The manager roundabout

[RubinsCube]

Agree with much of what you've said and I too am fearful that if Glasner leaves, we'll be back to a 'safe' manager, probably Moyes or Southgate.

The problem is that, at the moment, we're not playing expansive, progressive football. That attacking verve from last season has complete gone. Obviously Olise leaving has hurt us but it can't explain the performance levels of every other player reaching such lows.

I actually think Andersen going has been worse for us because our inability to get out from defence now is shocking to watch. It's like our three CBs can't pass between them and every clearance just comes right back.

Really Glasner needs to throw caution to the wind and just attack, attack, attack. We're the lowest scorers in the league so something has to give.

I'd try and get as close to last season's front three as possible, with Eze and Sarr playing behind Mateta. Sarr is obviously nowhere near Olise's level but I think he's the closest in style.

I do not have stats on this but it seems to me we are not winning the ball high up in games this season, or even trying to. One unhearalded thing Olise did really well was press. We had a front three pressing as a unit last season. Quite a few chances, and panic in the opposition, came from that tactic.

Olise is gone so no real way around that. But are key players injured/burnt out after the Euros/Copa America/Olympics? Have some players downed tools for some reason? It is reminiscent of Southgate's odd admission in the Euros that "this team is not in a position to press right now". And from the outside it is hard to put a finger on.

 

[davehuggins]

I am the same as most and really fed up with our ups and downs on a regular basis, I like most was thinking this season we will push on, oh no here we are again!!! How is it other teams lose key players and just move on, as an example Brighton lost loads of key players a couple of season ago and look were they are now (jealous). Very painful times indeed and IMO after so many season in the top flight something somewhere is NOT right. Upstairs perhaps in the hierarchy??

 

[PatrickA]

I do not have stats on this but it seems to me we are not winning the ball high up in games this season, or even trying to. One unhearalded thing Olise did really well was press. We had a front three pressing as a unit last season. Quite a few chances, and panic in the opposition, came from that tactic.

Olise is gone so no real way around that. But are key players injured/burnt out after the Euros/Copa America/Olympics? Have some players downed tools for some reason? It is reminiscent of Southgate's odd admission in the Euros that "this team is not in a position to press right now". And from the outside it is hard to put a finger on.

We're not retaining possession with our sloppy passing from back to front.
Anderson, Wharton and Olise rarely conceded possession cheaply in our good run last season.

With moves rapidly breaking down this season we're rarely in a position to box teams in , we're too busy trying to recover cheaply lost possession.
In my view this has meant that our build up has become more laborious as there's a fear about conceding possession yet again.
We need to play at a quicker pace and get the ball to our forwards in better positions in and around the area.
Mateta has had few chances this season to demonstrate his finishing.
Nketiah has largely been restricted to attempts from positions from where it's difficult to score.

 

[eritheagle]

Mateta has got some nerve if any of this is true seeing as he’s only really performed for 2 months in his whole time at Palace.

When you say you believe there an issue or two in the squad, have you heard something or is it a hunch you have? You then say it’s your opinion that it centres on Mateta wanting a new contract and there’s a divide in the squad.

He doesn't kick the flag anymore (on the rare occasions he scores) as he has a problem with the terms he's been offered!

I'm sure the board are well upset with that...NOT!! He's more likely disappointing the young fans that support the wally. This dates back to during our run at end of season but he did that celebration for France in Olympics.

 

[eritheagle]

I am the same as most and really fed up with our ups and downs on a regular basis, I like most was thinking this season we will push on, oh no here we are again!!! How is it other teams lose key players and just move on, as an example Brighton lost loads of key players a couple of season ago and look were they are now (jealous). Very painful times indeed and IMO after so many season in the top flight something somewhere is NOT right. Upstairs perhaps in the hierarchy??

I totally agree with you. B'mouth sold their top scorer and it hardly affected them. I wouldn't even discribe us as a selling club in Prem Lge. We kept Wilf and Eze for quite a while and apart from this summer, when we couldn't stop Olise and OG wanted Lacroix to replace Anderson, we've only really cashed in on one player, Wan-Bissaka.

We never seem to get a few cheaper players in with potential, like B'mouth and Brighton, and fit them into an exciting brand of footy. It nearly always seems to be expensive players we've been chasing for ages or experienced freebies. The only exciting transfer windows we had were when PV took over or when Big Sam demanded Parish buy him the 5 players (including 2 players that could play left back) he wanted that would keep us up!

 

[pax3908]

I’m as pissed off as everyone on here about how we are playing at the moment. The system, lack of goals etc.

There is a very real possibility that we will be without a win and out of a cup we all wanted a run in come the time of the wolves game. The wolves game I see as OGs Alamo. Without a win against them I think the plug gets pulled. A win there and I believe we will get the spark to get something against a very good and on the up Fulham side.

