Be honest did anyone really think last season was the true level of Palmer?, I know I didn't but anyone dare write anything different would be attacked. Nearly a penalty a game helps with stats.

2 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I think he still cares, but there is definitely something up.

I just don't think a player of his ability drops to such a level of poor performances if they still care.

1 hour ago, Ernie_blue said:

Be honest did anyone really think last season was the true level of Palmer?, I know I didn't but anyone dare write anything different would be attacked. Nearly a penalty a game helps with stats.

Think there's some truth to this unfortunately

Still our best attacker but expecting 20 goals a season from an attacking midfielder was always unrealistic.

3 hours ago, axman2526 said:

I just don't think a player of his ability drops to such a level of poor performances if they still care.

The numbers say different though; he is actually taking more shots than he did last season but he just isn’t finding his range.

3 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

Be honest did anyone really think last season was the true level of Palmer?, I know I didn't but anyone dare write anything different would be attacked. Nearly a penalty a game helps with stats.

And therein lies the problem; with Palmer there was just too limited data to justify the ridiculous hype. Fingers crossed he snaps out of it, because the longer it goes on the more difficult it becomes to dig himself out of it.

I didn't get to see much of the game yesterday, funnily enough the past 2 games where we've won have been the only ones I haven't been able to watch so maybe I should just sit the rest of the season out. Anyway, I'm not worried about Palmer as a footballer, but I am worried about Palmer under Maresca. He's not being played to his strengths for most of the season and Palmer on the pitch shows that he doesn't rate the manager, and off the pitch we've seen him out sky digs in as well.

16 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I never really thought Dele Alli was that. He had a knack for scoring goals, but he wasn't doing the things Palmer was doing. Palmer's touch play, his movement around a football pitch, passing, shooting, and just the way he carried himself was on a level Dele Alli never got close to.

D.A. also had serious off-field issues that eventually caught up with him.

9 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Really weird to chase a player through the streets

Just now, Ukraine Bolt said:

Really weird to chase a player through the streets

Agreed, he just escaped the Maresca prison, I'd be legin it if I was him too.

He’s seen as a threat now by the opposition, so gets more attention,that and not being happy with the manager and his tactics which for a start has him playing in a different position from last season is enough to see his levels drop. Fine margins.

He and Bellingham have been poor this second half of the season.

Coincidence?

Maresca has ruined him. Most of good play is spontaneous, unusual brilliance. Maresca just wants us to play this anti football pass nonsense.

12 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Yeah these internet people are really adding to the discussion.

f**king detritus the lot of them. Don't spread that piss guy's noise on here.

44 minutes ago, JM7 said:

Maresca has ruined him. Most of good play is spontaneous, unusual brilliance. Maresca just wants us to play this anti football pass nonsense.

I still don’t buy that.

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

He and Bellingham have been poor this second half of the season.

Coincidence?

Bellingham numbers were never going to hold up this season as he was playing essentially as a False 9 last season.

20 hours ago, ducavis said:

The numbers say different though; he is actually taking more shots than he did last season but he just isn’t finding his range.

And therein lies the problem; with Palmer there was just too limited data to justify the ridiculous hype. Fingers crossed he snaps out of it, because the longer it goes on the more difficult it becomes to dig himself out of it.

It wasn't the numbers, it was the gravity of what he was doing. We hadn't had a 'moments' player like that in six years. It wasn't just the goals, it was the sheer technique and calculating intellect in huge moments. We could halve his output and he'd still be heads and shoulders the best player we've had since Hazard.

I really do think this is where the "Clearlake model" falls down, because in a normal team a 22-year old player gets an arm around the shoulder and a good chat from the more experienced mentors in the squad. Ronaldo had Giggs, Messi had Ronaldinho, Vinicius had Benzema, Neymar had Messi, and in all those cases they were fostered by a genuine leader as a manager. At Chelsea, Palmer is expected to just work it out himself. Who is he going to turn to? Maresca? Laurence Stewart? Behdad Egbahli?

21 hours ago, ducavis said:

The numbers say different though; he is actually taking more shots than he did last season but he just isn’t finding his range.

And therein lies the problem; with Palmer there was just too limited data to justify the ridiculous hype. Fingers crossed he snaps out of it, because the longer it goes on the more difficult it becomes to dig himself out of it.

It's not the number of shots that is the issue, it is the type of chances and shooting opportunities.

