Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Aston Villa loanee Carlton Cole gives his assessment of Aston Villa so far this season, their long-term aspirations and whether they can get the better of Sunderland at the weekend.
The Cobham Academy Graduate, makes the bold claim that Chelsea can reach the Champions League Final this season on their return to the competition,
Cole also discussed fellow forward Cole Palmer and whether he could become the victim of "burnout" and gave his assessment of his former clubs clash with Manchester United at the weekend, backing them to get the win.
Aston Villa
Villa Can Turn Season Around
I always look at Aston Villa with fond eyes, having been there for a year on loan. I love the transition the club has made ; they've truly changed the image. It feels like a more appealing club now, a place players want to be. While it wasn't unattractive before, it's certainly more so now.
Unai Emery is a fantastic manager and coach. I believe he gets the best out of his players. Although their season probably hasn't started as he'd hoped, I see so much potential in that team. Once they get the right players in, things will improve.
We're still early in the season, and some clubs haven't found their rhythm yet. Interestingly, some of the newly promoted clubs have started better than expected, which shows it's an unpredictable process.
I think we'll have a clearer picture of who's in full flight after a few more games, but even that's not guaranteed. I'm giving them a little time to find their feet, and I believe they'll be fine in the end.
Last season, they struggled because a smaller squad, playing that type of demanding football, and so many games, leads to fatigue. It's not just physical ; the mental toll can be significant. I'm confident Aston Villa will get up to speed .
Unai Emery
Can Unai Bring Europa Success?
As soon as they click, they'll be fine. It's just when they click that is the problem. You see it with even Liverpool right now. E ven in the Premier League, t hey have not clicked, and they're still winning games. They're just grinding it out.
Sometimes you just have to give it a little bit of time. And a team like Villa, as soon as they click, they're going to be fine. But they just need to do it fast because they're in these other competitions where it's going to be needed, their form's going to be needed.
Sometimes the form actually is even better in Europe rather than in the league. So we've got to see how that plays out, too. Obviously, West Ham won the Europa Conference League but finished low. The same with Spurs last season.
So l et's see what Aston Villa put their energy into this season.
Prediction: Sunderland vs Aston Villa
Prediction: Sunderland vs Aston Villa
The Stadium of Light is no joke. I played there, and when those fans get going, it's a cauldron. I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw. I think Villa just need to get some momentum and scores on the board.
Although Sunderland have been brilliant, I think they'll be happy with a draw too, because they know the quality of Aston Villa once they get going. So, getting any points against Villa wouldn't be a shame.
Chelsea
Chelsea Can Make Champions League Final
We saw them win the Club World Cup, so they are definitely a competition team. I could see them going quite far. They always surprise us, don't they? When we think they're down and out, they actually did brilliantly last season, although I didn't see that coming.
At the start of last season, I would have thought they would do well because they started strong, then dropped off massively, then gained momentum later on. I'm actually predicting the same kind of season for them this year, where they start off strong, then drop off a little bit. However, they haven't really started that strong this season, so maybe they're building into it.
The draw against Brentford, I didn't see that coming. I thought they would win that game, but obviously, it didn't work out for them. Brentford got the equaliser quite late on and ruined it for them. Let's see how they bounce back from that.
I can see them going all the way to the Champions League final because I think they've got that kind of unity now. You see what happens when you've won something together with your teammates, and now you've got goal scorers in there as well.
Joao Pedro, obviously, Liam Delap's out for a little bit, but you've got goal scorers from other parts of the pitch. I think they understand what it takes to be champions, and I think, yeah, they could go all the way, definitely get to the Champions League final .
Cole Palmer
Sport Science Will Prevent Palmer Burnout
Cole Palmer burning out is a concern for me. It's a great question, actually, because I look at it and I think, how many games are too many ? Because, yes, I think they probably got two- or three-weeks’ holiday out of it.
I know that he went to his dad's homeland and his family's homeland over in the Caribbean. And I think he might've had a little bit of a rest there. But I also look at it and I think, there's so much football for these kids nowadays.
I'm in the game, I see it at youth level, and it's intense when they go up to the first team. There are so many games, and then they're so good, they have to play. And that's what Cole Palmer is.
He's so good. He did come to Chelsea for that challenge to play more games, and that's why he's getting a hell of a lot of games now. He said he wasn't getting enough games, that man. Now he's getting his hat full.
I don't think he's going to be complaining because that's all he wants to do. We've got sports science nowadays that look at a player's capacity. And I think they're in control scientifically, obviously, because they don't want to burn the player out.
Prediction: Manchester United vs Chelsea
Prediction: Manchester United vs Chelsea
It's such a classic game: Manchester United vs. Chelsea. I'm backing Chelsea all the way. I've seen Manchester United, and I don't think they're performing well. I feel a bit sorry for Ruben Amorim ; he's stuck in his ways and unwilling to adjust his system to the players he has.
I look at it and think, ‘ Why are you doing this to yourself? Some of these players can't play the positions or perform the tasks he's asking them to do. It doesn't make sense to me, but he's adamant. Manchester United need to improve, but I don't think they'll get a result against Chelsea, even at home. I can't see it.
I think Chelsea will go there, probably dominate, and win the game. This will just create another storyline for Manchester United fans, seeing them in a difficult situation again, which is where they are right now, and no one is surprised when they lose.
However, I wouldn't put it past Manchester United to beat Chelsea either, because sometimes they do this. They have a history of going through a rut, then beating a big team, and then going back to their inconsistent ways.
I don't understand them, which is why it's so unpredictable. But judging from what I've seen so far, Chelsea will win.
I'd say a 3-1 scoreline. It would be entertaining, definitely with a few goals. I think Manchester United might get a goal, perhaps from Benjamin Sesko to get him off the mark, or the pressure will continue to build on him. It's been a tough few games for them, with Manchester City and now Chelsea coming up.
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