COLE PALMER is loving life under Xabi Alonso already.
Seemingly for one key reason – compared to playing under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior last season – freedom.
Palmer is loving life under Xabi Alonso Credit: Getty
His smile is back, his footwork is back, and the goals are back too Credit: Getty
Palmer, 24, bagged a goal and an assist in Chelsea‘s opening game of the season, a 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, with fans raving over the Blues’ new front line.
The forward is starting in a right-sided number 10 position, with best pal Morgan Rogers on the opposite side, with both of them being given the chance to move about the pitch to maximise their threats.
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At times last season, the Chelsea number ten was subject to claims he was being held back by the rigid tactical setups of Maresca and Rosenior.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Palmer appeared to take a cheeky dig at his former bosses over ‘safe zones’ when explaining exactly what he liked about Alonso’s new system.
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Palmer said: “He [Alonso] just said I’d have more freedom to drift about the pitch. Just like you saw [against Fulham] with the goal I scored.
“Last season, I wouldn’t have even made that run because it’s not a ‘safe zone’. But he’s saying move across that zone, drop into play, come get on the ball, create and just do what you do.”
This season, if Palmer is back to his frightening, ice-cold best, he will be a serious problem for the rest of the Premier League.
Since Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea, Palmer hasn’t been the same player due to a mix of fitness problems, managerial switches, and seeming confidence issues in front of goal at times.
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A serious groin issue was a big part of his disappointing campaign last season, but Palmer insisted that he is over that now after having the summer off and missing the World Cup.
He added: “Physically I feel good, probably the best I’ve felt in ages, but I think I can [get fitter] with games and more minutes,” Palmer told Sky Sports.
“Before my groin injury, I’d never really been injured. Well, rarely [injured]. So then I would just come back and play when I shouldn’t have played.
“Obviously the World Cup was coming up, so I was in a bit of a dilemma thinking: ‘if I don’t play I’m not going to go. But if I play then, I can’t play [properly]’.
It was good to see his iconic celebration back again Credit: Getty
“It was just a bit of a sticky situation. I didn’t really know how to deal with it, but it’s one of those things. I was just seeing different people, getting different ideas of why I was injured and what it was.
“Since I’ve come back I’ve been working every day to obviously stop it happening again. I just want to stay injury free, and if I’m on the pitch then I know what I can do.”
