Jamie Carragher has drawn the conclusion that Cole Palmer is frustrated by his Chelsea teammates. Should fans be concerned about this observation?
Chelsea is having a good season. With 29 games played, the Blues are fourth in the Premier League table. They are one point ahead of champions Man City, so they must keep an eye over their shoulder but as it stands, they are on track to beat last season's achievements.
We also mustn't forget that Chelsea is the strongest contender in the UEFA Conference League, so there is an opportunity for European success again. Unlike some of their rivals, the Blues aren't in dire need of European silverware, but hey, they'd take any boost in pedigree they can get, especially in this transitional period.
Progression is a team effort. This group of players have finally had the time to gel together, which is why the club is on an upward trajectory. The same couldn't be said a few seasons ago but as the old saying goes, time is the biggest healer.
Cole Palmer is frustrated with his Chelsea teammates, apparently
Despite being a team effort, it is hard to overlook the individual contribution of one man, Cole Palmer. The 22-year-old, in his second season with Chelsea, has come up leaps and bounds. He has matured into one of the best players in the world and it's hard to envision Chelsea being in the same position without Palmer.
I don't say that to diminish the output of other Chelsea players. However, nobody can deny the obvious gap in quality between Palmer and his teammates, who are still good, by the way. If anything, it is a testament to Palmer, rather than taking anything away from the other Chelsea players.
Well, Jamie Carragher echoed this message in a slightly different way... A way that might send fear throughout Chelsea fans. The Liverpool legend feels that because of the gap in quality, Palmer is growing frustrated at Chelsea.
In his own words, Jamie Carragher said: "I commentated on Brighton vs Chelsea in the league a month ago. I’m a big fan of Cole Palmer, and he played two passes early on, but the longer the game went on, you could see the frustration with his team-mates."
Jamie Carragher then went on to compare Palmer's situation to that of Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. Without a shadow of a doubt, Gerrard was the best player at Liverpool in his time period, and there was always talk about him leaving. Ultimately, Gerrard stayed with his boyhood club Liverpool but Carragher doesn't think Chelsea fans should take comfort from this.
Carragher said that where Gerrard had that connection at Liverpool due to being a local lad, Cole Palmer doesn't have this at Chelsea. While he didn't outwardly say it, this left the feeling that Palmer could get up and leave, at least easier than Gerrard could.