Fired-up Mac has final word

CHELSEA legend Frank Lampard is well aware it will be very different when he returns to his spiritual home on Wednesday night.

He accepts his slickpassing Derby side won’t have anything like the 80 per cent possession they enjoyed in the opening half an hour at the Riverside.

And he knows hot prospect Mason Mount, who is fit to face his parent club despite picking up a knock on Saturday, and Harry Wilson won’t pick holes in the opposition like they did against Middlesbrough whichever side Maurizio Sarri sends out in the League Cup.

But even with a quarter-final place at stake, Lampard has no plans to park the bus.

“I won’t do that by nature,” said the Derby boss ahead of one of the most emotional nights of his career.

“But we’re going to have to defend for moments in the game like we had to do against Manchester United in the previous round.”

The Rams aren’t the finished article by any means but with wily campaigner Tom Huddlestone and loan stars Wilson and Mount pulling the strings, they can boast a midfield which wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League.

The visitors ran rings around a Boro side boasting the country’s best defensive record and should have scored a hatful before Tony Pulis tweaked his system to stem the Rams raid.

In the end, the points were shared courtesy of two own goals, with Jayden Bogle’s bizarre shin past Derby keeper Scott Carson cancelling out George Friend’s own goal past Darren Randolph.

Boro aren’t easy on the eye but it says something when they can be outplayed and still grind out a point.

Friend said: “In the second half, our character was fantastic.

“I can understand fans’ frustrations but let’s enjoy being near the top of the league.”