“No don’t talk that way” – Cole Palmer defends Chelsea team-mates at post-match interview
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!After Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Newcastle United, Cole Palmer found himself in an awkward post-match interview defending the quality of his teammates, following pundit Tim Sherwood’s blunt claims that they were not up to par.
Palmer, who assisted Nicolas Jackson’s opener and scored in the second half, faced Sherwood’s criticism during a pitch-side interview for Malaysia’s Astro SuperSport. Sherwood, unapologetically straightforward, expressed his opinion on Chelsea’s squad quality despite the win.
“All you need is some players to play with,” Sherwood asserted, grinning as Palmer looked surprised. “I know you can’t say that, but I’m saying it. I just think you need more quality around you. For me, Mauricio Pochettino needs to build the team around you, the quality you have. But that will come with a few transfer windows hopefully, once he gets the right players in.”
Palmer, diplomatically sidestepping Sherwood’s critique, defended his teammates, stating, “There’s a lot of quality there, not just me; we’ve got loads of other players. So hopefully, the team can gel a bit more, and then everyone else will see [the quality].”
However, Sherwood continued his scathing assessment even after Palmer’s departure, emphasizing the need for better players around Palmer.
“There are some good players here, and Cole mentioned that, but he needs better players for his quality. And if he gets that, they could build the team around him,” Sherwood commented.
Addressing the perceived awkwardness, Sherwood acknowledged Palmer’s constraints, saying, “Of course, he can’t [say anything]; that’s why I’m saying it for him. But, not being disrespectful to all those Chelsea players because some of them impressed me tonight, but there’s far too many of them that are just not good enough to wear a Chelsea shirt in my opinion.”
Sherwood concluded by stressing the importance of acquiring players of Palmer’s caliber for Chelsea’s success, expressing concerns about the overall quality of the current squad.
