Jamie Carragher fears Chelsea’s £40m star signing could backfire this season as he backs Enzo Maresca for axe
CHELSEA may not have the same Cole Palmer from last season under new manager Enzo Maresca, according to Jamie Carragher.
Palmer, 22, dragged the Blues to sixth place and a European spot almost single-handedly last term following his £42.5million switch from Manchester City in 2023.
The playmaker amassed a staggering total of 25 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances during his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
However, Carragher fears Pochettino’s shock dismissal may have a negative effect on the England international’s performances this coming season.
The Liverpool legend criticised the Chelsea hierarchy for the handling of the club ever since their arrival two years ago as they turned the team from Premier League challengers to serious strugglers.
The Sky Sports pundit isn’t convinced Maresca is the right man for the dugout after witnessing a turbulent pre-season campaign and believes he will struggle to get the best out of Palmer.
In fact, the ex-England international doesn’t expect the Italian tactician to last a full season at Chelsea.
Carragher told The Overlap: “What people forget in this era of Pep [Guardiola] and [Jurgen] Klopp is that Chelsea were so close to breaking in.
“They beat Man City in a Champions League final and then lost to finals on penalties to Liverpool.
“Thomas Tuchel could take on Klopp and Pep in one-off games. Then this new ownership comes in and it’s just been a disaster in terms of where they find themselves now.
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“They’ve brought in all these new players but it’s only Cole Palmer who looks a tasty player.
“My worry for Chelsea is that Pochettino deserves a lot of credit for how Palmer performed last season.
“No one expected that, not even Pep, otherwise he wouldn’t have sold him.
“So they might not have that Cole Palmer this season. I’m sure they will because I think he’s fantastic but a new manager has come in so it’s different.
“The way Chelsea’s pre-season has gone… They’ve got Man City first game of the season… I’ll be surprised if Maresca is still the manager come the end of the season, very surprised.”
Meet Pep Guardiola disciple Enzo Maresca
ENZO MARESCA is considered among the most exciting young coaches on the planet.
Born in Italy in 1980, he managed to guide Leicester to the Championship title in his first season as Foxes boss.
His management career started at Italian minnows Ascoli before he was snapped up by Man City in 2020 to manage their Elite Development Squad.
He guided the youth team to the Premier League 2 title in his one season working for the Citizens – with Cole Palmer in the side.
His first senior job was with Parma but he was sacked after just a few months after failing to impress.
Despite the team playing in Serie B and Maresca having an impressive squad he was unable to get them on course for promotion.
He returned to Man City and worked as one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants for the 2022/23 season as they won the Treble.
He took over relegated Leicester last summer and made an immediate impact, with the Foxes winning the Championship title.
Maresca showed his dedication to the job by living at the training ground for the first two months after his appointment.
He’s considered something of a Pep disciple and has said: “For a coach, it’s important to have the mentality of a chess player.”
During his playing career he played under Carlo Ancelotti and Marcello Lippi – and alongside ex-Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi.