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Roy's Turned Corner - How Roy Hodgson Has Given Crystal Palace Foundations of Recovery

Written by Naveed Khan

Roy Hodgson has brought stability to a Palace side that looked listless and incapable after the opening seven games of the season. Here's Naveed Khan with a look at what has changed. 

 

In all the agitation surrounding Frank De Boer’s early sacking as Palace manager, the club quietly appointed Roy Hodgson as manager without any such furore. A quiet interview on the club’s website and he went straight to work.

There was a job to be done. The club had spent five weeks finding De Boer as Sam Allardyce’s successor. While the Dutchman tried to revolutionise the team’s style, Roy went straight into trying to get the best out of the tools he had.

His first three games followed the pattern left by De Boer – losses to nil. But he had mitigation; Southampton came and went days after his arrival and then the next two were away defeats to the Manchester clubs. Since then, he has amassed 22 points from 15 games. The sort of form which would see a team comfortably into the top 10.

Were Palace offered the chance to be closer to ninth than bottom at the start of 2018 after no goals or points from seven matches, it would have been snapped up without hesitation. The job is by no means complete; there are 16 games to go in a tight division with teams all looking to strengthen in January.

But Hodgson has given Palace more than a fighting chance; but for missed penalties and misfortune the task would be closer to completion. He’s done this without signing a single player thus far – he has done it through truly maximising what has.

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As he did at WBA and Fulham, Roy picks players for the specific opposition faced. The goalkeepers are an example of this – in a game where Palace are expected to play throughout the team, Julian Speroni is picked. Against high press teams where the ball needs to travel more directly, Wayne Hennessey gets the gloves.

The lines and distances between the defence and midfield are consistent – smaller gaps without the ball and wider when we are looking to create; common sense perhaps but the organisation means the team is moving together. This, in turn, is allowing Wilfried Zaha greater space in which to operate – either close to Christian Benteke or wide. The more Wilf is learning this role, the greater his impact.

Players who had suffered dips in form, in some cases prolonged, seem to be rejuvenated under Roy. Hennessey has grown in assurance and is making less errors. Speroni is not playing like a 38-year-old written off by Pardew. Joel Ward is enjoying his best form since promotion and whatever is asked of him, James McArthur is contributing. Established players like James Tomkins, Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojević are growing further in stature.

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While the manager himself has echoed the sentiments of supporters in regards to squad depth, Hodgson is the first manager since promotion to successfully utilise squad players. Martin Kelly has come in and played like a regular and not looked out of place. Timothy Fosu-Mensah seems ready to play a part whenever called upon and Jairo Riedewald showed his reliability when called upon against Manchester City. The biggest transformation has been in Bakery Sako. Written off by many fans, yours truly included, he has revamped himself into an impactful substitute be it on the wings or up front.

Palace are second only to Everton in terms of winning points from losing positions – Roy’s tactical adjustments and in-game management has been a big part of that. He has not been afraid to move players between positions, change formation, pass it shorter or go more direct. If there has been a need to change, he has made that change.

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It has been no mean feat to get Palace from where they were after seven games to going into the January transfer window in 14th place. However, we are entering a critical juncture and Roy deserves significant backing in the transfer market to see us safe this season and to ensure some longer terms plans can be put in place for the summer and beyond.

As well as needing more competition in goal and up front, there is a need for a defender and midfielder to compensate for the losses of Scott Dann and Jason Puncheon. With no return dates set yet for Mamadou Sakho and Conor Wickham, the squad needs bolstering to allow Hodgson to finish the job he has started.

If he does keep us up, it will mean mainstream media (and Liverpool fans) have no excuse to move on from England’s loss to Iceland. His redemption, if he needed any, would be complete.

How Injury Might Have Shaped Crystal Palace Striker Christian Benteke's Career

Written by Josh Esaw

Christian Benteke has found the start to this season a difficult one. Josh Esaw has taken a look at how an achilles injury he picked up at Aston Villa might have an impact even today.

Benteke hands on head

Despite scoring 17 goals for the Eagles last season, Christian Benteke has found goals hard to come by this term. This dip in form seemingly was the catalyst for the Belgian taking leave of his senses and to the chagrin of pretty much everybody else in the stadium, taking a penalty off Luka Milivojević against Bournemouth, which he subsequently missed.

