Park the problems at right back and centre mid, glaringly obvious to everyone apart from the owners it seems. Now let’s have a look at the attack, that wonderful attack that so many of the knowledgable posters on here said didn’t need any changes last window.
We haven’t scored from open play since early November in the PL. Our overall xG for the season for the division must be one of the lowest too. Let’s have a look at the players individually, and see how many of them should be first XI starters next season. I’ll get the ball rolling:
Zaha: our GOAT, and my favourite ever player. Form has tailed off. Now injured. Can’t seem to beat a player from the wing anymore, pace is well down. Brings leadership and experience. He’s our top goalscorer but he is not suited to leading the line by himself. Wide left forward with a very attacking left full back is probably his best position, which we can’t cater for. (Or second striker/No 10, again not something we’ve played with since Hodgson.) Would love him to stay, but he doesn’t really suit our current style anyway, and likely to leave at the end of the season as out of contract. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Eze: looks to have put on a bit of weight. Has scored some goals from No 8 but shown next to nothing at 10 - he looks lost. His defensive output is about a third of what it was under Hodgson. He’s 24.5 years old, should be improving and approaching peak output and he is instead regressing. Not helped by serious injury. The “Eze slide” is still there. He can still go past and the natural talent hasn’t disappeared. But shouldn’t be starting every week based on the form he has shown this season. There’s no urgency to get on the ball and make things happen, he slows things down and lacks intensity. Will probably get one last chance replacing Wilf on the left wing because as will be shown there’s too much other work to do. Imho, in an ideal world, he would be on the bench in 2023/24. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Olise: By far our best attacking prospect. The kid is 21! Hope the expectation and pressure to lead the Palace attack doesn’t become too much for him. A little lightweight, which at his age for his size is understandable. Other than that he tries hard, he has the intensity, he wants to get on the ball and is probably the most naturally gifted footballer in terms of technical ability that I’ve ever seen at the club, certainly since Lombardo. Too inexperienced to play in the middle, but that’s where I see him ending up long term because he lacks top pace to play at the highest level as a right wing forward, and yet to score enough goals. Make no mistake though, he’s going to be a superstar. He’s going to be playing Champions League football within 3 or 4 years. Vieira likes to keep trying him in the centre, but maybe if we sign an attacking right back (!) he will play right wing forward for now. Wand of a left foot. Verdict: Guaranteed starter next season.
Ayew: Hasn’t really been tried in centre mid, I think mainly because it’s evident he doesn’t see himself there and wants to attack. Great experience to win free kicks, and huge workrate but end product and ability to score is not that of an attacker. He’s a squad player. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Edouard: Is a goalscorer but too lightweight to lead the line on his own, which is presumably what we bought him for so that’s a bit of a problem. Works hard but lacks acceleration. Could play wide left but yet to convince anywhere. If he couldn’t play another position like wide left it’d be a no-brainer: we’d definitely sell him if we could, but don’t think there’d be any takers. Think we are stuck with him in the squad. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Mateta: The “spider on rollerskates” is willing to put a good shift in. He tries his best, but he is not a PL striker. Brilliant personality but he’s not a PL player. Destined to languish in the squad. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season
Ebiowei: A good prospect but loaned out and unlikely to be ready for 2023/24. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
——————-———-Guaita—————————-
———Richards——Andersen—-Guehi———Mitchell
—————————Doucoure——————————-
————————————————————————
———-——Olise————————————————-
And there you have it guys, one attacking player who has shown he is likely to be able to start in the XI next season realistically. :eek: Those are the 7 players who we currently have who should definitely be in contention to start next season. What’s apparent is that 5 of the 6 outfield players are young. We are already light on attacking numbers because we haven’t replaced Benteke. As well as a right back starter, and a centre mid starter, we probably could do with a centre forward, a winger and then on top of that either another centre mid or another winger (all starters). It’s a huge job isn’t it?
We haven’t scored from open play since early November in the PL. Our overall xG for the season for the division must be one of the lowest too. Let’s have a look at the players individually, and see how many of them should be first XI starters next season. I’ll get the ball rolling:
Zaha: our GOAT, and my favourite ever player. Form has tailed off. Now injured. Can’t seem to beat a player from the wing anymore, pace is well down. Brings leadership and experience. He’s our top goalscorer but he is not suited to leading the line by himself. Wide left forward with a very attacking left full back is probably his best position, which we can’t cater for. (Or second striker/No 10, again not something we’ve played with since Hodgson.) Would love him to stay, but he doesn’t really suit our current style anyway, and likely to leave at the end of the season as out of contract. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Eze: looks to have put on a bit of weight. Has scored some goals from No 8 but shown next to nothing at 10 - he looks lost. His defensive output is about a third of what it was under Hodgson. He’s 24.5 years old, should be improving and approaching peak output and he is instead regressing. Not helped by serious injury. The “Eze slide” is still there. He can still go past and the natural talent hasn’t disappeared. But shouldn’t be starting every week based on the form he has shown this season. There’s no urgency to get on the ball and make things happen, he slows things down and lacks intensity. Will probably get one last chance replacing Wilf on the left wing because as will be shown there’s too much other work to do. Imho, in an ideal world, he would be on the bench in 2023/24. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Olise: By far our best attacking prospect. The kid is 21! Hope the expectation and pressure to lead the Palace attack doesn’t become too much for him. A little lightweight, which at his age for his size is understandable. Other than that he tries hard, he has the intensity, he wants to get on the ball and is probably the most naturally gifted footballer in terms of technical ability that I’ve ever seen at the club, certainly since Lombardo. Too inexperienced to play in the middle, but that’s where I see him ending up long term because he lacks top pace to play at the highest level as a right wing forward, and yet to score enough goals. Make no mistake though, he’s going to be a superstar. He’s going to be playing Champions League football within 3 or 4 years. Vieira likes to keep trying him in the centre, but maybe if we sign an attacking right back (!) he will play right wing forward for now. Wand of a left foot. Verdict: Guaranteed starter next season.
Ayew: Hasn’t really been tried in centre mid, I think mainly because it’s evident he doesn’t see himself there and wants to attack. Great experience to win free kicks, and huge workrate but end product and ability to score is not that of an attacker. He’s a squad player. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Edouard: Is a goalscorer but too lightweight to lead the line on his own, which is presumably what we bought him for so that’s a bit of a problem. Works hard but lacks acceleration. Could play wide left but yet to convince anywhere. If he couldn’t play another position like wide left it’d be a no-brainer: we’d definitely sell him if we could, but don’t think there’d be any takers. Think we are stuck with him in the squad. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
Mateta: The “spider on rollerskates” is willing to put a good shift in. He tries his best, but he is not a PL striker. Brilliant personality but he’s not a PL player. Destined to languish in the squad. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season
Ebiowei: A good prospect but loaned out and unlikely to be ready for 2023/24. Verdict: Not a first XI player next season.
——————-———-Guaita—————————-
———Richards——Andersen—-Guehi———Mitchell
—————————Doucoure——————————-
————————————————————————
———-——Olise————————————————-
And there you have it guys, one attacking player who has shown he is likely to be able to start in the XI next season realistically. :eek: Those are the 7 players who we currently have who should definitely be in contention to start next season. What’s apparent is that 5 of the 6 outfield players are young. We are already light on attacking numbers because we haven’t replaced Benteke. As well as a right back starter, and a centre mid starter, we probably could do with a centre forward, a winger and then on top of that either another centre mid or another winger (all starters). It’s a huge job isn’t it?
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