9 hours ago, bisright1 said:

The difference between being a top 6 side and a side challenging for the title is a world class player who wins you games consistently. 

We've not had one since Hazard. 

I think we now finally do. 

And city gave us him for 45m 🤣

He's currently the difference between us getting top 10 or being in a relegation fight.

Is he actually better in the 10? Always thought he looked better wide right but last night through the middle he was making everything happen and we could get more attacking threat with another winger on the pitch. 

With Chukwuemeka back too Gallagher should be competing with Enzo and Caicedo for minutes from now on in that deeper role. 

38 minutes ago, dkw said:

He's currently the difference between us getting top 10 or being in a relegation fight.

We're the 4th best side in the league over the last 12 games.

6 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Is he actually better in the 10? Always thought he looked better wide right but last night through the middle he was making everything happen and we could get more attacking threat with another winger on the pitch. 

With Chukwuemeka back too Gallagher should be competing with Enzo and Caicedo for minutes from now on in that deeper role. 

There is no competition.

You want Palmer in the middle, you play Conor + Caicedo. You want Enzo, Conor will play as 10.

31 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

We're the 4th best side in the league over the last 12 games.

Because of his goals and assists. Without him were bottom half easily.

How good is that Man City Academy to have produce Palmer and Foden? And how depressing would it be if Man City had kept Palmer and they had both of them in their side when they are already way out in front of everyone? (I know he wouldn't have got as many games this season).

One thing is for sure, selling Palmer (and so cheaply) will haunt Pep. No-one likes to get things wrong and have all the pundits keep talking about it and Pep got this one wrong, to which we will be eternally thankful.

He HAS to be in Southgate's squad this summer or Southgate is going to run the risk of being labelled "Turnip" mark 2.

 

47 minutes ago, dkw said:

Because of his goals and assists. Without him were bottom half easily.

Yeah I was just highlighting he's taken us to be a top 6 side, without him I'd say mid table average. 

Add some maturity around him and a better manager and who knows what we could do next year. 

De Bruyne's departure still hurts to this day. Salah's, too. And it's because they were our players and we let them go. We were not in a transfer battle and City and Liverpool snatched them at the very last second, they were actually Chelsea players that were let down by incompetent people.

As much as I dislike Pochettino, Cole Palmer's arrival went down the natural route of how transfers should work when you have an army of scouts at your club and a manager ready to listen to their opinion, too.

Joe Shields identified him, instructed the club to buy him on probably numerous reasons why he will become a very good player worth that transfer amount and all that was left for the manager was to integrate him and bring the best out if him.

I know Mourinho's reasons on why he let De Bruyne go and also John Terry saying that KDB's lack of effort in training was there to be seen, but at the same time I've probably read every interview on De Bruyne given by Piet de Visser always saying that letting him go was a mistake because his scouting team and himself identified him as a future superstar from a very early age and everybody in his team could see that De Bruyne's eye for a pass was something special, his vision for the game going forward was unbelievable even at 17-18 years old and could pick up incredibly hard passes so easily and so naturally.

I know Mourinho would recognise talent when he sees it, but his big ego could not go past a youngster telling him he wants to play week in, week out. It had to be Mourinho's way or no other way. Unfortunately for us, De Bruyne and Salah both went on to become PL legends.

Now like ten years later, at least for me personally, Cole Palmer feels like the long awaited homecoming of Kevin De Bruyne.

11 hours ago, Jezz said:

20+ goals in a PL season by a Chelsea player:

• Didier Drogba (2009/2010) = 29
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000/2001) = 23
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2001/2002) = 23
• Frank Lampard (2009/2010) = 22
• Didier Drogba (2006/2007) = 20
• Diego Costa (2014/2015) = 20
• Diego Costa (2016/2017) = 20
• Cole Palmer (2023/2024) = 20

Becoming a part of an exclusive club.

Hmm the 09/10 Drogba number looks a distance but taking second spot off Jimmy looks achievable.

