“I said to him…” – Maresca denies his instructions are limiting Cole Palmer magic | OneFootball

Speaking after Chelsea’s win over LAFC in the Club World Cup yesterday, manager Enzo Maresca had some very interesting comments about Cole Palmer and what he had told the attacker after the game:

“I had a short conversation with Cole [after the game], and I said to him that I really like the way he was today. He took responsibility, showed initiative on the ball,” Maresca told Chelsea’s official website.

Maresca on what he told tricky Palmer

Cole Palmer in Atlanta. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

“He was trying to receive the ball, go one-versus-one against players, and this is the Cole we expect. After the Conference League final, he said he was bored when receiving the ball, so he decided to do something different. The day after that interview, I said to him that he could do it from the first minute – and why did he wait so long?! Why not do the same after one minute?

“Today, he was exactly doing that, and we are happy when he does that. I’ve said many times Cole is our best player, a top player, and hopefully he can continue to do the right things.”

Maresca denies theory that he’s shackled natural genius of Palmer

It’s all very interesting. Maresca is clearly trying to push back against the wider perception that his style of football and his instructions to Palmer stifle the attacker’s natural creativity.

He can deny it all he wants – the proof is out there on the pitch, where he certainly see Palmer make different decisions to those he made under Mauricio Pochettino.

It’s fair to say that there was a slice of fortune in his incredible 18 month run where every shot went in and everything he tried came off, but we just don’t believe that the super controlling Maresca is really telling him to go out there and do what he likes.