Fat Frank-Legend

[Fulham Broadway 16,424]

Excellent Guardian article -can remember some fans saying West ham mugged us off for the £11m fee

Frank Lampard has the goal and matching Peter Osgood in his sights

Frank Lampard celebrates as he scores Chelsea's third goal against Birmingham. Photograph: Phil Cole/Getty Images

Frank Lampard has an extra incentive to reach the 20-goal mark for the fifth season in succession – the midfielder knows it would lift him up alongside the Chelsea icon Peter Osgood in the club's all-time scoring charts.

Lampard has hit form in front of goal in recent weeks. He scored twice in the 3-0 home victory over Birmingham City on Wednesday night to make it seven in eight games and 13 in all competitions, including the Community Shield, for the season. If he could add another seven, it would take him to 150 career goals for Chelsea, and give him the honour of drawing level with the late, great Osgood.

"I've set the benchmark of 20 goals a season and I'd love to be there again," said Lampard, whose best return was the 21 goals he scored in 2006-07. "I've got 13 now and if I can carry on, keeping scoring and helping the team with the goals, and get to 20 I'd be very pleased. That would put me on 150 goals and level with Peter Osgood. Funnily enough, I know exactly how many I need. I've got it all in my head.

"Twenty goals would put me level with Osgood and Roy Bentley. I'd love to get there. Osgood is the Chelsea legend – him and Franco [Zola]. I met him upstairs quite a lot when I first came to the club and he was always very helpful towards me. I know how the fans hold him so to get up with him and Bentley – the captain when we won the league all those years ago [in 1955] – if I can get there this season, that would be great."

Chelsea's win over Birmingham took them back to the top of the table and Lampard is keen to beat Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday to increase further the pressure on Manchester United and Arsenal, ahead of their meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon. January was supposed to be the month when Chelsea faltered, deprived as they have been of their Africa Cup of Nations players, most notably Didier Drogba and the now injured Michael Essien. But, after stuttering in December, they have been flawless in the league and FA Cup this month, scoring 17 goals in their four fixtures against Watford, Sunderland, Preston North End and Birmingham.

"We didn't say that it would go wrong in January, everyone else did," Lampard said. "We've got a lot of belief in our team. We've got players who can come in. Maybe sometimes players need to step up and everyone has done that. But I don't think anyone would look at our fixture list as it's been in January so far and expect us not to win those games.

"We've gone up a gear in January. We had a bad little run and we probably lost some of our movement and our sharp passing game. But we've worked hard to get that back. January has been nice for us. We haven't had so many games so we've been able to work hard in training on moving the ball quickly, getting into position quicker and not being so predictable, which we might have been in a patch in December

[NattyBlue 44]

Nice little read there, always love to see praise for Lamps, he'll get the goals he needs as long as he wants it

[boshman 1,073]

I'm counting for Frank as well. I really want him to get to 20 this year too lift him up with Ossie and Bentley. I don't think he will manage it but i really hope he can get past Kerry Dixon and maybe even Bobby Tambling. He can at least get close to them if he carries on with his 20 goal a season average for the rest of his contract.

Frank Lampard = LEGEND!!

[misschief 24]

I remember slating Lampard over the way he dragged out his contract negotiations until he got an obscene amount of money. But whilst I still think his and JT's contracts have a lot to answer for, I have nothing but the upmost respect for the way Lampard's repaid the club's faith since. Not only did he make damn sure he earnt his elevated wage, Lampard's more or less gone quietly about his business ever since and given no-one any more reason to criticise him other than the usual green-eyed bullshit. It's just a shame his captain hasn't taken his example.

[Para6iT 2]

He is forever the best midfielder ever. No doubt about it. He deserves to be praised.