Palace Summer 2026 transfers?

[VinceHilaire]

Okay everyone - big deep breath!!

Let’s see what unfolds today - then let’s just get behind the team and hopefully things will settle down 🙏

 

[JHB]

The reason the centre halves look shaky is because there is no cover for them further up the pitch. The midfield is the key in any side, where most battles are fought, and where the game is won and lost.
Wharton? Yes he has good vision and a pass on him but he's lightweight and fades in the second half, the same with Kamada. Who else? There is no one else in this configuration, and therein lies the problem.
Why Sage continues to use this system is a mystery to me, the league performances in the second half of last season and so far this season clearly identify the midfield as the weak link, notwithstanding the calibre of Wharton and Kamada. It needs another player in there.

I agree we need a ball winning midfielder as well. Going into the window the two areas we badly needed to address were centre back and centre midfield. It is ridiculous we are on the final day of the window and look weaker at centre back than when it started and haven’t done anything in midfield.

It also worries me with Sage that he has employed Glasner’s formation but without the mid / low block that made it work. His tactics first two games have left us wide open and we’ve been punished.

 

[park the bus]

I agree we need a ball winning midfielder as well. Going into the window the two areas we badly needed to address were centre back and centre midfield. It is ridiculous we are on the final day of the window and look weaker at centre back than when it started and haven’t done anything in midfield.

It also worries me with Sage that he has employed Glasner’s formation but without the mid / low block that made it work. His tactics first two games have left us wide open and we’ve been punished.

Just my impression, but I thought we looked more "natural" in a 4-3-3 formation with a player like Galllagher covering ground. Glasner's formation hasn't worked for a long while in the league, I don't know why Sage continues to employ it.

 

[JHB]

Just my impression, but I thought we looked more "natural" in a 4-3-3 formation with a player like Galllagher covering ground. Glasner's formation hasn't worked for a long while in the league, I don't know why Sage continues to employ it.

Agreed. With this squad four at the back makes sense. Sage said he stuck with Glasner’s formation because the players hadn’t had time to get used to his tactics. However, that formation hasn’t worked for a while as you say, it didn’t work in the first two games where we were easily beaten so why not switch to one you what to use? Also Sage then let the team be way more open and than Glasner did. That might have given us some nice looking but ineffective forward play but has resulted in an aggregate score of 1-6. It makes no sense

 

[ASCPFC]

Agreed. With this squad four at the back makes sense. Sage said he stuck with Glasner’s formation because the players hadn’t had time to get used to his tactics. However, that formation hasn’t worked for a while as you say, it didn’t work in the first two games where we were easily beaten so why not switch to one you what to use? Also Sage then let the team be way more open and than Glasner did. That might have given us some nice looking but ineffective forward play but has resulted in an aggregate score of 1-6. It makes no sense

Exactly why play open, but have 7 in defensive positions. At least five. Put a formation where you can have four forward for a change if you want to play attacking. Our issue, is of course striker. Which has become non existent.

 

[MrRobbo]

Agreed. With this squad four at the back makes sense. Sage said he stuck with Glasner’s formation because the players hadn’t had time to get used to his tactics. However, that formation hasn’t worked for a while as you say, it didn’t work in the first two games where we were easily beaten so why not switch to one you what to use? Also Sage then let the team be way more open and than Glasner did. That might have given us some nice looking but ineffective forward play but has resulted in an aggregate score of 1-6. It makes no sense

Not sure Sage will change the formation, but the way of playing it.

Glasner was a sit in deep, low block manager. Sage is a high intensity, high line, high press manager.

 

[park the bus]

Agreed. With this squad four at the back makes sense. Sage said he stuck with Glasner’s formation because the players hadn’t had time to get used to his tactics. However, that formation hasn’t worked for a while as you say, it didn’t work in the first two games where we were easily beaten so why not switch to one you what to use? Also Sage then let the team be way more open and than Glasner did. That might have given us some nice looking but ineffective forward play but has resulted in an aggregate score of 1-6. It makes no sense

I found Sage's reasoning ludicrous, these are professional players who have no doubt played in various formations since they were teenagers. It's like asked a plasterer to plaster a room and he says although he has 10 years experience he can't do ceilings. No excuses for Sage, the two key components of Glasner's system are out of the picture - Munoz gone, and Mateta playing up and unreliable.
Time to step up Mr Sage, you're the manager now!

 

[Painter]

Centre back is a must. But then it’s been a must the last two windows and we’ve failed to address it.

Prefer a goalscorer, we have strikers that cant hit the target. We have enough CBs Canvot, Richards, Riad, Disasi, Tomiyasu and Lerma and Mingueza can cover.

 

[JHB]

Prefer a goalscorer, we have strikers that cant hit the target. We have enough CBs Canvot, Richards, Riad, Disasi, Tomiyasu and Lerma and Mingueza can cover.

This actually illustrates the problem we have right now. Lots of squad players but nobody who is a clear first choice. I look at all those options and with the exception of Disasi and a good version of Richards I feel nervous about any of them starting.

I’d also be surprised if we see Riad again

 

[JHB]

Not sure Sage will change the formation, but the way of playing it.

Glasner was a sit in deep, low block manager. Sage is a high intensity, high line, high press manager.

The way of playing it so far has to be wide open and concede numerous chances to the opposition. Very early days but the high press is incredibly hard to make work. Against good Premier Legaue teams and with a weak defence we will get picked apart

 

[park the bus]

The way of playing it so far has to be wide open and concede numerous chances to the opposition. Very early days but the high press is incredibly hard to make work. Against good Premier Legaue teams and with a weak defence we will get picked apart

High press also needs the players to be super fit, looking at Wharton and Kamada fading after 60/70 minutes I wonder where the energy is going to come from.

