While writing up my recent post on last season’s manager impact, the transformation that Crystal Palace went through caught my eye. From changing managers from Neil Warnock to Alan Pardew, the team moved from 18th to a respectable 10th in 20 games. Also notable were some surprise results such as the 2-1 victories over Tottenham and Man City as well as the 3-1 away win over Liverpool.
Warnock v Pardew
Under Neil Warnock [18 games]
Shots: 196
Shots to Goal Ratio: 9.8
Goals: 20
Average Goals Scored per Game: 1.1
Goals Conceded: 30
Average Goals Conceded per Game: 1.6
Clean Sheets: 3
Games to Clean sheet ratio: 6.3
Under Alan Pardew [20 games]
Shots: 246
Shots to Goal Ratio: 9.1
Goals: 27
Average Goals Scored per Game: 1.35
Goals Conceded: 21
Average Goals Conceded per Game: 1.05
Clean Sheets: 4
Games to Clean sheet ratio: 5
Pardew’s Key Players
The improvement in attack was one of the most eye catching differences, even though under Pardew Palace’s defence was still porous. A key factor in the improvement in front of goal was the stellar set piece threat Pardew installed at Palace. From GW19, when Pardew took over, until the end of the season, Crystal Palace topped the table for most set-piece attempts. Likewise they led the way with the most goals from set-pieces during this time, tallying 12 goals alongside Arsenal and West Brom. This accounts for 44 per cent of their 27 goals under Pardew in the latter half of the season.
The players that helped achieve this strong set piece threat include Jason Puncheon, the skilled winger who was given a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 0.5 price rise this season to 6.0 but dropped to 5.5 by the end of the campaign. His penchant for free kicks and strong points return over the last three seasons is quite appealing going into the new term. He delivered three points less than his 2013/14 season with just over 300 extra minutes. So hopefully we may see another 6.0 starting price next season, giving Puncheon the opportunity to become a mid-priced bargain similar to Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson last season.
Considering the threat that the team carries from corners and free kicks, it is hard to overlook centre-backs as an option, even if Palace still struggled to find clean sheets under Pardew. At this stage, it is difficult to know whether Pardew plans to bring in another centre-back, but there remains a few choices available currently. Joel Ward has been fielded at right back in recent seasons but can play well at centreback, so perhaps Pardew plans to strengthen in this area and return Ward to his natural position. The safest pick in my opinion is Scott Dann, who notched two goals last season. Damien Delaney was also heavily involved since Pardew’s arrival but lacked the goal threat of his fellow defenders. However, an interesting one could be Brede Hangeland should he nail down the other defensive spot. The veteran Norwegian signed a one year contract extension recently and played the final game of the season against Swansea. A potential cheap defender, yet at this stage, it seems likely he will be used as cover. Should the 34-year-old win a starting place though, his presence in the box combined with Palace’s set-piece threat might see a similar goals return to that of his 2010/11 season. Food for thought at least…
Lastly, other notable mentions are Yannick Bolasie, who saw himself given a more advanced role near the end of the season, and Miles Jedinak the club captain. The latter has had his share of set-piece duties over last season and has been a key player for Palace, yet investment in the Australian may be low in comparison to his other teammates.
8 years, 10 months ago
Great stuff. I have a love hate relationship with Puncheon...too often I left him on the bench. Advice for anyone getting him is play him every week. If you rotate him you will be disappointed.