Roy Keane has taken a massive dig at Cole Palmer, claiming that the Chelsea star has “too many bad habits” following a fresh controversy after his England withdrawal.
Cole Palmer has stirred up fresh controversy following his withdrawal from England duty shortly after being named in Thomas Tuchel’s squad. The Chelsea attacker missed out on the team that played at the World Cup, and ever since, there has been scrutiny over how he performs with the group whenever he returns.
Citing injury issues, the Chelsea playmaker withdrew his name from the current England camp, which did not sit well with Tuchel. However, critics argue that Palmer had the whole summer off, and so far the burden at club level is not as much as that of some of his other national-team colleagues playing for other teams.
Roy Keane losing confidence in Cole Palmer
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has had his say on the Palmer situation, stating that he thinks the Chelsea star has “too many bad habits.” In comments that appeared in The Mirror, Keane insisted that Palmer is not the player to take England to the next level, as many who praise his talent believe.
Keane said, “I think, whatever his injuries – and if he is injured – I watched his last game against Brentford and if you think he’s going to get England to another level and win trophies, forget about it. I like Palmer, he’s a talented boy, but he’s got far too many bad habits for me.”
Tuchel was seemingly unhappy with Palmer following his recent withdrawal, stating that the Chelsea star misses too many England camps for the manager’s liking.
Tuchel said, “My understanding is that Cole plays with discomfort and pain, and he cannot compete on the highest level with discomfort and pain, so he withdrew and informed us, and Chelsea informed us.”
“He misses too many opportunities, and I don’t blame him for it. It’s just the fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries and I only want to rely on what I personally witness and what I see within my team, and for that you have to be in camp.”
Palmer is a talented footballer by all means, and he has been a major figure for Chelsea over the last few years. However, he has also been inconsistent with injuries and form over the last couple of seasons, which explains why Tuchel had his doubts about picking him for the World Cup squad.
The bigger question is not about whether he returns to the England setup, but about how he can find a way ahead of the other players that Tuchel is selecting in his place. The national side has plenty of options to work with, and should Palmer not improve his performances for Chelsea moving forward, there is a likelihood that he may not feature for England while Tuchel remains manager.