 

[MrRobbo]

I found Sage's reasoning ludicrous, these are professional players who have no doubt played in various formations since they were teenagers. It's like asked a plasterer to plaster a room and he says although he has 10 years experience he can't do ceilings. No excuses for Sage, the two key components of Glasner's system are out of the picture - Munoz gone, and Mateta playing up and unreliable.
Time to step up Mr Sage, you're the manager now!

Really, if a qualified coach says the players havent had time to completely change the way they set up, why would that be ludicrous?

 

[MrRobbo]

The way of playing it so far has to be wide open and concede numerous chances to the opposition. Very early days but the high press is incredibly hard to make work. Against good Premier Legaue teams and with a weak defence we will get picked apart

The inverse is that we wont look so toothless against low blocks.

Ideally we get to a point where we are flexible in set up depending on the oppo. Which to be fair to Sage he has done historically.

 

[HeathMan]

Good to see the play on Friday. So many incoming players and existing players doing well. A win against Fulham will help our progress up the table and increase player confidence.

 

[park the bus]

Really, if a qualified coach says the players havent had time to completely change the way they set up, why would that be ludicrous?

Because he's playing another man's game. They're professionals, it's their job to sit up and take notice. Anyway, as mentioned, Munoz is gone and Mateta is a bad influence and unreliable so I fully expect Sage to step up here on in. The transfer window is almost done, so Sage will finally have a pool of players to impress his style upon. Fulham away, a chance to impress us.

 

[see_change]

This actually illustrates the problem we have right now. Lots of squad players but nobody who is a clear first choice. I look at all those options and with the exception of Disasi and a good version of Richards I feel nervous about any of them starting.

I’d also be surprised if we see Riad again

Reality is few of our purchases are first 11 when we buy them .

Some of them step straight up like Marc , Max , Daniel and Adam but Olise and Eze took a while to get up to speed .

How long did JP take ….

If we want players who we know are capable of stepping straight in , we’d need to be spending more than we normally spend , and that hasn’t usually worked out well for us .

Benteke had one good season and kept us up. , Sako ( seemed to spend most of his time injured ) Brennan and SL didn’t step straight in and I think those are our most
Expensive four .

 

[PatrickA]

This actually illustrates the problem we have right now. Lots of squad players but nobody who is a clear first choice. I look at all those options and with the exception of Disasi and a good version of Richards I feel nervous about any of them starting.

I’d also be surprised if we see Riad again

Riad is out for the season, Tomiyasu cannot be relied upon having a very poor injury record (which is why we got him on a free in the first place), Sage has clearly stated that he sees Mingueza as a wing back rather than centre back, Disasi is an unknown (at least for Palace) and Canvot is still a work in progress.
Richards is proven, but needs good defenders beside him, and Lerma is decent in a back 3, but only as a stand in.

I take it that the club have a similar view, which is why centre backs are on the shopping list today.

For me the one glaring omission is pace and thrust in the forward areas.
Larsen, Nketiah, Pino, McNeil,Mateta, Guessand - none of them have the burning pace to get away from defenders and they end up turning back on themselves and allowing defenders to regroup.
Sarr is the exception with his pace, but is one player enough, and even if he stays will he buckle down?

 

[taylors lovechild]

More specifically, I think it's pace and threat down the left that we're missing. We have Sarr, Gozo and Khalaili who are all very quick and who all operate down the right. Tyrick is quick, but despite improving, he still doesn't offer a huge threat down the left. If we got a top left-sided forward today, then that would give us a big lift, I think. McNeil offers some depth from the bench, but I don't see him as our first pick...

...but let's place our bets that this is the left-winger we sign...

Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Hull City and Burnley eye late move for Wolves star

One of Wolves' longest-serving players is looking to leave the club on transfer deadline day.

footballleagueworld.co.uk

 

[palace99]

I found Sage's reasoning ludicrous, these are professional players who have no doubt played in various formations since they were teenagers. It's like asked a plasterer to plaster a room and he says although he has 10 years experience he can't do ceilings. No excuses for Sage, the two key components of Glasner's system are out of the picture - Munoz gone, and Mateta playing up and unreliable.
Time to step up Mr Sage, you're the manager now!

i would wholeheartedly agree, however, i was at Macclesfield in January where we played 433 all 2nd half and our 2 international CBs played like they were complete strangers.

There was logic v Everton as some of the players had only just returned from the WC and we played 10 starters who were with us last year. Man City the formation could have worked as we knew we would have limited possession. Against weaker teams let's see what Sage does.

I suspect the 3 week international break (after Sept 20th) may see a change.

 

[JHB]

Riad is out for the season, Tomiyasu cannot be relied upon having a very poor injury record (which is why we got him on a free in the first place), Sage has clearly stated that he sees Mingueza as a wing back rather than centre back, Disasi is an unknown (at least for Palace) and Canvot is still a work in progress.
Richards is proven, but needs good defenders beside him, and Lerma is decent in a back 3, but only as a stand in.

I take it that the club have a similar view, which is why centre backs are on the shopping list today.

For me the one glaring omission is pace and thrust in the forward areas.
Larsen, Nketiah, Pino, McNeil,Mateta, Guessand - none of them have the burning pace to get away from defenders and they end up turning back on themselves and allowing defenders to regroup.
Sarr is the exception with his pace, but is one player enough, and even if he stays will he buckle down?

Yes agree with all of this. The more I look at it the more Guessand looks like a waste of a loan spot. His record in the Premier League is mediocre to put it kindly. He didn’t impress me in his loan spell with us last season.