Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba says star player Cole Palmer could be twice the player he is if he had someone to look up to during the most difficult period of his career so far.
Palmer has hit a rough patch lately, even seeing his perfect penalty record for Chelsea come to an end against Leicester the other weekend. Before that, he had scored 12 out of 12 penalty kicks.
The England international has also struggled for form, failing to score in his last eight games in all competitions, and missed the game against Arsenal due to muscle fatigue.
But speaking exclusively to Telecom Asia from his base in France, former striker Ba says ups and downs are part of life, but the forward could benefit from the club signing some experienced heads.
Football is life, and there will be tough days. But if you have an experienced figure to lean on, you can get through the storm. Palmer is in a rough patch, and although he is managing with his personality and continuing to perform, something is missing.
He could benefit immensely from having someone who has been in that situation before to guide him. It’s all about the combination of experience and a strong personality.
There has been massive criticism of Chelsea’s recruitment. Despite more than £1.5b spent, the team is still lacking an experienced striker to compete with the improving Nicolas Jackson, a reliable goalkeeper to inspire confidence in the squad, and a goal-scoring midfielder.
Asked what he made of the constant calls for fresh faces despite the huge investment already made, Ba said he felt there was quality in the squad, before highlighting the missing factors that are affecting the team.
He added:
I think competition is good for everyone, it worked for me, and I think Messi wouldn't have been the player he is today without the competition from Cristiano, and vice versa. So, I will never shy away from saying competition is healthy.
It also helps the club get results, but I wouldn’t say Chelsea is lacking strikers. If you look at a player like Nkunku, he’s trying to make a name for himself in the Premier League. However, the issue is experience and personality.
They need someone who has the personality to handle the pressure, someone who can endure pain but also command the respect of the younger players in the team. For example, someone like Cole Palmer doesn’t have much experience in football, or even in life.
This season will mark the end of the third year since BlueCo and partners bought Chelsea from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who was forced to sell the club due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Since then, they have failed to win a major trophy, a contrast to the winning machine they were under their previous owners. Some have argued that the model the American owners have adopted means Chelsea will never be as competitive as they were under Abramovich.
But Ba says it’s still too early to pass judgment and that time will reveal the desired answers, given the massive investment in the squad.
He concluded:
Every transition in football is difficult. The higher you go, the harder the transition becomes. Going from Roman Abramovich to new ownership with new ideas and strategies, it’s always going to take time, but I know football fans won’t want to hear that but let's see. They have invested heavily so they must also care.
Chelsea are under pressure this season to secure Champions League football for next season, and if they could win the Europa Conference League, that would ease the pressure on both the owners and manager Enzo Maresca.
