Former Chelsea and England striker Carlton Cole believes Tammy Abraham can go as far as he wants in the game due to his eagerness to pick up tips from his top flight peers.
“The thing I most like about Tammy is that he’s still willing to learn. I saw a video of him the other day saying he still watches other Premier League strikers to learn from them. I was the same.
"When I was at West Ham I used to watch Drogba and a few others who were kind of my ilk, my style and see what they were doing that was different to me; to see if I could improve my game.
Like the 22-year-old, Cole came through the ranks at Stamford Bridge with both requiring several loan spells before being given a run of games in the Chelsea royal blue. That however is where the similarities end according to our self-effacing interviewee.
“He is very different to the number nines that Chelsea usually have. I don’t see him as a big, powerful number nine. He can move to the left and right and could easily play as a number ten. He’s that good.
"If he can continue doing what he’s doing and progressing he can definitely get that number nine curse wiped off.”
It is of course not only the young forward who is flourishing right now in West London. In the dug-out stands a club legend relatively new to management who at times so far has made it look easy.
Yet a feeling persists that Frank Lampard’s early gains is only heightening expectation for such results to be the norm and with Chelsea known to be a sacking club, he might not ultimately be afforded a full learning curve should things go temporarily awry. Cole disagrees.
“He has already started to make the mistakes now. This is what this season was all about: to find his feet and make sure the mistakes were got out of the way and see where it got him.
"Right now he is doing more than what was expected and everybody is surprised but for me I always knew he’d do well.
"He is ahead of his targets because at the start of the season anything above top eight would have been deemed a success but he’s doing better than that.
"This was a bumper season for him, to get his feet in the door and get to know his players. Next season he can buy players he feels will improve the squad but he is actually ahead of schedule at the moment.”
With the possibility of Chelsea’s transfer ban being lifted prior to the next window might January be a better time to strengthen? Cole thinks not.
“He has got the team playing the way he wants and the players are playing for him. It would be better for him if he’s not allowed to buy in the window. Then if things do fall short for him he’s still got that cushion to say ‘I wasn’t able to buy’.”
Having returned to his old stomping ground West Ham as a under 16s coach Cole has watched on this term as a striker very much in his mould initially impressed after a big money move before succumbing to poor form.
Is Sebastien Haller the right man to fire the Hammers up the Premier League table and alleviate the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini in the process?
“Maybe he has lost his way just a little bit because he’s not getting enough support around him. It reminds me of my time back in the day when I’d get the ball and there would be no-one around me.
"I’m seeing similarities in that but he will get used to it and used to shouldering the responsibility on how to lead the line. It is up to the manager to get the best out of him because he’s got all the qualities of a proper solid number nine.”
Inevitably from a sixteen-year career Cole himself endured periods when the goal seemed slightly smaller and the keeper larger and his thoughts on how Haller might turn things around make for fascinating reading.
“I wasn’t the most skilful player but I would leave everything out on the pitch.
"I’m a big believer that you make your own luck so if you work hard and the crowd can see you chasing down the balls and defending that alone gets them on your side. Then your luck starts to come because everybody is willing you to score.
Showing that heart and love for the game and love for the club takes you over the line psychologically when maybe you’re not scoring as many goals as you want to. The fans will help you through and that’s where they play a massive role.
At the London Stadium it is not just the 6ft 3 Frenchman who is currently putting in mixed performances with the highly rated Declan Rice also experiencing a worrying dip after impressing so greatly last year.
At least in the instance of the Hammers’ academy star though, Cole is sure beyond question that they possess an absolute diamond.
“Rice is a massive player for us and we are so proud of what he’s done. He’s got England caps and is one of the main guys for them too so he is massive for us. We’re keeping him so everybody needs to get their hands off.
"He isn’t going anywhere and we’re looking to build a team around him. That’s the main thing for us, to retain our talent. Declan raises himself to everything that is put in front of him. What a guy and what an achievement.”
With Jose Mourinho back dominating the back pages after his recent appointment at Spurs it would be remiss not to end by asking the Croydon-born Cole about his ex-gaffer, namely if he is presently seeing a different man at the helm to the one who guided him through his early years.
It appears so and in fact, whisper it quietly but there is even a suggestion that the infamously grumpy one is starting to mellow.
“When Jose was at Manchester United it was a different culture. There was Pogba and Lukaku and Rashford: the young lads who were more exposed to social media.
"There is a way to handle the younger generation today and I’m learning that every day when I go into training. It’s crazy with social media and all of that stuff.
What Mourinho has learnt is how to handle that part of football. Where he used to protect his players from the media and take the brunt of it if they under-achieved now players don’t need that cover.
"And what he has learnt is you just have to go with the flow man. You can’t control everything.”
Carlton Cole: Quickfire Questions
Who will win the Premier League title?
Liverpool.
Who will win the Golden Boot?
Jamie Vardy.
Who will win the Champions League?
Juventus.
Score prediction for Everton vs Chelsea?
2-1 to Chelsea.
First goal scorer in that game?
Tammy Abraham.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Sang Tan / AP Photo*
