Cole Palmer joins the long list of disenfranchised footballers whose reputations have rocketed in exile.
Gary Neville spotted minor structural improvements in England’s performance against Ghana, greater control, improved passing, higher up the pitch, yet away from his microscopic observations the overwhelming impression was one of anti-climax.
That Palmer would be front and centre of Ibiza pool posts while Anthony Gordon disappeared into the pockets of defenders was a trap always waiting to snare Thomas Tuchel. Gordon, who laboured through an unremarkable season at Newcastle, got his via social media, where the critics had a field day trolling his wild move to Barcelona.
What England lacked against Croatia and Ghana was a point of difference in the opponent’s half, a player capable of caprice, of wrong-footing defenders, of catching a low block by surprise, a player like Palmer in fact.
England improved with the late introduction of Morgan Rogers for Jude Bellingham. Rogers’ dynamism and sharp turns disturbed the Ghanaian block to open vital space around the box. This is, of course, where Palmer also excels and, as an option off the bench if not a starter, would have offered England an added dimension.
