Cole Palmer Thrives Under Xabi Alonso's Freedom at Chelsea
Cole Palmer says Xabi Alonso has unlocked a different version of him at Chelsea – one with licence to roam and to take risks.
The 24-year-old has opened the new Premier League season in sharp form, scoring and assisting in Monday night’s 3-2 win over Fulham, and he credits the change to the man now in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer lit up his first year at the club but faded last season, wrestling with form and fitness and ultimately missing out on England’s World Cup squad. The spark, he admits, dimmed. Under Alonso, it looks back.
“He just said I'd have more freedom to drift about the pitch,” Palmer told Sky Sports. “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.”
That one line – “just do what you do” – has become the theme of Chelsea’s early weeks under their new head coach. Alonso, who arrived at the start of the summer after spells in charge of Bayer Leverkusen and time on the staff at Real Madrid, has handed his chief creator a free role and built a new-look attack around him.
Chelsea staggered to 10th in the Premier League last season, a campaign that cost both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior their jobs. The mood was flat, the football often cautious. Alonso has walked into that backdrop with a clear idea and, crucially, strong backing in the market.
Morgan Rogers arrived from Aston Villa for more than £100m to strengthen the attacking midfield department, joining Palmer and Joao Pedro in what is fast becoming the side’s key trio between the lines.
Supporters have already tried to brand them. “JP Morgan” has started doing the rounds among sections of the Chelsea fanbase – a nod to Joao Pedro, Palmer and Rogers – but the man at the heart of it isn’t convinced.
“It's a rubbish name,” Palmer laughed. “We need to come up with something better than that.
“I think we've got a different mix of qualities. Joao can do a bit of everything. Morgan's more physical and I'm more technical, so I think we've got a good balance.”
Balance is exactly what Chelsea lacked last term. Now they have a coach encouraging his most gifted forward to leave the “safe zones” behind and an expensive, complementary cast around him.
If this is Palmer with the handbrake off, the question for the rest of the league is simple: how much damage can he do with a season’s worth of that freedom?
