Chelsea told to ‘cheat’ with star man as team-mate’s ‘ego’ is questioned | OneFootball

Shaun Wright-Phillips has told Chelsea to “cheat” to get the best out of one of their best players, as he should be a “maverick” with less responsibilities.

The Blues seem likely to end up outside of the Premier League’s top four this season. They’re currently sixth, with six points to make up on fourth-placed Aston Villa in seven games.

While the Blues secured Champions League football last season, the same feels unlikely this campaign.

That’s less than ideal for a squad with the sort of talent Chelsea possess. Indeed, the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Cole Palmer have had relatively quiet seasons for their standards – the former has just one Premier League goal this term, and the latter nine, which are both well below their bests.

Former Blues man Wright-Phillips feels that attacking spark Palmer needs to be given less defensive responsibilities so that he can be the talisman he has previously been for Chelsea.

He told Sky Bet: “I think at times when I watch him, for someone with so much ability, I don’t want him near my box.

“If anything, he’s that player that if you had the team behind him, you could make him cheat a little bit, because you want him in a position where he’s close to the striker that can play those passes.

“I just think they need to find a way to play him as the number 10, because he is the maverick that you need, and in many ways, I feel like a player of his calibre and what he’s done at this short time there, they should try to build a team around him.”

He also feels fellow attacker Garnacho’s ego is getting in his way.

He said: “I feel like he may need to put his ego a little bit in check.

“Because in a Premier League, a half season or one season is not good enough. To be at a level where people want to buy you, it has to be a consistent thing.

“It’s okay scoring sometimes, but I know the Chelsea fans, the least they need from you is 110 per cent. If they see you working that hard for that badge, they will back you.

“I don’t know whether that’s tactically, or whether he’s not happy, but they got nearly six or seven wingers, so he’s gonna have to do something because [Jamie] Gittens might just switch on at any given point.”