Why Cole Palmer absolutely must start for England, no questions asked

It took Gareth Southgate over 250 minutes of England's Euro 2024 group stage campaign to decide their startling lack of quality in the final third could be fixed by a player who contributed to 42 goals in 49 games last season.

Cole Palmer's unfathomable form during his debut year with Chelsea deservedly earned him a spot in Southgate's England squad this summer, but the fact that his journey to superstardom is still in its infancy saw Palmer fail to command a major role.

To be fair to Southgate here, there's an excess of talent in England's attacking midfield. Premier League player of the season Phil Foden has to start, as does La Liga player of the season Jude Bellingham, as does Bukayo Saka after he nearly dragged Arsenal to the Premier League title. To bench any of those for a 22-year-old in his first season of regular football would be a massive risk.

Now, however, it almost feels like a necessity.

Foden, Bellingham and Saka have survived off star power alone thus far. The trio have shown glimpses of their quality but nowhere near enough, and things got so dire that Southgate finally decided he could no longer ignore Palmer on the bench.

After going unused against Serbia and Denmark, Palmer saw 19 minutes at the end of the 0-0 draw with Slovenia, producing a cameo that commands a starting role in the last 16 against Slovakia.

While Palmer's actual stats from the Slovenia game aren't much to look at - zero completed dribbles and zero chances created - the Chelsea man did pass the eye test because of his desire to actually do something on the pitch.

Palmer tried three dribbles during his 19 minutes on the pitch. Jude Bellingham was the only England player to attempt more, completing one of six attempts. Foden succeeded in his two attempts in 89 minutes, while Saka failed to manage one before being sacrificed for Palmer.

Those numbers tell the story of England's struggles this summer. The favoured trio have looked lethargic and out of ideas against defenders who have been delighted to sit deep and watch the Three Lions' pedestrian brand of football from a safe distance. Harry Kane has been dropping in from striker and begging those around him to let him use his elite link-up skills, only to find his supporting cast seemingly stuck in treacle.

England need somebody capable of making something happen. While that's a bit of a cliche, it's also the literal truth here. Make a run, try a cross, take a risk - just do anything that can actually help this team win games. That's Palmer to a tee.

The 22-year-old has 12 months experience when it comes to inspiring a stagnant attack. Chelsea were rarely pretty to watch and often fell into a state of dependency on Palmer, who put the club on his back, nearly won the Golden Boot and coined a lovely new celebration in the process. You know, because he's cold.

That experience is now proving to be exactly what England need as they head into the unforgiving knockout stages. No longer can they afford to wait for moments to arrive. That's not how tournament football works. You make your own moments at this level, and as it stands, Palmer is one of a select few who appear capable of doing that.

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