Lamps has no end of talent... but Mount is only one he can trust to do job he needs
AS Frank Lampard looked around the Craven Cottage pitch, he must have wondered if there was anyone he could really count on.
An array of talent, including a deputation of substitutes who would be automatic starters at most clubs, was painfully struggling to dismantle the tiring 10 of lowly Fulham. The disjointed, uninspired efforts were symptomatic of a squad that lacks direction and joined-up thinking.
Chelsea’s expensive assembly of individuals just waited for someone to produce a lone piece of game-winning excellence.
And if that mindset continues, Lampard will have a lot of hard labour ahead.
But for now, he needed this. He needed that one piece of game-winning excellence.
It is not going to be goal of the month, it was not goal of the day, nowhere near.
But the technique shown by Mason Mount to secure this Chelsea win was a rare instance of high quality in this eked-out, unconvincing triumph.
No wonder Mount is probably Lampard’s most trusted player.
In another game in which so many of Lampard’s vaunted stars failed to deliver, Mount was matches. There is also the reliably creative, reliably inevitable problem of keeping industrious. those that flit in and out happy.
His goal – in a game that With Timo Werner and Kai became Chelsea’s for the taking Havertz the headline acts on the once Fulham’s Antonee Robinson bench, this was some collection of was sent off just before half-time Chelsea replacements.
– was a just reward Technique shown Quite frankly, with for Mount’s continu- by Mount to seal this array of talent, ing excellence. the win was a rare Lampard and Chelsea
He must be one instance of quality should be making of the few players shorter work of Lampard finds easy to select. Fulham than they did here.
Common consensus suggests Not that an energised Fulham Lampard does not know his best are pushovers, far from it. starting line-up, but when you Neat, tidy, with pace from back have such a talented, extended to front, their threat on the roster of players to choose from, it counter-attack is considerable, is difficult to select a regular XI. producing the best chance of a
And it is made even harder thoroughly turgid first half. when you are not winning Alas, Ivan Cavaliero’s attempt