The Athletic did a good video where they showed how when we were flying, the majority of his chances were when in transition, and the opposing defence was unsettled. These are the areas he excels in, and when we played in this manner - he shot a lot, and scored a lot.

Against deep sitting defences in this current "death my 1000 sideways passes" system he is less effective. The chances we create are worse, and his numbers have dropped off as a result.

Form and confidence no doubt has a part to play - but what comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Give an artist a paint by numbers picture( or football by numbers in this case) and ur sucking the life out of him.

Give him a blank canvas and watch him create something special.

I wonder what is going on with him. He is missing chances he would normally have put away.

1 hour ago, Sunspear_88 said:

I wonder what is going on with him. He is missing chances he would normally have put away.

I hope its just him being a young player. Bellingham has also slowed down and is having a pretty rough 2nd half of the season.

I honestly don't know how much we can put this on Maresca, especially when all our wingers + Jackson are scoring again whilst Palmer looks like the worst of the bunch.

8 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I hope its just him being a young player. Bellingham has also slowed down and is having a pretty rough 2nd half of the season.

I honestly don't know how much we can put this on Maresca, especially when all our wingers + Jackson are scoring again whilst Palmer looks like the worst of the bunch.

Lots of this is on Maresca. He has us playing in a way that does not get the best out of our best players. When he was flying, all but 1 of his goals game against an unsettled defence. The way Maresca has doubled down on the slow control game has demonstrably impacted our ability to create an unstable/chaotic situation foer the defenders - which has seen the number and quality of Palmers chances reduce.

Jackson has scored 1 prem league goal in 5 months, and not sure his 2 meaningless goals against the Swedish part timers have much bearing to the form of the team. Sancho, Mads and Neto looking better - but hardly prolific.

10 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I hope its just him being a young player. Bellingham has also slowed down and is having a pretty rough 2nd half of the season.

I honestly don't know how much we can put this on Maresca, especially when all our wingers + Jackson are scoring again whilst Palmer looks like the worst of the bunch.

Bellingham’s role has changed at Madrid to accommodate Mbappe. He isn’t played by the false 9 role he was playing last season, so his numbers were always going to drop.

I reckon Palmer’s numbers have just reverted to the normal. He was never going to keep up his ridiculous numbers, and he is also now a known marked player.

Was Palmer ever considered a wonder kid or just a very good young player at City?

2 minutes ago, ducavis said:

Bellingham’s role has changed at Madrid to accommodate Mbappe. He isn’t played by the false 9 role he was playing last season, so his numbers were always going to drop.

I reckon Palmer’s numbers have just reverted to the normal. He was never going to keep up his ridiculous numbers, and he is also now a known marked player.

Was Palmer ever considered a wonder kid or just a very good young player at City?

I like Bellingham, but im not overly convinced by his hype yet.

12 minutes ago, nonotnowjim said:

Lots of this is on Maresca. He has us playing in a way that does not get the best out of our best players. When he was flying, all but 1 of his goals game against an unsettled defence. The way Maresca has doubled down on the slow control game has demonstrably impacted our ability to create an unstable/chaotic situation foer the defenders - which has seen the number and quality of Palmers chances reduce.

Jackson has scored 1 prem league goal in 5 months, and not sure his 2 meaningless goals against the Swedish part timers have much bearing to the form of the team. Sancho, Mads and Neto looking better - but hardly prolific.

I'm not disagreeing, I am wondering how much of this is on Palmer given he is hesitating every single action whilst every other attacker is looking sharper than him.

7 minutes ago, ducavis said:

Bellingham’s role has changed at Madrid to accommodate Mbappe. He isn’t played by the false 9 role he was playing last season, so his numbers were always going to drop.

I reckon Palmer’s numbers have just reverted to the normal. He was never going to keep up his ridiculous numbers, and he is also now a known marked player.

Was Palmer ever considered a wonder kid or just a very good young player at City?

Bellingham's drop off is still pretty concerning, in a much more laxed league relative to the Premier League.

Wasn't there a City fan that came on here who specifically said Palmer was a more exciting prospect than Foden when we signed him?

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I'm not disagreeing, I am wondering how much of this is on Palmer given he is hesitating every single action whilst every other attacker is looking sharper than him.

Bellingham's drop off is still pretty concerning, in a much more laxed league relative to the Premier League.

Wasn't there a City fan that came on here who specifically said Palmer was a more exciting prospect than Foden when we signed him?

Foden was more highly rated; Palmer actually started out as LB, and even played CB but moved forward as he grew older. He was described as a slow burner by their academy staff.