It seems from reports that the Palace dressing room, whose ire was obvious directly after the incident, have sorted this out amongst themselves and rallied to show great fighting spirit to nick a win against Watford on Tuesday night and a dazzling 3-0 demolition of Claude Puel’s resurgent Leicester.

It is no secret that Benteke is a confidence player, the striker noted to L’equipe when moving to Palace, that goals give him confidence and that whether you play well or not, people on remember whether you have scored or haven’t. Last weekend's performance at the King Power highlighted how a goal invigorates his entire game.

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The weight of his price tag however had been hanging on the striker in the minds of some Palace fans and a great number are still slightly sceptical. During the run of poor form in front of goal, there have been cries from supporters questioning his work ethic, some even questioning his ability.

It seems unquestionable, simply based on his goal scoring recording at the highest level of football, that Christian Benteke is a top quality striker. His record in the premier league of 65 goals in 167 games, a record of 1 goal every 2.59 games is no fluke and his average for Belgium is roughly equivalent. Statistics suggest if Crystal Palace fans are patient and supportive, they will see that form.

It does seem fair though, to highlight that Benteke has looked more muted for Palace than previous clubs. The explosiveness, instinctive goals and fearsome powerful and dynamic movement of his days at Aston Villa, where he looked to become one of the best strikers in Europe, hasn’t been as readily present.

Many will argue that the Benteke at Aston Villa looked sharper, more mobile and even seemed to strike the ball with a different technique. So could this be more than a dip in form?

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It is important to remember the achilles tendon rupture suffered by Benteke in training for Aston Villa in 2014.

In years gone by Achilles tendon ruptures would be career enders. The achilles, the largest and strongest tendon in the body, connects the calf muscle and the heel bone. The Aston Villa players at the time said they could hear the pop as the tendon ruptured, highlighting the severity of the tear and Benteke was ruled out for a number of months after undergoing surgery. Despite the seriousness of the injury, Benteke rehabbed well and returned ahead of schedule for Aston Villa.

Due to the nature of an achilles injury, a lot of information available online suggests that a number of areas of a players game can be permanently effected even post rehab. In an interview with the Birmingham Mail in 2014, Ben Dinnery suggested that the injury was unusual for a player so young and could affect a number of areas of his game, specifically his pace, shooting power and general explosion. Dinnery also recommended that it would not be advisable for Benteke not to return to action any earlier than 6 months after the injury as to give the tendon enough time to regenerate properly.

Dinnery does infer however, that the tendon will grow back stronger and Benteke’s age should help negate the possible side effects of the injury long term.

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Whilst we cannot know without a detailed medical knowledge, it is possible to suggest that in the process of recovery, Benteke seems to have modified his game somewhat since the injury. Whether that is a result of him wanting to return ahead of schedule for Villa, so modifying his playing style, to rely more on his undoubted aerial ability or whether the potential range of movement and power in his leg has in fact decreased cannot be known.

Playing for a team like Palace, where the striker, and especially a lone striker, is expected to do a great deal of closing down and defend from the front, is only going to highlight any mobility limitations a players body may have.

While the psyche of the English fan is to love a player who runs after every ball, if a player has suffered a very serious injury maybe that player then has to be aware of what is a lost cause as to not put pressure on his body.

Having scored the goals he did last season though, it doesn’t seem likely that when everything clicks, Benteke can’t score for fun at this level, in spite of past injuries.

Benteke looks to be playing himself into form and has looked brighter each game since returning from injury early in the season. Now with one finally going in and his increasing good work for the team, the goal rush might be about to begin.

In response to Brighton's official statement about what happened outside the Amex

Written by Jesse Boyce

Tuesday night's 0-0 draw at the Amex was much anticipated but will be remembered for an absolulte shambles outside the away entrance that saw some 150 Palace fans with tickets denied access.

Brighton issued a statement after the game on what happened and this is a response from FYP's own Jesse Boyce, who was there and caught up in the troubles.

*Responses to the statement are in bold*

"Brighton & Hove Albion have issued the following statement after crowd disorder outside of the stadium, during tonight’s match against Crystal Palace.