4 hours ago, dkw said:

Because of his goals and assists. Without him were bottom half easily.

Agreed, without him far more Burnley and Sheff United results.

It was the club's decision according to Jose, and looking back, I get it. He wasn't getting ahead of Oscar or Willian at the time. Both had mastered their game off the ball. 

I think the club were fools not to insert a buy back when it was clear KDB was a very talented player. It would've worked so well too considering the perfect time to buy him back was after our 2015 league title win as he really burst into the scene that season with Wolfsburg. Team also needed attacking/creativity impetus given we relied heavily on Hazard that 2nd half of the 2015 season to cross the finish line for the league title. 

Anyway, I am loving Palmer and his free role. 

 

Palmer - 20 goals + 9 assists in 28 games

Mount - 27 goals + 22 assists in 129 games

Pulisic - 20 goals + 9 assists in 98 games

Havertz - 19 goals + 7 assists in 91 games

Werner - 10 goals + 9 assists in 56 games

Lukaku - 8 goals + 0 assist in 26 games

Ziyech - 6 goals + 9 assists in 64 games

*League matches only

Edited April 16, 20242 yr by Gonoir Beniashile

2 hours ago, Gonoir Beniashile said:

 

Palmer - 20 goals + 9 assists in 28 games

Mount - 27 goals + 22 assists in 129 games

Pulisic - 20 goals + 9 assists in 98 games

Havertz - 19 goals + 7 assists in 91 games

Werner - 10 goals + 9 assists in 56 games

Lukaku - 8 goals + 0 assist in 26 games

Ziyech - 6 goals + 9 assists in 64 games

*League matches only

Would be interesting to see Hazard's stats too.

3 hours ago, strider6004 said:

Would be interesting to see Hazard's stats too.

And Mata's

 

12 hours ago, Backbiter said:

And Mata's

And Lamps.

Palmer - 20 goals + 9 assists in 28 games

Mount - 27 goals + 22 assists in 129 games

Pulisic - 20 goals + 9 assists in 98 games

Havertz - 19 goals + 7 assists in 91 games

Werner - 10 goals + 9 assists in 56 games

Lukaku - 8 goals + 0 assist in 26 games

Ziyech - 6 goals + 9 assists in 64 games

Mata - 18 goals + 31 assists in 82 games

Hazard - 85 goals + 55 assists in 245 games

Lampard - 147 goals + 94 assists in 429 games

*League matches only

5 minutes ago, Gonoir Beniashile said:

Palmer - 20 goals + 9 assists in 28 games

Mount - 27 goals + 22 assists in 129 games

Pulisic - 20 goals + 9 assists in 98 games

Havertz - 19 goals + 7 assists in 91 games

Werner - 10 goals + 9 assists in 56 games

Lukaku - 8 goals + 0 assist in 26 games

Ziyech - 6 goals + 9 assists in 64 games

Mata - 18 goals + 31 assists in 82 games

Hazard - 85 goals + 55 assists in 245 games

Lampard - 147 goals + 94 assists in 429 games

*League matches only

Either we made some absolute sh*t signings or Palmer is generational. 

What a signing he has become.

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Either we made some absolute sh*t signings or Palmer is generational. 

Lampard and Hazard were obviously generational, Palmer might be too?

Mata was brilliant, Mount was great, the others weren't very good.

The Lampard number of assists looks a huge ask for anyone.

 

Here they are ranked by goal involvements per game:

18 hours ago, Backbiter said:

Here they are ranked by goal involvements per game:

Is this league only?

23 hours ago, Gonoir Beniashile said:

Lampard and Hazard were obviously generational, Palmer might be too?

Mata was brilliant, Mount was great, the others weren't very good.

Lampard and Hazard were just ridiculous based on influence. Palmer currently on course to eclipse both. 

Mata unsurprisingly was very influential during his short stint. 

 

Mount was bang average league form wise. 

Pulisic, Havertz, and Werner were terrible league form wise. 

Ziyech and Lukaku were f**king useless.