Jamie Redknapp claims Liam Rosenior is misusing Chelsea’s best player

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Liam Rosenior has come in for criticism recently, despite Chelsea delivering strong performances.

Being knocked out of the Carabao Cup is never ideal, but it does free up their schedule. With a top-five spot still within reach and a Champions League push to focus on, there is still plenty for Chelsea to play for this season.

The matches are not slowing down either. Wolves are next up in the league, followed by Leeds United, and then an FA Cup tie against Hull City – all packed into one week.

This run of fixtures gives Rosenior more chances to tinker with his setup. Still, he will need to settle on a consistent lineup and playing style soon, as the matches have been unpredictable so far.

There is one player who might deserve a bit more attention during this spell.

Jamie Redknapp wants to see Cole Palmer further up the pitch

Cole Palmer started on the bench for Chelsea’s match against Arsenal, with Rosenior bringing him on later in the game to try and make an impact.

However, he struggled to get involved after coming on.

Jamie Redknapp noticed this too, speaking about it during his appearance on Sky Sports.

“I mean, Cole Palmer, he was so deep and he was playing a couple of neat passes, but I never felt like the threatening Cole Palmer, like he was 10 yards up further up the pitch. He played in your position, Paul, did you ever feel that Cole Palmer was going to make or score a goal tonight?”

Looking at Cole Palmer’s numbers from the Arsenal match

According to FotMob, Palmer did not complete a dribble or register a shot on target during his half-hour on the pitch. He had 25 touches, completed 18 of 20 passes, created one chance, and lost both duels he was involved in.

For someone expected to be Chelsea’s focal point under Rosenior, averaging less than a touch per minute was not ideal.

Redknapp made a fair observation. When Palmer is playing well, he is usually more involved around the box. Against Arsenal though, he seemed to play deeper, almost taking on more of an Enzo Fernandez-type role.

It might be time for Rosenior to take a bolder approach and push the No. 10 higher up the pitch.