"The vast majority of supporters who came to the match were a credit to both clubs - but sadly a minority came intent on causing disorder, which left several stewards with minor injuries, and one steward from each club hospitalised."

While there can be no condoning fans attempting to access the stadium without tickets, there can be no hiding the fact that the significant Police and security presence, including riot gear, dogs and horses was designed to be preventative, and failed. The clubs had gone to great lengths to ensure that ticket holders needed ID and couldn’t transfer tickets yet these fans were let down when measures were not taken to ensure ONLY these fans could access the away stand. No prevention or cure from Sussex Police.

"A number of Crystal Palace fans travelled to the stadium without tickets, arriving after kick-off, some with the aim of forcing entry into the away end at 7.48pm - three minutes after the match kicked off."

There were Police cordons between Falmer station and the Away end where the only question asked was ‘Are you home or away fans?’, no tickets were checked so while some fans may have forced entry without tickets, it’s impossible to say if fans in any number were held outside the stadium without tickets.

"The club made the decision to close the turnstiles at 7.51pm - six minutes into the game - and with the support of Sussex Police, we made the further decision to let no further supporters into the ground in the interest of public safety."

The turnstiles in the South (Away) stand are not fit for purpose, they can be jumped, as they’re not full height like most modern stadiums. These were more akin to London Underground. It’s also false to say ‘no further supporters were let in the ground’, I was one of around 30 fans who were admitted at half time after avoiding the kettling of the main group of fans back towards Falmer. 

"A group of approximately 150 fans - some with tickets - were then escorted back to Falmer station, and onto Brighton Station, before being placed on a train back to London."

A more accurate observation would be that the vast majority visibly had tickets as seen when the Palace fans waved their tickets in the air en masse as a peaceful demonstration of their their case.

"Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber commented, “Firstly, we hope the two stewards hospitalised in the disorder have not suffered serious injuries.

“The disorder was caused by a minority of individuals who attempted to gain entry to the stadium without tickets.

The only disorder was by the minority who DID gain entry to the stadium without tickets, and then continued to let off smoke bombs throughout the match without being challenged at all. The disenfranchised group of ticket holders locked outside were orderly and civilised and imagery and video evidence has shown. 

“Thanks to the swift action of the club’s stewarding team, supported by Sussex Police, we avoided further, major disorder - and while some genuine fans were left extremely disappointed and unable to get into the stadium, the correct decisions were made."

Swift action it wasn’t. It took almost an hour for the Police to decide what to do with the ticket holders outside, which was to kettle them back past where their ineffective cordons were and towards Falmer station. There was total absence in communication. Stewards and Police officers admitted they didn’t know what was happening or even what was likely to happen to next or whether ticket holders would be eventually admitted. They couldn’t pretend to be interested.

“I’d like to thank the majority of fans of both clubs for their good behaviour and patience in complying with the instructions of our stewards and police.”

"Brighton & Hove Albion will be sharing CCTV images with Sussex Police, the Metropolitan Police and Crystal Palace to identify the individuals involved in the disorder.

"Genuine supporters, with tickets, who were unable to gain access to the stadium should contact Crystal Palace’s ticket office for further information regarding a refund."

Is there no accountability attributable to BHAFC, the party responsible for managing the whole situation and for making the call to not let the majority of ticket holders in? Can we contact you for travel and expense refunds?

"As this matter is now a Police investigation, the club will not be making any further comment at this stage."

As well as the proactivity you are showing in ‘identifying individuals’, how about at least conceding that you need to cooperate with the police to corroborate responsibility and take fundamental learnings. Like the Liaison Officer from Sussex Police did over an hour before you released this statement?

Palace have since released a statement saying anyone denied access with an unscanned ticket can apply for a full refund, while Sussex Police and both clubs have said an investigation will now take place.

Were you caught up in it outside the Amex? Email us what happened to you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Zaha's Knock Out Blow Was Rich Reward In Epic Bout

Written by Robert Sutherland

Crystal Palace secured a point after an intense half of fighting. Here's Robert Sutherland's look at the game. 

