The Promoted – End of Season Report – Crystal Palace

With reports on both Cardiff City and and Hull City already written up last week, our final article on the promoted sides features Crystal Palace. Having finished fifth in the Championship, 15 points behind Malky Mackay’s table-toppers, Ian Holloway’s side clinched promotion thanks to a dramatic Play-Off final win over Watford on Monday afternoon.

Back in the Premier League after an eight-year absence, Palace also got the better of Brighton over two-legs in the Play-Off semi-finals. Although Holloway’s side failed to concede in all three of their knockout matches, they somewhat lacked in defensive resilience over the full domestic campaign…

The Statistics

CS = Cleansheets

Palace finished the season as second top scoring side in the Championship, though their performances at home and on the road were significantly contrasting. Holloway’s side racked up 52 goals at Selhurst Park – more than any home side in the league – and scored two or more goals in 18 of the 23 fixtures in front of their own supporters. Indeed, Palace demonstrated a real eye for goal at home, notching at least three times on nine occasions but they left themselves open to the opposition attack and registered a mere six clean sheets at Selhurst Park. Furthermore, they shipped 31 goals in front of their own fans, more than double Cardiff’s 15, for example.

On the road, Holloway’s side mustered just 21 goals over the season – the third lowest away attack in the Championship. Palace scored more than a single goal in only six of their 23 matches away from Selhurst Park and with just four goals in their final 10 road trips, Fantasy managers will be confident of backing home sides when Holloway’s troops come calling. The London club conceded two or more goals on nine occasions but with just five clean sheets on their travels, their defensive displays in the league were somewhat at odds with their Play-Off performances.

The Manager

Palace are Holloway’s sixth club as manager, though it was only really at former club Blackpool that he achieved a relative degree of success. Guiding the Tangerines to Premier League promotion after a Play-Off Final win over Cardiff back in May 2010, his attacking brand of football afforded Fantasy managers a cut-price phenomenon in Charlie Adam before Blackpool dropped through the relegation trap door a year later. Holloway almost made an immediate return, though, steering the club to the 2012 Play-Off Final before tasting defeat at the hands of Sam Allardyce’s West Ham.

After three years at the Bloomfield Road club, the Bristol-born manager quit for family reasons and took up the Selhurst Park reins in November last year, after Dougie Freedman left to take charge of Bolton. Holloway has only had one transfer window to make any sort of alterations to the squad personnel, then, though his loan acquisition of Kevin Phillips proved a canny piece of business, with the forward netting seven times – including the Wembley winner – from just 16 appearances.

Tactically, it’s possible that his brief spell in the top-flight with Blackpool could see Holloway rein in the offensive football that all too often saw his previous club caught on the break – Palace’s lack of pace at the back could also dictate his approach. Certainly, a compact 4-2-3-1 formation, with high pressing from the most advanced quartet, proved fundamental to Palace’s success over the Play-Offs, though Holloway has also switched to a front two late on in games when his side needed an extra offensive threat.

The Promoted Squad

Listed below are the players who featured in at least half Palace’s 46 league games, with the Play-Off statistics also included:

Julian Speroni (49 apps) nailed-on between the sticks, the big Argentine will certainly guarantee game time. Bearing in mind that Cardiff’s David Marshall registered 18 clean sheets, however, Speroni could struggle for our Fantasy attention, given Palace’s comparative inability to keep out opponents.

Joel Ward (28 apps, 1 assist) signed from Portsmouth last summer, he started the season as first-choice right-back before being sidelined for months with a torn groin muscle. Versatile enough to play in midfield, he regained his regular role towards the end of the season once fully-fit.

Jonathan Parr (38 apps, 4 assists) the left-back’s campaign came to a premature end after he sustained damaged ankle ligaments against Ipswich in April. Parr is uncertain whether he’ll be fit to start pre-season training in tandem with his team mates but is optimistic of being fit for the beginning of the 2013/14 campaign.

Damien Delaney (43 apps, 3 goals, 2 assists) arrived at Selhurst Park from Ipswich last summer and was immediately installed as a key figure at the heart of the Palace back-four. Given his side’s poor defensive displays, he looks set to be a busy man next term, though his attacking contribution may catch the eye for those looking for a cut-price option at the back.

Peter Ramage (40 apps, 4 goals, 1 assist) the former Newcastle man has signed up for another couple of years over the past week and is clearly part of Holloway’s plans. Having partnered Delaney for the vast majority of the season, however, he lost his starting role to Danny Gabbidon for the run in – although the latter made just 13 appearances over the course of the campaign, Holloway seemed to rely on him when it mattered most.

Dean Moxey (33 apps, 4 assists) versatile enough to play at both centre-half and left-back, he may well have to rely on injuries to others to supplement his game time. Reports hint at a possible exit, with Moxey likely to be no more than a bench-warmer in the season ahead, particularly if Parr gains fitness for the start of the campaign.

