In the 2017/18 season Crystal Palace found themselves in a perilous position after losing seven consecutive games in the Premier League but winning their two EFL Cup fixtures..
This season the Eagles are in a similar position, after remaining winless in the league after seven matches, drawing three times and losing four matches. Palace have also won their Round 2 and Round 3 EFL Cup ties.
As well as a winless run, Crystal Palace had not scored a goal in their first seven Premier League games in 2017/18. However, this time they have scored five in their first seven league games.
The 17/18 season saw Palace secure their first win in matchweek eight, with Roy Hodgson's side running out 2-1 victors at home against champions Chelsea.
Oliver Glasner will be hoping his side can emulate the Palace team of 17/18, and secure their first victory against Nottingham Forest in the Eagles eighth league fixture, but what changes did Palace make to turn their fortunes around?
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Change in Manager
Palace had appointed Frank de Boer to replace Sam Allardyce before the season began. The former England manager had resigned from the South London club at the end of the 2016/17 season and Steve Parish brought in Frank de Boer to replace him.
Parish believed that de Boer would be the man to push Palace on. The Dutchman held high pedigree having won the Eredivisie four years in a row with Ajax between 2011 and 2015. However, the appointment did not go to plan, with de Boer lasting just 77 days in charge before being sacked.
De Boer’s Palace looked lacklustre, with the Eagles suffering disappointing defeats to relegation rivals Huddersfield, Swansea and Burnley.
Parish made the decision to relieve de Boer of his duties, replacing the Dutchman with another former England manager Roy Hodgson who was tasked with keeping the Eagles up.
Palace certainly moved quickly to sack de Boer in 2017 and Glasner will now be under intense pressure in current times.. Many argued that Palace were harsh to move on from Patrick Vieira so quickly after a run of disappointing results and performances, but with Palace yet to find a win and loitering in the relegation zone, patience may not be a virtue Palace are afforded.
If the Eagles struggle to pick up a win in their upcoming games, the pressure will grow. Despite the successful run of form at the end of last term, Parish will be forced to contemplate whether Glasner is the right man to lead the side forwards.
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Maximising The Players
Frank de Boer switched Crystal Palace’s formation to a 3-4-2-1. The South London side had not played this set up in the current Premier League era prior to his arrival.
The Dutchman had attempted this set up during his time in the Netherlands.
In the summer of 2017 Crystal Palace welcomed Mamadou Sakho to the club on a permanent basis. The French defender had previously spent the second half of the 2016/17 season on loan in London. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Timothy Fosu-Mensah were also recruited to the club on loan.
Jairo Riedewald followed de Boer to South London, having previously worked with the Dutchman at Ajax.
Loftus-Cheek would go on to be a key signing for Palace as he earned himself a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the 2018 World Cup.
At times de Boer appeared to restrict some of the players in his squad, utilising players out of position with former captain Luka Milivojevic, a natural centre midfielder, tested at centre-back.
Hodgson decided to get rid of the back three and frequently played a 4-4-2 for the rest of the season.
This proved effective with Hodgson able to get the best out of those who were available to him.
Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha both adapted exceptionally to playing upfront. James McArthur and Ruben Loftus-Cheek played a significant amount of the season on the right and left of a narrow midfield.
Glasner traditionally plays the 3-4-2-1 formation. Daniel Munoz has been key for Palace going forward with his exceptional press and sprint speed. However, in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool the Colombian wing-back picked up an injury, and despite reports suggesting Munoz will return for the Forest match, Glasner may still wish to adapt his system.
To get the best out of his current players available, Glasner may wish to switch to a back four.
It is also worth that the Austrian manager is yet to find his best right-sided attacker since the departure of Michael Olise. Odsonne Edouard, Daichi Kamada, Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah have all been tested in the right-sided 'ten' role.
A move to a 4-4-2 could be beneficial to improve the team’s output and fit both Jean-Philippe Mateta and Nketiah into the side more naturally, whilst a switch to a 4-2-3-1 could unlock the best out of Eberechi Eze who has not yet performed to expectations.
Eze’s best position has appeared to be behind the striker as a number central 'ten'. However, he has played much of his recent football on the left-hand side and has struggled at times this season. He’s repeatedly held onto the ball for a little too long and his decision making, and final pass could be improved if there was less pressure on him.
Eze was part of a lethal duo with Olise, who has since departed to Bayern Munich. Olise was a left-footed right-winger who held the attacking width but was also able to drift inside effectively and link up well with Munoz. Without Olise, and a more narrow option instead taking the Frenchman's place, Munoz has often been isolated out wide and been unable to take advantage of one-on-one situations.
If Crystal Palace were to sign a left-footed natural winger in the January window this may allow a more traditional shape, and also allow Eze more space centrally to play to his own personal strengths rather than the half-spaces being so vastly populated.
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Introduction of Youth
In the 2017/18 season Palace suffered from a major injury crisis. The crisis forced Hodgson to hand a debut to a 20-year-old Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The introduction of Wan-Bissaka to the side helped Palace shore up at the back with the Eagles keeping two clean sheets in the seven games the full-back played in the 17/18 season with the season acting as a breakthrough for the Palace academy graduate.
Former Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon was on trial at the club this summer. However, Oliver Glasner turned down the chance to sign Sessegnon on a free, stating he believed that Franco Umeh was ample enough cover for Tyrick Mitchell at left wing-back.
Winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi may also have a chance of being involved this season. The winger won Charlton’s player of the season when he was on loan at Palace's local rivals in 2022/23. Rak-Sakyi is currently on loan at Championship side Sheffield United, scoring two goals in nine appearances.
Palace have a recall clause in his loan contract and could choose to bring the winger back to the club in the January window, and Rak-Sakyi both help fill the right-sided 'ten' void vacated by Olise.
