Will Frank Lampard Be Good AT NYCFC?

Simultation: Lampard at NYCFC vs. Lampard at Man City

Given that Frank Lampard’s loan from NYCFC to Manchester City has been extended until the end of the English league season, analysts at cult soccer management game Football Manager 2015 assessed Lampard’s impact and worth to the two teams independently.  Will Lampard be as good at NYCFC as he has been at Manchester City? How bankable is this player? 

To accomplish this player evaluation, two simulations were ran using Football Manager 2015: One with Frank Lampard in the NYCFC squad for the duration of the 2015 MLS season; the other with him staying at Man City over the same period.

So what does the pretend simulation show?

1. Lampard at NYCFC

Lampard’s Performance:

• 6 goals & 10 assists from 38 appearances
• 3 PotM awards & 7.36 average rating
• New York’s best player
• 3^rd highest assistant in the league
• Also scores twice and assists once in the US Cup
• Comes on at half time in the US Cup final and scores in the shootout as NYC beat Dallas on penalties (1-1 aet)
• Lampard comes 2^nd in the MVP award to Montreal’s Ignacio Piatti (average rating 7.42) (Montreal had a poor season, finishing 15^th the Supporter’s Shield race)

NYCFC performance with Lampard in the team:

• NYCFC won the Supporter’s Shield with 65 points from LA (57 points)
• Scored a league-high 52 goals
• NYCFC lost in the Eastern conference final to Columbus (0-2; 0-1)
• David Villa scores 15 goals from 37 games

Manchester City’s performance without Lampard in the team:

• Lost Capital One Cup final
• Lost FA Cup Semi-Final
• Lost Champions League Semi-Final
• Won 2015 Community Shield

MLS Winners:

• Colorado (3^rd in SS) defeated Columbus (4^th) in MLS Cup

2. Lampard at Man City

Lampard’s Performance:

• During the same period makes 26 league appearances (0 goals; 4 assists)
• 0 PotM awards and average rating of 6.83
• Also makes 9 cup appearances, scoring 1 goal and assisting once
• Is in and out of the side

Man City’s performance with Lampard in the team:

• Knocked out of the 14/15 FA Cup by Hull in the 3^rd round (Lampard not involved)
• Won 14/15 Capital One Cup 3-1 vs Everton (Lampard not involved)
• Won the 14/15 League season
• Surprise defeat in the European Cup final 0-2 to Leverkusen (Lampard on at 0-2 after 73 minutes)
• Win the 2015 Community Shield (Lampard not involved)

NYCFC’s performance without Lampard in the team:

• Instead sign 32yo Gremio AM “Douglas” as a DP
• Douglas does well, scoring 9, assisting 9, 2 PotM, Average Rating: 7.22
• David Villa scores 14 from 27
• Best player is George John (7.24) who they’ve signed in real life but wasn’t signed in the other simulation
• Knocked out of the US Cup by lower league Wilmington Hammerheads at the first attempt (0-2)
• Miss out on the playoffs by 6 points, finishing 8^th in the Eastern Conference (14^th overall)

MLS Winners:

• Philadelphia (3^rd seed) win MLS Cup 3-0 vs Seattle (7^th seed)
• MLS MVP is LA’s Stefan Ishizaki (Average Rating 7.34, LA narrowly missed out on the playoffs)

3. Lampard joining NYCFC in July

Lampard’s Performance:

• In and out of the Man City team in the first half of 2015, making just 14 league appearances, tallying 4 assists
• Makes 19 appearances in all competitions (most as a substitute) with an average rating of 6.94.
• Makes 17 appearances for NYCFC in the second half of the year, scoring once and assisting 4 goals, achieving an average rating of 7.29
• Finishes the year as New York’s highest rated player
• Finishes the year tied as MLS’ highest rated player (with Seattle’s Gonzalo Pineda) but doesn’t play enough games to qualify for the player of the year awards

NYCFC’s Performance:

• Lampard joins with NYCFC 5 points off the playoffs and already knocked out of the US Cup (by lower league opposition)
• The team pick up their form and qualify for the playoffs with the 6^th best overall record in the league
• They progress past Montreal Impact in the first round but are beaten 4-1 on aggregate by Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference Semi Final
• David Villa had scored 8 goals prior to Lampard’s arrival; finishes the year with 17 goals

Manchester City’s Performance:

• Knocked out of both 14/15 domestic cups at the quarter final stage
• Reach the 14/15 Champions League final but lose 1-0 to Barcelona (Lampard doesn’t feature)
• Finish 2^nd in the 14/15 Premier Division, 5 points of winners Manchester United
• Have started the 15/16 season well, leading the league by 10 points after 16 games

MLS

• Chicago win MLS Cup 3-2 over LA Galaxy
• Montreal’s Ignacio Piatti wins the MVP award