the Chelsea News
·3 October 2024
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Yahoo sportsthe Chelsea News
·3 October 2024
One former Chelsea player was not happy to be hearing about comparisons of one former Blues player against one of the current crop from this season.
I say he wasn’t happy, but he was also respectful and detailed in his explanation as to why you cannot make these comparison claims yet and to be honest, he’s not wrong here.
Many people might not always agree with former Chelsea midfielder and cult hero John Obi Mikel, and he has certainly been a bit extreme with some of his opinions lately. But he also gets a lot right in my view too.
Palmer has been on fire
Mikel is unhappy with fans comparing Frank Lampard and Cole Palmer. Lampard is Chelsea’s record goal-scorer with 211 strikes in 648 appearances.
“Again let’s calm down a bit guys,” Mikel said on his Obi One Podcast when the comparison was raised by another guest.
“He is an amazing footballer, he is an amazing talent, all we have to do as fans, as ex-players is to support and encourage the boy because there is so much talent there, so much quality to become in the future a legend, a top player.
“Right now he is a talent. He needs to keep improving year in, year out. I just don’t like it when people start to compare his numbers with Frank Lampard, who scored double figures 10 years in a row. There is a reason why he is called Super Frank. The guy was an absolute machine of a midfielder.
“He was a midfielder, he was a number eight, he was a box-to-box number eight, so for me you know that comparison shouldn’t come now, not at all.
“I just feel it is a little bit… not [disrespectful] to Frank, but I think that comparison shouldn’t be there now.”