downincognito

lucky lucky lampsy

Sept. 23 London Fulham 0 Chelsea 2 (FL 2)

Bashing Lampard has become some sorta past time of late and to be frank, it's not entirely without reason. He's a fine midfielder, no doubt about it. His fitness levels are legendary, prompting even Sir Alex Ferguson to label him a freak. But, he's no Stevie Me. Gerrard oozes talent, while Lamps soared to the dizzy heights with sheer commitment and hard work. And a huge slice of luck.

Confidence personified, Lamps started having a go from the edge of the box every now and then. The lucky deflected goal became a norm in his play so much that he ended up being Chelsea's top scorer for two years running (2005/06: 16, 2004/05: 13).

Sometime around Luna's birth, lady luck seems to have deserted Lamps and an utterly forgettable World Cup followed a strange and silent end to the season. Lamps just couldn't buy a goal for love or money. Not even from the spot.

The short trip across the road to Craven Cottage always promised to be a tricky one, but with Robben back on the left flank, many (including me) expected Sheva to shine.

However, it was Lamps who ended up profiting from Ballack's absence.

Apart from Robben's screamer that rattled the crossbar, Chelsea looked clueless. Michael Brown sure must have watched the Sissokko tapes. He was a constant menace, pushing and shoving and being a veritable pain in the ass. Expect more such stuff in the future.

It took the introduction of Kalou to inject some pace and a penalty was the reward.

Lamps made no mistake this time and the new-found confidence propelled him to score another. It won't win any goal of the week contest, but would still mean a lot to him.

Guess, lady luck's buried the hatchet.

posted by downincognito @ 1:09 PM