Cole Palmer appears to aim thinly-veiled dig at former Chelsea managers – and confirms he played through pain last season in bid to make World Cup
Cole Palmer says the freedom he has under Xabi Alonso is already paying off – in a subtle dig at his former Chelsea bosses.
Palmer opened his account for the season with a goal against Fulham on Monday night, darting diagonally across the width of the box to finish a move set up by Joao Pedro.
He says it is not the sort of goal he would have scored last season under Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior, and Calum McFarlane.
Palmer told Sky Sports: ‘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.’
Palmer sparkled against Fulham, recording a five shots, five successful dribbles, ten duels won, and nine touches in the opposition box, stats which outstripped his rivals in each department.
Cole Palmer says he has more freedom this season – and pinpointed where he has actively restricted last campaign – after scoring in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Fulham on Sunday night
He says he has more liberty to ‘drift about the pitch’ under new manager Xabi Alonso
He managed ten goals in the Premier League last campaign, down on his preceding totals of 22 and 15, though he did miss 11 matches due to injury.
The 24-year-old also revealed that he played through the pain barrier in a bid to make England’s World Cup squad.
Palmer was one of the big-name omissions from Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
‘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,’ Palmer added to Sky Sports.
‘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 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.’
‘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 has admitted previously that he fell asleep during England’s overnight last-16 clash with Mexico.
‘I fell asleep at half-time,’ he said on Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia.
