Cole Palmer’s season has never really caught fire. Injuries have played their part, but Paul Merson believes there is another reason why Chelsea’s most creative player has looked frustrated in recent weeks.
Palmer has been carefully managed by head coach Liam Rosenior after a lingering groin problem, starting some games and missing others.
He completed 90 minutes against West Ham and scored from the spot against Brentford but was then left out of the defeat to Arsenal as Chelsea continue to balance fitness with form.
Yet, according to Merson, Palmer’s issues go beyond minutes and muscle niggles.
In his view, something fundamental in Chelsea’s attack has changed, and it has taken away one of Palmer’s biggest strengths.
Paul Merson explains what Cole Palmer is missing
Speaking on the Stick To Football podcast, Merson suggested Palmer is suffering from a lack of runners in front of him, particularly when building attacks through the middle.
When Palmer receives the ball between the lines now, the picture is very different to what it was last season.
“You watch Palmer now,” Merson explained. “He puts his foot on the ball and there’s nothing there.”
For Merson, that lack of movement is the key problem. Palmer thrives when he knows where the next run is coming from, when defenders are being pushed back and space is opening up for him to play quickly.
Why Joao Pedro is making life harder for Cole Palmer
Merson pointed to Joao Pedro as a key reason Palmer is finding things more difficult.
The £60 million forward has impressed in spells, but his tendency to drop deep into pockets rather than threaten in behind is, in Merson’s view, negating Palmer’s influence.
“Joao Pedro wants to come short,” Merson said. “There’s no movement in front of him.”
Instead of stretching centre-backs and creating gaps, Pedro often occupies similar spaces to Palmer.
That leaves Chelsea’s play narrow and predictable, with Palmer forced to slow things down rather than accelerate attacks.
Merson’s comments come soon after he was highly critical of Liam Rosenior’s approach against Arsenal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
The player Paul Merson thinks Palmer misses most
Eventually, Merson named the player he believes brought the best out of Palmer.
“I like Palmer, but Palmer misses Nicolas Jackson,” he said. “Jackson made Palmer, and Palmer made Jackson.”
Merson argued that Jackson’s constant willingness to run in behind gave Palmer space and rhythm. Even when Jackson was criticised for missing chances, his movement was doing vital work off the ball.
“People used to slaughter Jackson and say, ‘Oh, he’s no good. He misses chances. But you’d love to play with Jackson, because he always went that way (forwards),” Merson added.
The former Arsenal man likened Jackson to how Ian Wright was with Merson as the number 10.
“He’s like you, Wrighty. You know what I mean?” Merson said. “When they go like that, everybody drops off. I’m the 10, I can get on the ball.”
What Chelsea might need to change next
Rosenior needs to decide whether he adjusts his team and style around Palmer or asks Palmer to adapt.
One option could be instructing Palmer to attack the box more aggressively when Pedro drops deep. Another is changing the striker profile entirely.
Chelsea do have alternatives. Liam Delap offers a more physical, vertical option, while Emmanuel Emegha’s arrival in the summer gives Rosenior another player to think about.
There is also the possibility, once unthinkable, that Nicolas Jackson returns from his loan spell at Bayern Munich and is reintegrated.
For Merson, the answer is clear. Palmer remains Chelsea’s most dangerous creator, but without runners ahead of him, his impact will continue to be dulled.
And until that changes, Chelsea may keep wondering why their best player looks so frustrated.
