Chelsea could consider dropping Cole Palmer claims Sky Sports journalist | OneFootball

Cole Palmer had another really poor game for Chelsea today, as Ron Walker pointed out for Sky Sports.

The writer said the attacking midfielder “ran down blind alleys” and “rarely looked dangerous” in the win over Everton, and “looks devoid of confidence or ideas at the moment. The BBC’s Nizaar Kinsella said he was Chelsea’s “worst player,” and Walker even suggested that Enzo Maresca might consider dropping the talismanic attacking midfielder, that’s how bad things have got:

“Given there is little end product to lose with his current return, it might even be time to give him a spell out of the spotlight,” was how he put it.

It sounds crazy – maybe it is crazy – but the fact it’s being suggested at all is very telling. We can’t see Enzo Maresca making that sort of decision before the end of the season, but he’s surely got to try something new to get the forward firing. Palmer didn’t even have a shot today, and given how happy he is to have a go, that’s really something.

Maresca damns Palmer with faint praise

Cole Palmer with a Chelsea news logo. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

Perhaps the most damning thing of all was that Maresca praised him in a desperate attempt to build up his confidence, saying Palmer’s performance was “very good” and that he “sacrificed a lot” and was “pressing very well.”

We’re not sure anyone’s ever had to mention Palmer’s pressing before – people have generally been too busy praising an incredible goal or assist or piece of skill he’s produced. It’s a sign of how badly things are going for Cole that this is the best we can do.

Still, there is something potentially magical lining up here, with huge games to come and Palmer potentially about to break his dry spell with a Champions League-earning goal.