Wilf hands out

There are indicators of internal struggle. When you watch two football teams battling for a win, knowing that the consequence of defeat can be damaging, there are signs that show who is the alpha and who is the beta. You can see it. Not just in body language but in actions. In the way they do the things you expect them to. It's like a boxing match. You can see those with spirit and those without. 

 
Crystal Palace were the strugglers in the first half. The first goal was a punch to the stomach, the second an uppercut to the chin. West Ham went into half time like a fighter being directed to their corner, impressed to believe the fight had been won. 
 
There wasn't that premature celebration but there was a sense. It needed one more blow. But that blow didn't come. Instead, West Ham tried to defend. They grappled. They smothered. They pushed. They just didn't throw any punches.
 

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The boxing analogy runs deep in this game because, like a boxer who thought they just needed to hold on, when Palace knocked them to the floor with the Luka Milivojevic penalty, they were caught in a moment of inertia. 
 
Palace's punches kept coming. James Tomkins had a header well saved. Yohan Cabaye hit the post. Joe Hart's performance was the strong chin. But still West Ham kept trying to hold on. They could have knocked Palace out but they didn't. 
 
It was that fixation on defensiveness, and the cynicism which accompanied it,  which became so frustrating for Palace. No one wants to see a fight in which the last six rounds are a contest between a spoiler and a fighter. 
 
In boxing, when the time runs out the bell rings. But this isn't boxing and West Ham didn't expect that their behaviour would result in six minutes of added time.
 

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That it did was the least Palace deserved. As the chances rained down on Hart's goal, like the jabs of Anthony Joshua, so West Ham's players fell to the ground at the slightest contact or slowed play down when given the opportunity. It took just ten minutes of second half football for it to begin. 
 
Hart took his time to take his goal kicks. Arthur Masuaku strolled slowly for throw ins. Corners took that little bit longer to take. Fouls were made a meal of. We know the ploys because we use them. But with another 35 minutes of football to play, it seemed a case of misplaced confidence from a side that comfortably conceded goals. And so it proved, ultimately.
 
When, with less than a minute to go,  Michail Antonio ran towards the corner flag and opted to meekly cross the ball into the box rather than to hold it there, it was a case of West Ham dropping their gloves. It needed one final, powerful punch. Zaha delivered it. 
 

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Palace deserved the goal. That it came at the last moment just made it all the more special. Zaha hadn't had the most impressive of games, but that quality of making something out of nothing came to the forefront again. The gap was there - Zaha just needed to exploit it. His beautifully placed shot nestled into the net and West Ham players fell to the ground -- this time from the kind of blow that warranted it.
 
Palace didn't win but they rescued a point at a time when it was needed the most. The players showed character in their perseverance. They fought one more round. Remembering that the man who fought one more round is never whipped. 

 

What happened at Brighton? An on and off the pitch review

Written by FYP Fanzine

The shambles outside

What a shambles. We all know Palace are not in the best place so far this season and as a result tensions are always going to be a little higher than normal. That all said, alleged behaviour with some fans reportedly storming the gates at the Amex without tickets is an embarrassment to the club and most importantly the fans, especially those civil ones with tickets who missed out as a result.

It’s sad that we even have to discuss something like this here and it's important to acknowledge it is only a tiny minority. And it should be pointed out some of the actions of Sussex Police and Brighton stewards did not help; with a lack of information being passed to fans, and some officers treating fans like hooligans despite the civility of most there.

The club has condemned the behaviour in the following statement:

"This kind of antisocial and criminal behaviour is completely unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

"There are very clear images of the incident and we will work with the police to identify the supporters involved, who will face stadium bans as well as potential criminal proceedings.

"We would like to apologise to all the innocent supporters who arrived at the stadium with tickets but were denied entry and to the two stewards who were injured at the ground. We wish them a full and speedy recovery."

 

Palace fans who couldn’t get in due to the trouble have been told they can contact the club for a full refund, while the Football Supporters Federation have begun investigating what happened.

There have already been six arrests including a 15-year old. It's just massively embarrassing for the club, and not the first time smoke bombs have been brought into games and let off despite the club asking fans not to. And the bottom line is our own fans miss out and now the club will probaby be in very hot water. That's the saddest thing.


