Moving Target – Frank De Boer

Crystal Palace named their third manager in the space of six months earlier in the week, appointing Frank De Boer on a three-year deal at Selhurst Park.

Arriving in the English top-flight for the first time, the Dutchman will take time to assess his options before investing in the transfer market, although he was quick to talk up a pair of Eagles’ attackers in particular:

“I want to know everyone first; that for me is very important. I have my ideas because I have watched videos on the squad so I might know there might be a player that can be interesting for us, but I firstly want to see everyone, and then we can make decisions. We have a very solid squad with some very good players, with Benteke the most famous as well as Zaha.”

Palace are now hoping for a period of stability after Sam Allardyce – who replaced Alan Pardew midway through 2016/17 – chose to retire at the end of the season having steered them to safety.

The team has had to scrap for survival in successive campaigns, so chairman Steve Parish is looking for De Boer to install more consistency in his side’s displays:

“Frank was really engaging and had put a lot of work into getting ready for our meeting to cover his playing and management career. We both spoke about a revolution that we need here and how we can change from the pattern of this club over the last two seasons. Third from bottom on home form but eighth or ninth on away form has been our record, but we want to get away from that and look at a way of getting the best out of our players.”

The History

A product of the Ajax youth system, De Boer’s playing career began back in 1988. He spent 11 successful years with the Dutch outfit, and a further four at Barcelona, before brief stints at Galatasaray and Rangers preceded a switch to Qatar. He also played 112 times for Holland, retiring in 2006.

The Dutchman’s coaching career started a year later, returning to Ajax to take charge of their youth team. Following a spell as assistant manager for the Holland senior side, De Boer’s first managerial appointment came in December 2010, when he replaced Martin Jol as Ajax boss.

His impact was immediate. De Boer steered Ajax to four successive league titles for the first time in their history, but chose to resign after failing to clinch a fifth on the final day of 2015/16.

He was appointed as Inter Milan manager last August, but it’s fair to say that he failed to translate his Dutch success to Serie A. De Boer lasted just 85 days at the San Siro, dismissed with his side sitting twelfth in the table on the back of five wins, two draws and seven losses in 14 matches.

The Prospects

De Boer’s formative years at Ajax and Barcelona mean he’s very much an advocate of the possession-based 4-3-3 formation, with quick, direct wingers and full-backs pushing forward from deep.

That’s a little at odds with Palace’s recent approach – the Selhurst Park side have registered just 44% possession in each of the last two seasons – so they may need time to adjust to their new manager’s demands.

Certainly, from comments made by Parish, De Boer has arrived to enact a change in style.

“We need to find a way of breaking down teams that give us the ball. The technical detail is Frank’s world, but if teams give us the ball, typically we lose. If we give them the ball we beat them, and that’s top teams as well.”

De Boer is adaptable, though, and has been known to tailor his tactics according to the opposition. When looking to find a way back into matches or gain control in the final third, he has occasionally operated with a false nine as the central attacker and also used central midfielders out wide in the front three.

At Inter, he also trialled a 4-2-3-1, and their average of 30 crosses per match under his guidance indicates that the new manager could alter his approach accordingly to suit Palace’s main men.

At the back, Mamadou Sakho’s return to parent club Liverpool means our assessment of Palace’s defensive prospects is on hold for now. The Selhurst Park outfit mustered just two clean sheets in the first 25 Gameweeks before the Frenchman’s winter arrival helped marshal them to four in the subsequent six.

Questioned on his plans, De Boer was somewhat non-committal on the likelihood of another deal for the centre-half:

“He was certainly impressive and important last season, but we will look at what we need. First of all, I need to see all the players and get a good opinion on them. I know a lot about the team, but it’s different when a new manager comes in. Already I have my opinion, but I need to see them live to see if my opinion changes.”

With the freedom to raid forward, though, Patrick Van Aanholt could prove one of the main beneficiaries of De Boer’s appointment.

The left-back notched five times last term – adding to six strikes from the 2015/16 season – and placed in the top three defenders for shots (34) and efforts on target (13) last term. Despite earning just a single assist, the Dutchman’s total of 34 key passes was seventh among defenders.

Further up the field, Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke look set to remain the chief source of Fantasy interest.

Zaha will be hoping to build on the back of last season’s 149 points, which saw him finally step up as a Fantasy asset thanks to seven goals and 11 assists. But one goal – and seven blanks – in the final nine Gameweeks indicates that his attacking edge was blunted late on, with Allardyce’s team tightening up to grind out results.

Instead, the wide man will be looking to replicate the form that produced a goal or assist in six of seven appearances under Pardew between Gameweek 9-15. Double-figure hauls in wins over Chelsea and Arsenal underline his fixture-proof appeal, with the winger also returning points against Manchester City, Liverpool and West Brom.

Andros Townsend could also profit from a change of manager. The former Spurs wide man bettered Zaha for both shots (56 to 49) and key passes (51 to 38), despite returning just three goals and seven assists. However, a 75% pass completion record indicates that, of the two wingers, his style could be more at odds with De Boer’s ethos.

Palace have placed in the top two teams for total crosses in each of the last couple of seasons, and their acquisition of Benteke last summer may ultimately be the determining factor in De Boer’s approach.

The Belgian’s lack of mobility, in addition to his aerial prowess, is likely to ensure they continue that steady delivery from the flanks.

Benteke’s tally of 15 goals in his first season at Selhurst Park once again underlined an ability to produce the goods, despite playing for a struggling side. The Belgian target man – who served up 42 goals in three seasons at Villa – ranked top for headed efforts (49) and joint-top for headed goals (seven) in 2016/17, and has consistently delivered when afforded regular pitch-time.

Pre-season will afford us more time to assess the new manager’s impact and intentions, but De Boer’s charges could find their way into our opening squads if they can show summer form.

A favourable trio of home encounters with Huddersfield Town, Swansea City and Southampton, in addition to a trip to Burnley in the first five rounds of fixtures, hand the Eagles an opportunity to build momentum before the schedule stiffens from Gameweek 6.