Just like the media will beat a person when they are down, they will also give them the world when they are up. The media will media.
This week, during another boring international break through a domestic football season, all I am seeing is massive praise for Cole Palmer, which of course is great.
But you can bet your bottom dollar that if Palmer has a bad game or two, the narrative will soon change to the complete opposite end of the scale and they would be entirely on his back.
And guess what? Palmer, a 21-year-old player who has only just got his first ever senior international callup, will have bad games. It’s important as a fanbase that we remember this and try and stay a little bit grounded.
I’ve never had a doubt about Palmer’s ability and I was a huge advocate of signing him the minute I broke the exclusive news of our interest in him. I knew he is a top player and can easily become world class. I knew the ceiling he has and the quality he he comes with. I knew he would make an instant impact at our club and I will continue to have no doubt at all about his ability and what he can become with us, even if he has a bad game or two. I truly believe in Palmer as a player and as a person.
It’s great to celebrate success though, and what a week/few months this guy has had at our club. He scored against his former club to earn us a more than deserved draw on Sunday, and then the next day he was on the phone to Gareth Southgate who was telling him to pack his bags to head to the England squad. That’s a deserved testament to the impact he has made since arriving at Chelsea for a bargain fee in the summer.
Will City regret selling him? Yes, I have no doubt about that, despite the immense quality they have. But they will also know that he had to leave at that time. He already grew his wings, and he was ready to fly. Pep knew that, Palmer knew that, and thankfully, Joe Shields and Chelsea knew that.
He is exactly what we needed at Chelsea and he has already become a talisman. When you watch the rest of the players when we attack or transition, they are always looking to Palmer and to try and get the ball to him. What a testament to a 21-year-old that is.
We have lacked players like Palmer, and he has now become un-droppable and indispensable to this team.
But just like Chelsea, there will be bumps in the road. No player can perform to the incredible standard that Palmer has so far for Chelsea every single game, it’s impossible.
The media are giving him his plaudits now, they are all over him. But just remember what they did to those young England players during the last Euros when they missed penalties – that is how evil they can be and how quick they will turn.
As a fanbase, we must not do that. I always say call things as we see them, and that always goes both ways.
I am trying to stay calm on Palmer for his sake, but the thing is, he has such a strong mentality that I don’t even know whether outside noise will effect him. He is so sure of his own ability and he has so much confidence and belief in himself, that I genuinely don’t even think anything could effect him and I am sure he will be totally calm despite all the noise.
But even still, I want to stay grounded and not get carried away here, even though I am completely in awe of the talent this guy has and the start he has made as a Chelsea player.
This from The Daily Mail yesterday said it all:
‘Ahead of his summer move to Chelsea, Cole Palmer studied Mauricio Pochettino’s squad and possible threats to his own spot and surmised that this was a chance ripe for the taking.’
He knew he would come here and start games, that’s how much belief he has in himself.
Don’t get me wrong though, I am completely all for this whole Palmer becoming the next Chelsea cult hero, I’m here for that! He’s already ‘propa Chels’ and I love it!
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