The Actual Match

 

Sadly, the above issues overshadowed what should’ve actually been a positive note for Palace. That is the 0-0 result, not only could the away point may prove to be incredibly valuable as the season progresses, but we finally got a clean sheet. Sure, a win would’ve been better, but considering the way the seasons been going we’ll gladly take a clean sheet away from home. If nothing else it has to be a moral boost for the defence.

And looking at the other teams around at the bottom of the table, picking up draws here and there could really make a difference this season. Aside from Everton, we’ve up until now looked by far the worst defensively in the league.

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Maybe we’re being optimistic, but it’s certainly a start and we weren’t expecting this mess to be turned around overnight and our 1st clean sheet is certainly not the worst place to start.

The odds may still have Palace tipped for relegation, Ladbrokes still have us at 6/5, which weirdy isn't the shortest odds for going down despite seill being bottom. (click here for a free bet at Ladbrokes).

It’s not quite time to be celebrating just yet, but it looks like those odds are maybe a little bit less fair if Hodgson can continue to keep the back organised.

Behind the Numbers: Zaha-Townsend Chaos Factor Is Key to Newcastle Fixture

Written by Nicolas Berlinski

One of the many keys to Palace's victory over Chelsea was the dynamic way in which Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend worked together. Here's Nicolas Berlinski with a deeper look at the numbers.

Wilf Chelsea Goal

Selhurst may still be rocking after Saturday’s monumental win against Chelsea as Crystal Palace won their first three points of the season, scoring their first two goals of the season too. An inspired return to the first team by Wilfried Zaha, bold and fiery performances from all eleven players on the pitch, and a well-versed tactical blueprint crafted by Roy Hodgson disappointed Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.

Palace fans will now be hoping that the win is the Eagles’ delayed start to a new season eight matches in.

With the dust settling and the outlook shifting towards the Eagles’ trip to Newcastle United this weekend, it is worth a reflection on what broke down a solid, albeit leggy, Chelsea side. Man of the match Zaha and his partner up front Townsend were key to this victory in what was a remarkable improvisation act.

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After the match, discussing his gameplan for playing as a striker, Zaha mused, “Me and Andros Townsend aren't strikers so we run all over the gaff, but the boss told us that if one had the ball the other needs to get himself into the box.”

Keeping true to the way he loves to play, Zaha attempted the most take-ons (11) in this fixture, more than fellow skillful winger Eden Hazard who struggled to break Palace down with his trademark dribbling. Zaha won six of his eleven attempted take-ons. That stat includes the deadly change of pace and direction to get away from Chelsea’s David Zappacosta, David Luiz, and Cesar Azpilicueta that set up his clean finish to restore Palace’s lead.

Dribbling was Zaha’s main way of penetrating Chelsea’s defensive setup. On the day, he only completed nine passes with a low success rate of 43%. The stats are hardly shocking and for many players would be indicative of a poor performance. For Zaha though, these stats only go about showing the chaos factor he produces. Outstandingly well-equipped physically and technically, Zaha left his mark on the match with free-form positioning across the pitch and dangerous dribbling that terrorized Chelsea at times. Palace had been sorely deprived of his creativity and spontaneity up until this fixture.

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Countering Zaha’s erratic yet effective play was Townsend, who achieved far better ball movement, completing more than double the number of passes Zaha made with 77% efficiency. His possession and impact with the ball was less notable than Zaha’s but was nonetheless important to the system Hodgson enacted. It was Townsend’s passing that often afforded Zaha the chance to run at defenders and the winger served six crosses as opposed to Zaha’s none. Townsend also had a decent shout at goal from range in the match, showcasing that powerful strike that has scored him some admirable goals in the past.

With no fit first-team strikers, Hodgson may be well-advised to play Zaha up front again with Townsend. Newcastle have been defensively solid for most of this season, only leaking eight goals. Zaha and Townsend’s free-form positioning and dribbling ability could be key to drawing Newcastle players out of position and breaking down the defensive structure.

Zaha and Townsend will surely relish their chance to play the Magpies this weekend. In training this week, Hodgson will have to ensure defensive solidity in his side to maintain and guarantee the partnership the freedom they got against Chelsea.

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