‘Frank is Shameless’. The wording on the banner that was draped from the upper tier of the Shed End invited a double-take. This was supposed to be Frank Lampard’s emotional homecoming to Chelsea and being derided for wearing the wrong colours did not seem to scan.The banner, though, belonged to a gaggle of Manchester City fans and, at a stroke, it became clear that being shameless – in the manner of the Mancunian TV character Frank from Shameless – was probably a good thing. This one worked on a fair few levels and, for Lampard, it seemed to sum up an occasion of nuanced interpretation.
The midfielder, who was released by Chelsea last summer, was not meant to be here, not when there seemed to be an arrangement in place for him to move to New York City FC in January at the end of a short-term contract at Manchester City. The situation has been rather confusing. Lampard, of course, is staying at City where he hopes to win his fourth Premier League title at the expense of Chelsea – his club of 13 seasons previously.
When Lampard came on as a 77th-minute replacement for Fernando, who had just been booked for a cynical chop on Eden Hazard, there was a bit of booing from the home support. It was difficult to tell whether there was any irony to it. There were then loud cries of “Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea” and, when Didier Drogba was introduced moments later, they bellowed his name to the rafters. More happily for Lampard, he was saluted by all four stands after the final whistle.
“I didn’t begrudge the boos,” Lampard said. “I played here and football sometimes ... you give a few balls away and you get negative ones in a game, so what do you expect here? It is a game of opinions and I have got no problem with that at all. What Chelsea fans did was what they should do, which was support their team, as they always do. Then, at the end, they gave me something that was really special to me.”
Lampard said he had popped into the Chelsea dressing room afterwards where he had spoken to former colleagues including the manager, José Mourinho. But it was not difficult to detect a crack in their once super-tight relationship. Mourinho is hardly delighted that Lampard has ended up at City for the season.
Lampard was asked whether Mourinho was bitter. “I don’t know, you would have to ask him that,” Lampard said. “This is football and I haven’t spoken to him that much recently. I don’t think there’s room for bitterness and, if there is, then I’ll deal with that down the line.
“Listen, I don’t want to try to say there’s any issue at all. I got a text from him at Christmas, I texted back. We spoke in the dressing room. We are grown men. We are playing for different football clubs and that’s the way it is. José was at Chelsea, he moved on to different teams, he’s come back here. Who knows what the future holds? He might move on.
“As you get older you understand that as a professional, it’s your job and you move on. I’m sure we’re both big enough that none of that is going to get in the way of our relationship.”
Mourinho maintained his media silence as he continued to fume at the three-match ban meted out to his striker Diego Costa for the stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can in the Capital One Cup semi-final win last Tuesday. There is the feeling at Chelsea that the manager might benefit from a cooling-off period. Right now he is only likely to say something that further inflames the situation.
Mourinho, though, was highly expressive from his technical area. There were the eruptions at various refereeing decisions, the demand to the fourth official that Fernando be booked for an 18th-minute foul on Hazard and applause for the City fans whenever they sang abusively about him.
Mourinho always brings theatre and passion. When he kicked the ball back on to the field and it hit James Milner, who had been fouled by Branislav Ivanovic, he apologised extravagantly while he complained that the referee, Mark Clattenburg, had set a Chelsea defensive wall too far back by mimicking long, Ministry of Silly Walks-style paces.
There was also the moment in injury time when he threw his arms up and down at the home crowd after they groaned when Chelsea lost possession cheaply. Manuel Pellegrini, the City manager, looked on unamused.
The draw seemed like points dropped for City who were the more forward-thinking team. Mourinho’s determination to preserve the result was reflected by his late substitutions which were aimed at buttoning down the midfield. Gary Cahill came on alongside Nemanja Matic while Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaced Oscar. “Boring, boring Chelsea,” chorused the City support.
In a game of few chances Chelsea looked tired after going to extra time against Liverpool and City shaded it. Sergio Agüero dragged wide when well placed and both Fernandinho and Milner had chances.
“The result is probably better for Chelsea but it certainly leaves the title race on,” Lampard said. “Chelsea will be favourites but there’s a load of points to play for. It will be on until the end.”
By David Hytner, Guardian
