Luke's Football blog

It has been an up and down season, which no one thought would happen as they started the season playing good football under Vieira until he had his downfall and got sacked, then replaced with Roy Hodgson, who has steadied the ship and saved them from relegation, but with a bit of uncertainty for the next season, here is what I think will happen for the Eagles.

Zaha Staying or Going

Zaha is currently out of contract in the summer, and there has been talk about him possibly staying as he’s been offered a 200 thousand pound a week contract by the club, but there has been interest from a few clubs in the Premier League and across Europe who are interested in signing the 30-year-old on a free.

In my opinion, I feel he will leave in the summer as the club needs to transition further. However, I feel it will be a devastating loss as he’s been a servant at the club for a long time and he’s loved by all the Palace fans. I feel he will need a new challenge, and the 200 thousand pounds he’s been offered by the club could be put into getting a younger replacement for him. However, I feel you can’t replace him as he offered skill and leadership all in one.

New Manager

After sacking Vieira, a new manager would have been looked at for a while, but the club hasn’t got a clue who to get. A new manager who can bring in experience would be needed to take the club further and make a big transition to take the club up the table.

There has been talk about Arne Slot, who recently won the Eridivisie with his youthful Feyenoord side, which has seen him linked with a few clubs. Tottenham being included if the Eagles get him would be a good fit for the clubs, as they are trying to transition well after the Vieira reign that didn’t end well.

Another manager who is set to be out of a job in the summer and someone I think would be the perfect fit for Crystal Palace is Oliver Glasner. His style of play would fit the Eagles well, as he likes to play a 3-4-2-1. This allowed his defence to play out from the back using the 3 centre backs they have, and the 2 in midfield sat deep, almost creating a 5 at the back out of possession to add more protection and to allow the wingbacks to bomb up the pitch, adding to the attacking force with the 2 centre attacking midfielders and the sole 9 upfront. His style is counter-attacking football, which is a style that fits well for the Eagles as they have a lot of pace and trickery in attack, with Olise and Eze being the main vocal points of it. If Palace were to snap him up, it would be a good appointment; however, he would need an influx of new players that would suit his style of play.

Selling Important Assets

If the Eagles want to start a proper rebuild again, they will have to sell one of their important assets. They have the club already, with Guehi and Olise being rumoured to be exiting the club.

There has been interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham for Guehi, with Palace wanting 50 million or more for him. However, Chelsea have first rights to him, as his contract says that Chelsea can match any bid that goes in for the England international, so it will be an interesting summer for the centre back.

Olise has also been a person that has been linked away as Paris Saint-Germain have touted him as the Messi replacement for them, which I feel is a smart decision for them as he has all the qualities to be that replacement with only de Bruyne and Saka having more assists than him this season. However, this move might be too early for him in his career, and another year at Palace might do him better.

Positions To Invest In

If they want to start a proper rebuild, they will need to sign a right back first of all, as Clyne and Ward are both out of contract and are ageing a bit, so a new, younger right back will be needed. One player I’ve sounded out as a potential right back is Amar Dedic, as he offers a lot defensively, averaging 3.33 tackles per 90, and his attacking play looks promising as he averages 2.43 progressive carries per 90. However, they would have stiff competition as he’s also been linked with Arsenal and Barcelona during the course of the season. However, I feel he is the best solution for the right back problem.

Another place they need to strengthen is at centre back, as it’s rumoured that Guehi could leave in the summer, so a possible replacement for him would be needed, and I feel the best replacement for him is Bella-Kotchap, as he’s been one of Southampton’s standout players this season, who have had a poor season themselves. The Eagles have been linked with him in the past while he was at Bochum but never took up signing him, but I feel in the summer it would be clever to sign him. Kotchap offers an impressive recovery pace, similar to a certain defender Southampton used to have on their books. His recovery pace allows him to cover for his defenders if they have been caught out of possession. In addition to his recovery pace, his awareness is top-notch, as it allowed him to play in both a high block and a low block. He’s good at sniffing out danger, similar to what Guehi is good at, which is why I feel he could be a good replacement if Guehi does choose to leave in the summer. However, he is quite injury-prone, which would be a massive flaw to have, but if you keep him fit, he would be a quality player.

Similar to Guehi maybe leaving one position the Eagles will certainly need to invest in is a left winger. With Zaha possibly leaving as he only has a few months left on his contract, a replacement would be needed, and what better person to replace him than Mike Tresor? Tresor currently has 30 goal contributions this season for Genk, putting him on the map and linking him with a host of clubs around Europe. His pace and trickery have been crucial to the success Genk have had this season, as he’s been unlocking defences across Belgium and Europe. He is currently averaging 4.38 dribbles per 90 and 2.88 key passes per 90, showing he’s one of the key creators in the Genk side, and a move to the Premier League is imminent for him. I feel he would be the perfect Zaha replacement if he doesn’t extend his contract.

A position that has been a struggle for them is midfield, as they have lacked an extra pair of legs to cover as Doucoure has been left short in midfield on multiple occasions. One player I’ve sorted out to fill that void is Enzo Le Fee. He can play in numerous positions in the middle of the pitch, showing his versatility, which would be key to any team. He’s also very hardworking, covering nearly every blade of grass when playing. His dribbling is one of his superior assets, as he likes to carry the ball up the pitch and create chances for his side while also helping out defensively when out of possession. He is out of contract next season, so it would be cheaper to get him next season; however, he could be itching for a move to the Premier League, with Newcastle and Aston Villa being some of the clubs interested in the 23-year-old, so there is competition for him already.

Another position Palace have failed to find a consistent performer in is the striker position, as Edouard and Mateta have failed to hit form at Selhurst Park, so a good marksman would be ideal at the moment if they are trying to transition, and one striker who I think would be key to that is 23-year-old Terem Moffi. He has scored 17 goals this season in Ligue 1. He is a pacy striker who likes to run behind the lines and possesses good close control and technique, something that the Eagles don’t have in their team. They would have to face competition to sign him, however, as Newcastle and West Ham are thought to be interested in the striker, so they will have to fight to maybe buy him, but he would be a perfect fit for the Eagles.

Ambitions For Next Season

They will hopefully want to start a fresh rebuild as it was halted by choosing the wrong manager for the job. However, it’s rumoured that Roy will be offered another season, which would be a terrible decision. As they keep stalling their rebuild, a fresh new manager would be needed to adopt his tactics and get the players he wants.

If that does eventually happen, they will want to finish in the top half while playing good football, as they have just sat in midtable for the past 6 years with no real improvement at all, while their rivals are on the brink of Europe with a progressive manager and a young team full of great players who are playing the football of their lives, which no one would have thought would happen when Potter left for Chelsea. If they get a new manager in, they could be like them but it would take time, so hopefully they get the right appointment at this time to transition the club further.

My Prediction For Next Season

I feel that they will find a manager to start the transition. I don’t have a clue who it will be yet, but I reckon they will get a good manager in to implement his style of play and get the players he wants. However, I feel one of their key players will leave so they can fund the rebuild.

I can see one of Guehi or Olise leaving as they have the best selling value out of the players if the club currently has them; however, replacing them would be the hardest problem as they are quality players who offer a lot to Palace, but that will be something for their new manager to look at.

I reckon it will be a progressive season where they sneak into a 10th place position if they get new players in the positions I suggested before in this story, as all these positions are needed for their rebuild as they have not invested in them and brought the wrong players to play that style.