20. Cole Palmer

[DDA 9,690]

"CITY'S BOY IS CHELSEAS MAN"

- Peter Drury 

[lucio 5,418]

We should target more of their academy players , lavia is from there too and will be a baller 

[Fulham Broadway 16,841]

Eem a rude bwoy

 

[Vesper 28,800]

Cole Palmer is the versatile glue who makes Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea work

https://theathletic.com/5062177/2023/11/17/cole-palmer-Chelsea-mauricio-pochettino/

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In our attempts to analyse any game of football, there’s one aspect that is always important to consider: the profile of the players.

One right-winger in a 4-2-3-1 could be different to another right-winger in the same 4-2-3-1. The first could be a touchline-hugging dribbler, while the other could be more of a creative force, looking to come off the wing and roam infield to find space between the lines.

Part of what makes football entertaining is that the characteristics of the players are non-identical — they aren’t just soulless round magnets on a tactical board.

Even tactics and strategies are partly inspired by the skill sets of the players a manager has. There’s no logic in isolating your winger against the opponent’s full-back if they don’t thrive in one-on-one situations or playing a transitional game against a side full of pace in their front line.

At the end of the day, the players are the tools, and they are the ones who execute plans. Tactics and strategies are there to help them, but it also works the other way around. A versatile player offers their manager flexibility to alternate between shapes and approaches within the same game or from one match to the next.

In their 4-4 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, for example, Cole Palmer started on the right side of Chelsea’s attack, then moved to an advanced central role in the second half. He played as more of a No 10, before dropping to partner Conor Gallagher in the centre of the pitch with Chelsea looking for a late equaliser.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Over the previous five Premier League games, Palmer started on the right wing against Fulham, Burnley and Tottenham, as a false nine against Arsenal and as a No 10 against Brentford. When asked this week about his best position in the longer term, Palmer didn’t have a specific one in mind. “I like to play in all the positions to be fair,” he said. “False nine, right, middle — wherever he (Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino) puts me on, I am happy to play there.”

Yet it’s not only about his ability to play in these positions but what he offers as well. Because Palmer can play with his back to the goal and receive between the lines, Chelsea can easily morph into a 3-2-4-1 shape when they are on the ball by pushing their right-back further forward.

And it’s not like Pochettino can’t utilise this shape on the ball without Palmer — Raheem Sterling’s performance in a similar role against Liverpool on the opening weekend of this season was effective, but the England forward didn’t feel as comfortable in it.

“Against Liverpool, I was inside the pocket a bit too much and that was my feeling all last season, when I was too deep and I was playing the ball to the full-backs,” Sterling told UK broadcaster Sky Sports. “I had a conversation with the gaffer last week and we’ve gone through the role and I know exactly what he needs from me. I need to do what I do and drive at players, which is where I am most effective.”

Palmer, on the other hand, is more comfortable when it comes to receiving the ball in the centre of the pitch with his back to goal, which also allows Sterling to play another role down Chelsea’s left wing, where he can use his pace and dribbling ability to drive at opponents.

Against Fulham on October 2, Palmer showed glimpses of his ability in terms of occupying the correct spaces, too. In this example, he is initially down the right wing…

…but when Chelsea circulate the ball towards Marc Cucurella at right-back and Gallagher moves towards the touchline, dragging Joao Palhinha with him, Palmer spots the space and drops to offer himself as a passing option.

The reason Fulham’s left-back, Antonee Robinson, can’t commit to Palmer is Gallagher’s movement near the touchline…

…which forces Robinson to maintain his position while Palmer progresses with the ball freely. Under no pressure, he finds Armando Broja behind the Fulham defence…

…but a misunderstanding between the striker and Mykhailo Mudryk prevents them from creating an effort on target.

The following week, it was a familiar scene against Burnley. Palmer starts as a right-winger…

…but he understands where the space is and acts accordingly. “The way he reads the situations and what the team needs in every situation, he can be the player who can link with his team-mates,” said Pochettino.

Here, he spots the acres of space between the Burnley midfield and back line and moves into it…

…providing another passing option between the lines next to Gallagher…

…but the angle is deemed too risky by Thiago Silva, whose right-footedness isn’t helping the situation. A left-footed centre-back would be more comfortable playing the pass into Palmer from here.

In another example, Palmer is starting in a narrow position as Chelsea are building up their attack. Silva’s pass to Gallagher tempts Josh Cullen to press the Chelsea midfielder, who plays the ball back to centre-back Axel Disasi.

After Cullen moves closer to Gallagher, Palmer takes a couple of steps towards the centre circle while Enzo Fernandez advances down the right wing. Similar to the example against Fulham, Fernandez’s movement pins Burnley’s left-back, Charlie Taylor, preventing him from moving inwards with Palmer…

…who moves into the central space while Gallagher is dragging Cullen with him. This time, Silva finds Palmer…

…and Chelsea combine to put Sterling in a one-on-one situation, where the England forward excels.

Before Sterling dribbles past Vitinho, it’s important to note Palmer’s off-ball run into the space between Burnley’s right-back and right centre-back, which provides Sterling with a passing option and also forces the home side’s Sander Berge to drop deeper…

…creating more space for Sterling towards the edge of the box. Unfortunately for Chelsea, his shot misses the target.

