Former Manchester United legend Gary Neville has criticized Chelsea's Cole Palmer for his post-match interaction with Pep Guardiola following Chelsea's 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Palmer, who has been in exceptional form since his summer 2023 transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea, experienced an uncharacteristically quiet performance, particularly in the second half when City secured their victory. Despite the disappointing result, Palmer was seen engaging in a friendly conversation with his former manager Guardiola after the final whistle.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville expressed his displeasure with Palmer's conduct, stating, "Cole, you're being played, you're being played here. You didn't do enough out on that pitch in the second half." The pundit acknowledged Palmer's talent, describing him as "an amazing player, absolutely brilliant," but emphasized that the traveling Chelsea supporters, numbering between 3,000 to 4,000, deserved better than witnessing their player's jovial exchange with the opposition manager following a defeat.
Neville further elaborated on his stance, clarifying that while he wasn't against private conversations between players and their former managers, the public nature and timing of this interaction felt inappropriate. "I'm not being old school here. But there was something about that when I thought, Pep Guardiola is playing you here. I know he's had him, but he didn't play him here and he sold him," Neville explained.
The former United defender was particularly critical of the timing, suggesting that such behavior was unsuitable after a 3-1 loss and what he considered a disappointing second-half performance from Palmer. The incident has sparked discussion about professional conduct and player-manager relationships in modern football.
Palmer will have an opportunity to respond to these criticisms when Chelsea host West Ham at Stamford Bridge on February 3 in their next Premier League fixture, where he is expected to maintain his place in the starting lineup.
