Mason needs care like our baby Blues
LAMPS PROPOSES THE KID GLOVE TREATMENT
FRANK LAMPARD has called for Mason Greenwood to be given time to mature – just like his rising Chelsea stars.
The Blues boss, who won 106 England caps, is currently nurturing another young Three Lions forward in Tammy Abraham, 22.
With 15 goals for Manchester United this season, the 18-year-old Greenwood is being tipped to gatecrash Gareth Southgate’s strike force for next summer’s European Championship.
After 15 goals in the first half of the season,Abraham has netted just once since January, but Lampard believes all the youthful Lions should be given time to mature.
He said: “It’s not just Tammy. It’s a general rule. We get very excited with young talent and rightly so. We’ve seen it this season and that’s why I’ve tried to stay pretty grounded when I get asked a lot about the youth, particularly earlier in the season, because I felt it coming.
“It’s really hard to come into the Premier League, at the level it’s at, and sustain performances, or be in the side all the time.
“There’s competition, games are hard. Whether it’s Tammy, whether it’s Mason Mount, whether it’s Fikayo Tomori, whether it’s Reece James.
“They’ve all had periods of real input and playing regularly, and periods where it’s maybe not quite so much, in their own different ways.
“That’s something we all have to be a bit calm with from the outside and expect that. The main thing from working behind the scenes is that they understand that and that they will have those little moments and not lose confidence.
“I’m always there to support them but also they need to continue the work. That’s the message for all young players, not just mine.” Red-hot Greenwood netted twice in
Saturday’s 5-2 win against Bournemouth to make it four in his past six games.
It has seen him described as a wonderkid, with many suggesting the postponement of the Euros until next year could work perfectly in his favour. But Lampard, whose team go to Crystal Palace tonight, added: “I’ve been there, I know how hard it is to break through, but when you break through it’s possibly harder to sustain it and move on to a different level, which top players do.
“All these younger players here potentially have it. A lot of it is in their hands at this point.”