At home against Arsenal in the next match, Palmer continues to show his versatility by playing as a false nine who drops into the right half-space.

He constantly drifted deeper to distance himself from Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes…

…while Jorginho and Declan Rice mainly focused on marking Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Here, Silva spots Palmer’s movement…

…and as the ball is reaching the young forward, he takes a look over his shoulder to scan his surroundings, registering the positioning of Sterling and Gabriel in the process…

…which factors into his decision to play a one-touch flick to his winger.

Sterling then plays a ball into the path of an underlapping Malo Gusto…

…but the right-back’s shot misses the target.

Earlier in that first half, Palmer’s positioning contributed to the attack that led to Chelsea being awarded a penalty, through which he opened the scoring.

 

Again, with Rice and Jorginho focusing on Caicedo and Fernandez, Palmer drops into the space between the lines, with Gabriel trying to react to the situation.

However, when Chelsea circulate the ball backwards towards the other side of the pitch, Gabriel drops and it’s William Saliba who moves up, because the ball is closer to Gallagher, which means Palmer is free. Mudryk chests goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s clipped pass into the path of Gallagher…

…who finds Palmer…

…before the latter plays the ball on to Sterling out wide…

…and it’s from this cross that Chelsea win the penalty.

“He is a player that understands the game and uses the half positions — he plays in between the lines to confuse the opponent,” Pochettino said of Palmer. “He always gives options for us to play and to find the free man. He is a playmaker that links all the team-mates.”

Palmer’s versatile profile in terms of being able to excel in one-on-one situations, playing between the lines, and understanding where the space is — along with his creativity — makes him a multifunctional option for this Chelsea side. And in turn, it allows them to become more flexible.

 

 

[bluesman2610 1,341]

Fast becoming favourite player on the team. So much quality - a little selfish sometimes but you need that in the attacking third.

 

Also I read somewhere if he gets one more yellow card he'll be suspended for card accumulation. In our upcoming matches which game would you accept that card.

[NikkiCFC 7,950]

2 minutes ago, bluesman2610 said:

Fast becoming favourite player on the team. So much quality - a little selfish sometimes but you need that in the attacking third.

 

Also I read somewhere if he gets one more yellow card he'll be suspended for card accumulation. In our upcoming matches which game would you accept that card.

Palmer, Enzo and Sterling are one yellow from suspension. But only if they get it before new year so I hope they survive next 3 games. 

[DDA 9,690]

Certified baller 🥶 

 

[bluesman2610 1,341]

This was pretty funny

[NikkiCFC 7,950]

On 20/12/2023 at 20:55, NikkiCFC said:

Palmer, Enzo and Sterling are one yellow from suspension. But only if they get it before new year so I hope they survive next 3 games. 

Two of them got yellow in the first game 🤣

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,919]

20 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Two of them got yellow in the first game 🤣

And the one who didnt probably only didnt get it because he didnt play lol

[TheHulk 1,855]

I'm surprised Palmer didn't try to deck Sterling for refusing to pass him that ball, criminal stuff. 

[robsblubot 3,504]

12 minutes ago, TheHulk said:

I'm surprised Palmer didn't try to deck Sterling for refusing to pass him that ball, criminal stuff. 

Did you watch the highlights by chance? It was a solo play by Sterling. Nobody passed him the ball, he took it. Teammates would definitely be super mad if it was a linkup play and he failed to pass in that situ.

Regarding Palmer, he's young so it's understandable, but he needs to work on his consistency as every young play do. He was pretty poor against Wolves.

[NikkiCFC 7,950]

51 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

Did you watch the highlights by chance? It was a solo play by Sterling. Nobody passed him the ball, he took it. Teammates would definitely be super mad if it was a linkup play and he failed to pass in that situ.

I don't understand why would that make any difference. 

[robsblubot 3,504]

7 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

I don't understand why would that make any difference. 

and I don't understand how that point isn't self-evident. 🤷‍♂️
Bear in mind I'm not arguing that his decision was not a very bad one -- it was. I'm arguing that players would respect a great solo play as opposed to a teamwork play where a player gets greedy at the end.

To emphasize, Jackson, Broja, and (to a lesser degree) Palmer were awful; Sterling was literally playing alone esp in the first half, and we are here discussing Sterling's poor decision. That's exactly the problem with this roster IMO. Sterling is the only attacker we've got! 🙂 
Well Nkunku will make it two... hopefully.

Edited December 25, 2023 by robsblubot

[DDA 9,690]

What a player. Love his 'Cold' celebration. 

What a guy.

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

Looks like he is the real deal. The first goal was already classy af  but how confidently he handled the one on one for the second was just - well cold 

[LAM09 6,744]

1 hour ago, Magic Lamps said:

Looks like he is the real deal. The first goal was already classy af  but how confidently he handled the one on one for the second was just - well cold 

A saying that is often misused but suits him to the ground: he's a player who looks beyond his years. The composure for his second goal is something I'd be slightly surprised to see Nkunku do, let alone someone of his age.

Among the U21's in Europe, he's second only to Bellingham with the most goal contributions. Palmer and Gusto seem like the only smart signings under Todd & Co's ownership.

Edited December 30, 2023 by LAM09

[chelsea_4_eva 1,157]

Has the right mentality to make it in the game.