Enzo Maresca stated that Cole Palmer's lack of goals was a “mental” problem before the match, emphasizing it was unrelated to him, his strategies, or a playing style that has caused Chelsea to fall from title contenders to Champions League qualification outsiders now firmly established at Stamford Bridge.
"Absolutely, it's all in the mind." I don’t believe it’s tactical, nor do I believe it’s technical, since Cole remains the same player who scored for us this season. The type of football we play is the same as before. The manager remains the same. The club is identical. “Everything remains the same for Cole, and Cole remains unchanged.”
Palmer is evidently experiencing a deficiency in self-assurance. For an extended period during this dry spell, it seemed only a matter of time until he would conclude it, yet the confidence that characterized his exceptional football in his first season and a half at Chelsea now seems to have almost vanished, leading to the astonishing uncertainty over whether he deserves a spot in the starting lineup.
He has begun 32 out of the 33 Premier League matches he could play in this season, with the sole match he was rested for against Brentford, following eight games without scoring, driving Chelsea supporters to go crazy over Maresca not including him.
Palmer now has 12 blanks following this crucial victory against Everton, where he was clearly the weakest player for Chelsea. If he weren’t Cole Palmer, he likely would have been substituted at half-time and allowed to contemplate his recent performances from the sideline against Liverpool next weekend. Perhaps that's not a terrible idea.
He failed to take any shots, generated no opportunities, gave away the ball five times, and posed no danger comparable to Pedro Neto on the right, Noni Madueke on the left, and Nicolas Jackson in the center.
Maresca must accept at least part of the responsibility for Palmer’s struggles and recognize that regardless of whether it is purely a mentality concern or a more complicated matter involving his role, the tactics, or the style, it is his duty to extract more from Palmer in what continues to be a challenging endeavor to secure a top-five finish.
Selling yourself as an all-knowing manager with unassailable philosophy and tactics is challenging when you've just found a forward trio that clicks 50 matches into the season.
This marked Madueke's first match under Maresca on the left wing, and he might have easily netted two goals, having been superbly thwarted on two instances by Jordan Pickford after cutting in on his right foot, which doesn’t seem significantly weaker than his left, which he preferred to widen the field, reach the byline, and send in crosses.
The situation was similar on the right, as Pedro Neto now resembles the player they acquired from Wolves, capitalizing on the confidence he earned from his fantastic goal against Fulham last weekend. His proximity to a two-footed player, similar to Madueke on the left, posed a real threat in both directions, keeping defenders uncertain and creating space for Palmer, a more advanced Enzo Fernandez, and Jackson in the center.
Jackson delivered a spectacular finish following outstanding effort from the all-around impressive Trevoh Chalobah, who won the ball at the halfway line. The frequently criticized striker tends to take excessive touches in advantageous positions, and limiting his time to think in these scenarios is clearly the best approach for someone who frequently has lapses in judgment when instinct should prevail.
It was a solid display despite pressure from all the Chelsea players except Palmer, whom they will undoubtedly need to find a level close to his best if they are to gain the necessary points in a challenging final four matches of the season against Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), Manchester United (H), and Nottingham Forest (A).
A refusal to change the strategy to support Palmer indicates that Maresca must discover an alternative method to rejuvenate the playmaker and eliminate this “mental” barrier. Since his current motivational strategies seem to have a negative impact on him, and since he evidently doesn't care at all about the fans’ opinions, it might be worth contemplating sitting him on the bench for Liverpool to spark some energy in a player whose fire is hardly flickering at this moment.
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