It’s fairly unusual for clubs to make managerial changes hours before a pretty critical game, but that’s how matters played out at Crystal Palace at the start of the week: Roy Hodgson resigning, out of hospital but out of time to improve the team as well, and Oliver Glasner in as his replacement – right before the Eagles kicked off against Everton.
The eventual 1-1 draw kept the South London side two places and five points above the relegation zone, but also made it one win in five in the Premier League and leaving the watching-on Glasner wondering how to build a side capable of far more consistency than they have shown this season.
Palace fans will be wondering whether, to do that, the incoming Austrian boss will set the team up in the same way he did at Eintracht Frankfurt last season – and on the evidence of Monday night at Goodison Park, that’s going to be exactly the case. The big positive is that there are Palace players who fit the profile of what he looks for, and who might work well in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.
There’s naturally a choice of English goalkeepers, Sam Johnstone and Dean Henderson, and no definitive answer to who Glasner will prefer, with the former currently in place. Ahead of him, the first changes will be seen in defence.
Under Hodgson, Palace were a regular back four side, but Glasner will immediately change this to a three-man system. The best central pillar will be Joachim Andersen, who is arguably better aerially than the options Glasner had at his club in the Bundesliga – while either side will be the interesting tactical wrinkles. Evan Ndicka to the left and Almamy Touré to the right of centre were effectively full-backs playing narrow, comfortable on the ball, able to dribble into the channels and very much part of the build-up. Marc Guehi might be Palace’s best footballer in the defensive ranks and can definitely hold his own striding forward in possession, but even so, it’ll be a slightly new facet of his game we get to see in terms of working the channel combining with the wing-back, if he’s asked to do similarly once he returns from injury.
Image – The Frankfurt team that won the Europa League final, on penalties, in 2022.
In the meantime, Chris Richards might find favour in that role, being capable of playing both in midfield and defence and having the technical traits to do either one well. Less certain might be the future of Joel Ward, a Palace stalwart and Hodgson favourite, but neither as creative nor as mobile as Glasner has wanted his left and right side defenders to be in the past.
At wing-back, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see longer-term changes from the incoming manager, but for the remainder of this year we’ll surely see both Jeffrey Schlupp and Tyrick Mitchell get game time down the left, both able to run all game long and the former a decent crosser from deep. They are both some way technically off Eintracht’s star from that role though in 2021/22 under Glasner: Filip Kostić wasn’t rapid, but a strong player who had a killer delivery from anywhere down the left flank and the work rate his manager desired.
Centrally, Glasner’s double pivot did alter according to opponents, but could be characterised as either a mobile passer through the thirds (Djibril Sow) and a defensive midfielder (Sebastian Rode) or sometimes the latter and a tenacious extra ball-winner (Junior Dina Ebimbe). For Palace, right now that’s Will Hughes, Cheick Doucouré and Jefferson Lerma respectively, with the middle player long-term injured.
Ahead of them, almost in a box midfield at times, would be two narrow attacking midfielders and one striker, rather than two more common wide forwards supporting a No. 9.
With everyone fit, Eintracht used Mario Götze as one schemer and Daichi Kamada as the other, behind Randal Kolo Muani. That gave them a speedy, strong outlet up top who could finish on the run, with one clever passer behind plus – in Kamada – a non-stop energetic creator who would also get in the box plenty and yet had the tactical ability to drop back into midfield, with the Japanese even starting in the double pivot at times.
For Kamada, see Eberechi Eze, a near-perfect fit – when, indeed, he is fit. Michael Olise will naturally be Palace’s joker in the pack, though it wouldn’t be outrageous to see him given a run at wing-back at times, just to add speed and individuality out wide in deeper areas, which Palace have lacked under Hodgson.
That leaves a tough call for a starting No. 9 who matches Muani’s traits, but Franca will have to get an opportunity at some stage and Odsonne Édouard should also see more chances to shine in a faster-moving outfit than Palace have been this year.
There’s plenty to work with for Glasner, even if the pieces don’t all quite fit perfectly straight away.
(Image from IMAGO)
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