However. There is an absolute pattern to Palace. We all so desperately want a side that plays good attacking football. Much like the golden period at the end of last season.
The problem as I see it is that our club just cannot or will not fend off offers for our players when we start to look good. After we nearly went bust there is no way that SP and the board are not going to balance the books.

This means we will always be somewhere between a Glasner and a Roy. A forward thinking progressive manager and a firefighter. A young up and coming manager or a Moyes etc.

Look at the situation we are in. Make no mistake, we are in a fight now. Confidence is shot, players heads are down, everybody is looking around for somebody or something to light the spark of last year. Is it the manager? I’m not sure but other than Hughes I don’t see a leader on the pitch at all.

What we do all know is that Parish and co will not allow us to go down. It won’t happen under this watch. What will happen is we will go back to a pragmatic manager and very quickly stabilise and we will all be glad of a few solid displays and 1-0 wins and we will climb to our normal perch. Then we will all start moaning about the dull ‘RoyBall or more likely ‘Moyesball’ ‘Potterball’ or dare is say ‘gazzaball’ that we will be watching and the golden 7 games of last season will be like some mythical legend that we are not sure really happened where every time we went forward we looked like scoring.

Do we stop this cycle. Stick with OG and see what happens? I just can’t see it happening, too much money is at stake. For it to happen, the next squad that clicks, there can be so sell on clauses, no passing through Palace on your way to a bigger club (you don’t see Brighton, Bournemouth or even Forest now saying this sort of s***). We either build something special or we just rinse and repeat the last 10 years… which let’s face it has been more consistently successful than any period we have had in my lifetime.

 

[Painter]

I’d take Wilf back all day long

As manager?

 

[doombear]

Is anybody changing their tune after yesterday? I'm not. I'll continue to believe that Glasner will get us playing more like the end of last season before too long. Hopefully we'll see a settled starting line-up soon. At least the Guehi-Lacroix-Chalobah back 3 is beginning to look decent despite the Chalobah errors against Liverpool (losing Jota) and Forest (passing to Wood so he could take a shot).

 

[MrRobbo]

I am the same as most and really fed up with our ups and downs on a regular basis, I like most was thinking this season we will push on, oh no here we are again!!! How is it other teams lose key players and just move on, as an example Brighton lost loads of key players a couple of season ago and look were they are now (jealous). Very painful times indeed and IMO after so many season in the top flight something somewhere is NOT right. Upstairs perhaps in the hierarchy??

Progression isn't always linear.

Remember Brighton finished below us last season. Selling first team players is disruptive, but ultimately for a team like ours its essential.

Lacroix is a great example, cheaper, faster and younger than Anderson. And for most of this season fans have been lamenting the decision to let him go. Now 9 games in it looks like Lacroix is starting to settle.

 

[doombear]

Progression isn't always linear.

Remember Brighton finished below us last season. Selling first team players is disruptive, but ultimately for a team like ours its essential.

Lacroix is a great example, cheaper, faster and younger than Anderson. And for most of this season fans have been lamenting the decision to let him go. Now 9 games in it looks like Lacroix is starting to settle.

And not just that but hinting at turning out to be a better all round player than Andersen.

 

[JHB]

A bit of revisionism here. While Lacroix is starting to do well, there is no doubt we’ve missed Anderson this season. For the first 8 games we really missed his organisation and ability to get us quickly going forward from the back.

It didn’t have to be a straight choice between Lacroix and Anderson either. It could have been Lacroix plus Anderson and maybe save the money we spent on Nketiah.

Getting rid of Anderson so late in the window was also bad business as it disrupted us once the season was under way.

I’ve no doubt that if we still had Anderson we’d have more points than we do

 

[silvertop]

A bit of revisionism here. While Lacroix is starting to do well, there is no doubt we’ve missed Anderson this season. For the first 8 games we really missed his organisation and ability to get us quickly going forward from the back.

It didn’t have to be a straight choice between Lacroix and Anderson either. It could have been Lacroix plus Anderson and maybe save the money we spent on Nketiah.

Getting rid of Anderson so late in the window was also bad business as it disrupted us once the season was under way.

I’ve no doubt that if we still had Anderson we’d have more points than we do

Glasner has commented on the impact of late departures/early arrivals and the need for players to settle. Lacroix is there; Chalobah and Nketiah close. Kamada seems the only flop and he came early enough for pre season

 

[BromleyMonkey]

And not just that but hinting at turning out to be a better all round player than Andersen.

Definitely signs of him being a better all round defender, Andersen was a great player, as someone said he could get us moving forward a bit swifter with his excellent passing, but as I’ve said many a time Andersen struggled with good old fashioned defending at times, as in getting his head on the ball in the penalty area and his positioning, Lacroix was excellent against spurs, very commanding with some important tackles, whether he would’ve been the same if spurs had Kane and Son up front is another matter, but it looks like he’s improving with every game