He's 30 years old this month and has never won a league championship. Though he'd love to achieve that at Liverpool, there must be doubts in his mind as to whether that's going to be possible within the next couple of seasons.

So it could be pastures new for both of England's perennial midfield rivals, but whilst Lampard would leave from a position of strength, any summer move would represent one last desperate throw of the dice for Gerrard.

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