Cole Palmer’s Chelsea rise exposes Glazer failing at Man United | OneFootball

Manchester United travel to Chelsea on Saturday night in what is a must-not-lose fixture for Michael Carrick’s men after the disappointing 2-1 defeat to Leeds United on Monday. Despite their struggles this season, winning at Stamford Bridge is no easy task, and United will need to be wary of the obvious threat that Liam Rosenior’s side can pose when firing on all cylinders.

None more so than England international Cole Palmer, who, if on form, could be the match-winner in West London should he be afforded time and space in dangerous areas.

Former City man pin-up for Glazer negligence

Palmer’s rise since making the move to Chelsea after breaking through at Manchester City has been meteoric, with the Wythenshawe-born lad now one of the most coveted attacking players in Europe. As well as being a fine player and arguably the biggest threat to United at the weekend, Palmer is a hugely damning indictment of the Glazers’ mismanagement and negligence at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old grew up a United fan, idolising Wayne Rooney in particular during his tender years when City were clearly doing their due diligence on young players in the Manchester area. United, meanwhile, were busy overpaying supposed superstars from across the globe in a bid to maximise revenue and shirt sales instead of focusing on a long-term vision for on-the-field excellence.

The model chosen by the American owners has backfired spectacularly, with United currently as far away as ever from winning their first Premier League title in over a decade. How Palmer was allowed to sign for City, given his affiliation to the red half of Manchester, is another major black mark against the owners, who are now considering signing him for a fee north of £100 million.

His talent was clear from his first few games in a City shirt, with goals in the Super Cup and Community Shield enough for Chelsea to splash the cash on the young man. It is arguable United should have been in for him even then, but having grown up at the Etihad Stadium, a direct move from Blue to Red is a lot more difficult regardless of which side of the city you grew up supporting.

However, it is the fact he was at City in the first place that raises the most questions and adds to the undoubted frustration of United fans who have seen their noisy neighbours leave them behind over the last ten years. Palmer remains the type of player that looks tailor-made for United, but it will cost the club a pretty penny should he go on to spend a part of his career at the club he loved as a boy.

United’s proud youth set-up

Kobbie Mainoo is the only regular player in the current first-team squad who has made the grade from the local areas of the great city, which was once United’s happy hunting ground for untapped talent. The Class of ’92 will forever loom over any local player that breaks through the ranks, with the added pressure of playing for United after coming from the region carrying a heavy burden – just ask Marcus Rashford.

However, the Glazer family’s continued lack of care, planning, and interest in the sporting side of the world’s biggest football club has meant the best of the youth talent in the city are more likely to be snapped up by the team at the Etihad before they get a sniff at walking out at the Theatre of Dreams.

So much so that United’s proud record of having a youth team player in every matchday squad for over 4,000 consecutive games, a record stretching back to 1937, was under severe threat at points this season.

There are many issues with the Glazer family’s conduct since their 2003 takeover, but missing out on such talents they are now willing to pay eye-watering sums for is a stark example of the incompetence on show.

No doubt there will be something inside Palmer that wishes he was walking out as a visitor to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, rather than part of a place he now calls home thanks to the negligence of United’s much-maligned owners.

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