England will face Greece and Finland in the upcoming October internationals. In response to this fixture, Paul Merson has expressed his strong support for the in-form Palmer, who he believes should be pushing for a starting spot for the Three Lions.
Merson mentioned that 20 years ago, Eriksson managed to field three top midfielders - Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard - at the same time, and this England team now has the same potential to be able to start a number of outstanding players at the same time. However, he also admitted that it was a real dilemma to choose between players such as Palmer and Bellingham, as they are both talented players.
Despite this, Merson remains adamant that Palmer must play. He pointed out that Palmer is currently in hot form and that he always trusts players who are in great form. Although the national team game is different from the club game, Palmer's form is good enough to earn him a starting spot. Merson also mentioned that it is especially difficult to play in the number 10 position in national team matches, as opponents pay close attention to players in that position. However, for Palmer, he may be able to show his strengths in a relatively relaxed environment due to Bellingham's greater reputation.
In addition, Merson cited Bellingham as an example of the dilemma that young players can face after encountering key studies by opponents. Bellingham scored 17 goals in 20 games in Spain, but then saw his goal tally plummet as opponents knew exactly how he attacked. Merson believes that the same thing could happen to Palmer in the future, so he should be brought on while he's in hot form to find a proper position for him. If Palmer is not given a chance now, Merson is concerned about his England prospects.
