Palmer to United Would Be the Ultimate BlueCo Insult After the Rosenior Farce

Chelsea supporters have endured three-and-a-half years of decisions so bewildering they'd make a League Two chairman wince. But losing Cole Palmer to Manchester United? That would be the final straw.

The catalogue of BlueCo blunders reads like a greatest hits of football mismanagement. There's the Aubameyang signing, the Tuchel sacking, Frank Lampard's bizarre resurrection, and over £1bn splurged on players who haven't come close to mounting a title challenge. The hits just keep coming.

Then came the latest masterclass in baffling decision-making: sacking Enzo Maresca. You know, the chap who won two major trophies in his debut season, delivered Champions League football, and was building something tangible. His replacement? Liam Rosenior, a manager whose CV reads like a collection of mid-table European stops.

Fair play to Rosenior though – four wins from five, 10 goals, two clean sheets. Not the worst start. And while it's tempting to ridicule someone who claps with the enthusiasm of a seal at a fishery and probably treats LinkedIn like a motivational buffet, hoping a young British manager succeeds shouldn't be controversial.

The real issue isn't affirmative action – it's that this appointment, like virtually every other BlueCo call, seems designed to eventually prove everyone who doubted it completely wrong. Sell academy products for quick profit? Absolutely. Spend it on teenagers on ten-year contracts? Why not. Will they work out? Nobody knows. Doesn't matter. Amortisation, innit.

Co-sporting directors Winstanley and Stewart nearly needed medical attention when Reece James lifted the Club World Cup and suddenly their "unconventional process" didn't look entirely bonkers. The smug satisfaction if Rosenior actually delivers genuine success would be insufferable – which is precisely why you half-hope he doesn't.

But here's where it gets sticky. Palmer is reportedly "open" to joining Manchester United, "welcoming interest" from Old Trafford because he's homesick. Convenient timing, arriving right after the managerial change.

Rosenior's had "numerous conversations" with Palmer – positive ones, apparently – but let's be honest: Palmer would have to question why this bloke got the job when Chelsea used to attract world-class managers. He's played under Pochettino, Maresca, and now Rosenior. That's a trajectory pointing downwards.

If you asked Palmer whether he'd rather have Rosenior or Xabi Alonso, Xavi, or any of the available elite options, there's only one answer. He might be wrong – Rosenior could prove superior – but that's precisely Chelsea's problem right now. They need to convince Palmer to wait and find out, and Rosenior simply doesn't have the pedigree to make that case.

A move to United might seem odd when they're on their own merry path to Michael Carrick's eventual permanent appointment, but Palmer can at least take comfort knowing United will pursue whoever they reckon is genuinely best in class if it falls apart – as they did with Ruben Amorim, though that hardly inspires confidence.

Chelsea fans would grimace but accept Palmer joining Real Madrid. They're a bigger proposition. But Chelsea have won two Premier Leagues and one Champions League since United won either. United have been the punchline keeping Chelsea's recent struggles in perspective.

Right now, Palmer – injuries notwithstanding – is the main reason Chelsea fans haven't completely lost the plot. While he's there, hope persists of silverware arriving soon, however delusional that might be. Lose him to United and BlueCo loses their shield against the full fury of a fanbase whose patience is already paper-thin.

That would genuinely be the final straw.