August 19th 2024.
Michael Owen couldn't believe what he was seeing during Cole Palmer's performance against Manchester City. As a former player for both Manchester United and Liverpool, Owen knows a thing or two about what makes a strong attacking midfielder. And according to him and fellow pundit Glenn Hoddle, Palmer wasn't being utilized in his strongest position by Chelsea's new manager, Enzo Maresca.
Last season, Palmer was a standout player for Chelsea, scoring an impressive 27 goals and making 15 assists after being signed for a hefty fee from Manchester City. So it was surprising to see him struggle to make an impact in Chelsea's first game of the season, a 2-0 loss to Man City.
Under previous manager Mauricio Pochettino, Palmer was mainly played as a No.10, and even when he started on the right wing, he would often drift inside. But in Maresca's first game in charge, the young attacking midfielder was kept out wide for most of the match.
This tactical decision left Owen scratching his head. He pointed out that Chelsea have a wealth of players who can play in Palmer's position, including Raheem Sterling, who wasn't even in the squad for the game. Owen believes that when picking a team, the best players should be played in their best positions, not pushed into unfamiliar roles.
He went on to say that if he were the manager, Palmer would be the first name on his team sheet, playing in his favored position, and the rest of the team would be built around him. But with so many new players being brought in, it seems like Maresca is trying to fit them all in, rather than focusing on getting the best out of his key players.
Hoddle, a former Chelsea player and manager, agreed with Owen's assessment. He also didn't like seeing Palmer stuck out wide and urged him to be allowed to drift inside. In the second half, Palmer seemed to take matters into his own hands and started to get more involved in the game, but it still wasn't enough to turn the tide for Chelsea.
Both pundits stressed the importance of getting Palmer on the ball more, and for that to happen, he needs to be in the heart of the team, where his teammates can feed him and he can make things happen. It remains to be seen whether Maresca will take this feedback into consideration for Chelsea's upcoming match against Wolves.
Despite the disappointing result, Maresca remained positive after the game. Only time will tell if he will make any changes to Palmer's role in the team. Fans will have to wait and see what happens in the next game.
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