Enzo Maresca Sends Message to Cole Palmer After Midfielder’s Outburst: “Do It From the First Minute!”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has urged Cole Palmer to take more responsibility earlier in games, after the midfielder recently voiced his frustration over the team’s style of play.

Palmer made headlines after Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Real Betis in last month’s UEFA Conference League final. Despite the big scoreline, Palmer admitted he was frustrated with the team’s approach, saying he was “sick of getting the ball and going backwards and sideways.”

The 22-year-old helped turn that match around with two game-changing assists in five minutes midway through the second half. And after another strong performance in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over LAFC to start their Club World Cup campaign, Maresca revealed he’s had a one-on-one chat with the England international.

“I had a conversation with Cole today and I told him I really liked the way he played – taking responsibility, taking the initiative,” Maresca told reporters. “He was trying to get the ball and take on defenders. That’s the Cole we want to see.”

Maresca didn’t ignore Palmer’s post-match comments from Wroclaw either.

“After the Conference League final, he said he was bored receiving the ball and passing backwards. So I told him: ‘Why are you waiting? Why not do something different from the first minute?’”

The manager was pleased with Palmer’s reaction and performance against LAFC, adding: “Today, he did exactly what we asked him to do. He’s our best player, a top player. Hopefully, he keeps making the right decisions.”

Chelsea’s win over LAFC came through goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez – both assisted by Chelsea’s frontmen. Nicolas Jackson set up Neto with a smart pass in the first half, while debutant Liam Delap created Fernandez’s goal in the second.

Delap, who recently signed from Ipswich in a £30 million deal, looked sharp after coming on for the final half-hour and impressed his new boss.

Maresca was full of praise for his strikers and made it clear he values a team effort when it comes to goalscoring.

“Both [Jackson and Delap] are very good number nines,” he said. “Hopefully, both can keep scoring and assisting like today.”

He added: “I prefer having four or five players scoring 10–12 goals each, rather than relying on one guy to score 40. Enzo scored again today too, and that helps.”

The Chelsea boss reflected on last season’s attacking challenges, noting that injuries to key forwards forced them to find new solutions. But now, with two fit strikers and players like Palmer stepping up, Maresca hopes Chelsea will have more firepower across the pitch next season.

“When you’ve got options like Nico and Liam, it’s a great feeling for a coach,” he said. “You know whoever you pick will do a good job.”