Whether it finally comes home or not on Sunday evening, Chelsea fans will be glued to the Euros final, bellowing at the screen and urging manager Gareth Southgate to renew his trust in stand-out young Blues star Cole Palmer.
It was the cool, calm, composed striker who provided Ollie Watkins with the vital assist that led to the goal that knocked out the Netherlands in the semi and earned England a place in the final against Spain.
Both he and Watkins had just come on as subs in a double change by Southgate with 11 minutes remaining of a semi-final that seemed certain to be heading for extra time.
Palmer had one attempt on goal, but his shot flew wide. Then, at the end of normal time, England’s No24 threaded an exquisitely weighted pass through to Watkins, who turned, nutmegged a defender and sent the ball into the deepest recess of the Dutch goal.
Both Palmer and Conor Gallagher (brought on in stoppage time during the semi) are hoping to have a role to play on Sunday when England come up against the bouncing hairdo of teammate Marc Cucurella on the Spanish left flank.
US pre-season tour
Whatever happens in Berlin, Gallagher and Palmer will be granted holiday time and excused from the club’s pre-season USA tour before linking up with the Chelsea squad ahead of their Stamford Bridge friendly against Inter on Sunday 11 August at 3pm ahead of their first league clash of the new campaign against Man City at the Bridge on Sunday 18 August at 4.30pm.
Chelsea have pre-season friendlies in the USA this month against Wrexham (on Wed 24 July in California) and Celtic (on Sat 27 July) in Indiana, before facing Club America, then Man City and Real Madrid on the other side of the pond.
Link-up play
The Euros in Germany have given everyone tantalising glimpses of Palmer and Gallagher, but it was that link-up play between Palmer and Watkins that has been talked about since the Netherlands semi, suggesting that both players are assured of long runs in the national squad in future.
Watkins insists that as the pair of them sat together on the bench, waiting to see if they’d have a role in the match, he told Palmer that he felt the two of them could conjure up the goal that mattered.
“I’ve been waiting for that moment for weeks,” said Watkins. “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get where I am today, and I’m delighted. I swear on my life that I said to Cole that he’s going to set me up today, and I’m going to score.
“I saw [the ball] go in the bottom corner. I don’t think I’ve hit the ball that sweet before in such a special moment. It’s the best feeling ever.”
After Chelsea’s Premier League opener, they then travel to Wolves on 25 August before taking on Palace at the Bridge on Sunday 1 September at 1.30pm.
Fulham fixtures
Fulham travel to Manchester United on Friday 16 August for their first league match, with the first Craven Cottage game coming on Saturday 24 August against promoted Leicester City.
Then their next fixture is away to another promoted side, Ipswich, on Saturday 31 August.
Fulham will be without Joao Palhinha, who has joined Bayern Munich after two seasons for an undisclosed fee that is believed to be a record received by the Cottagers.
Now flush with cash, Fulham’s target to replace Palhinha is said to be Fluminense’s Brazilian midfielder Andre.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s distinctive dreadlocks are also now a thing of the past at Fulham after the 31-year-old left the club at the end of his contract.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