Yannick Bolasie (45 apps, 3 goals, 8 assists) moved to the club from Bristol City last August, the DR Congo international starred on the left wing in all but four of Palace’s 49 fixtures. While Zaha hogged the headlines, Bolasie mirrored the new United man’s eight assists over the 46 league games.

Kagisho Dikgacoi (42 apps, 4 goals, 2 assists) forced off with a calf injury early on in the Play-Off Final, the former Fulham man chipped in with a decent attacking contribution from deep. Likely to be handed a sitting role in the double-pivot if Holloway utilises a 4-2-3-1, his contribution could be minimal next time around.

Mile Jedinak (44 apps, 3 goals, 3 assists) a tireless central midfielder, he’s likely to be afforded plenty starts but, similar to Dikgacoi, may struggle to find himself in advanced areas as Holloway looks to tighten up defensively.

Owen Garvan (30 apps, 4 goals, 6 assists) another player who has been handed a new contract since the club’s promotion. Garvan was fielded as the most advanced of the central midfield trio and may prove an unlikely off the radar prospect if he nails down the role in “the hole” next season. His game time was limited due to a knee injury but he was reinstalled to the first XI when fit.

Andre Moritz (29 apps, 5 goals, 4 assists) a Brazilian attacking midfielder, he arrived on a free transfer last summer. Chipped in with a respectable tally but was mainly relying on sub appearances by the time the season came to a close and now looks to be behind Garvan in the pecking order.

Wilfried Zaha (46 apps, 8 goals, 9 assists) loaned back to the club after signing for United in January, his departure leaves Holloway with plenty to ponder. As his Wembley display highlighted, Zaha was the jewel in Palace’s side and it’s little wonder Holloway is already pondering a loan move for his services.

Jonathan Williams (32 apps, 1 assist) a highly-rated product of the club’s youth academy, he was preferred to Bolasie on the left in the Play-Offs. Could be handed a regular role as a result of Zaha’s departure, though much depends on Holloway’s summer shopping spree.

Glenn Murray (43 apps, 30 goals, 7 assists) joined in the summer of 2011 on a free transfer from Brighton and scored just seven goals in his first season at Selhurst Park. Last term, though, he ran riot and, with spot-kicks also in his locker, played a part in more than 50% of his side’s goals. Murray was the only player from any of the promoted sides to register double figures but could face up to nine months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Aaron Wilbraham (24 apps, 2 assists) in for the injured Murray for the Play-Off Final, his poor finishing almost proved costly. Having failed to score since last August, it’s a fair assumption he’ll be a bit-part player at best.

Potential Targets

With Zaha at United, Phillips back at Blackpool and Murray stuck in the treatment room, Holloway looks to have a busy summer of wheeling and dealing on the cards. Immediately after the Watford win, the Palace boss was typically frank in offering his assessment of the situation:

“Everybody wrote us off, everybody. In a two-horse race there was one horse. We had no chance at Brighton away. We had enough match winners in our team that would cause a few problems. I’ve got to make sure we’ve got that next year. It all starts now for me because the minute we kick off next we’re on a hiding to nothing, so we’ve got to make sure we can compete and I want to stay there.”

The London club are likely to be heavily involved in the transfer market right up until the end of August, then, with Holloway already hinting he’ll mull up a loan move for Zaha should David Moyes give him any encouragement. Palace co-chairman Steve Parrish has admitted the club are interested in in Real Madrid forward Javier Acuna, who notched 16 goals in 34 games on loan at Spanish Second Division side Girona and is out of contract next month. Intriguingly, Darren Bent’s name has also been mentioned after the arrival of Christian Benteke has knocked him out the Villa first-team. While Holloway is keen to snap up Phillips on a permanent deal, he’s likely to be handed the “Adam Le Fondre” role at best, climbing off the bench late on in games when his side require a goal.

In midfield, a potential reunion with Charlie Adam has been mentioned – his lack of mobility and industry may allow Holloway to sit him in front of the back-four and play passes from a deep-lying playmaker position as Palace look to hit on the break. Tottenham’s forgotten man David Bentley and team mate Jake Livermore are also linked. Certainly, Andre Villas-Boas allowed many of his fringe players to leave the Lane on loan last time out and Holloway would offer Livermore the chance of regular game time, should the Spurs boss decide against a permanent deal.

Out wide, Holloway’s previous working relationship with Tom Ince at Blackpool may come in handy, while he could offer Peter Odemwingie a way out of West Brom. Holloway was interested back in January but the Nigerian didn’t want to drop down a division –the Palace boss is now in a stronger bargaining position as he looks to fill the flanks with top-flight experience.