Speaking before he was sacked, Frank de Boer called the job at Crystal Palace a long term project.
The Premier League is ruthless and relentless. The slightest sign of weakness is pounced upon. Whether Frank de Boer’s tactical approach was born out of naivety or pig-headedness, there are reasons why his sacking by Crystal Palace doesn’t come as a great surprise.
Here are five reasons why it happened …
1. The dedication to a 3-4-3 formation was shown up by performances and results
De Boer made it clear that he saw Palace playing in a 3-4-3 formation. He played with it throughout preseason, and…
The crew discuss the reasons behind Sam Allardyce’s exit at Crystal Palace.
After what was possibly the most drawn-out managerial saga of Crystal Palace’s long and tempestuous history, Frank De Boer has been chosen as the man to succeed retiree Sam Allardyce.
The Crystal Palace job isn’t hugely unique, but it’ll take skill and expertise to build upon the work done by Sam Allardyce last season.
Here are five things De Boer will need to get right to make success of his time at Palace …
1. Address the goalkeeping issue
A clear weak spot has been the goalkeeper position….
Wilfried Zaha has signed a new deal at Crystal Palace.
Wilfried Zaha’s five-year contract extension at Crystal Palace not only shows great commitment from the 24-year-old but also great intent from the club.
Zaha’s career at Palace has been one of progressive improvement, the winger growing into a player of international stature through hard work, dedication and an effervescence for the sport. He loves to receive the ball, enjoys taking on opponents and strives to contribute to the club’s cause.
Much was said at the start of the season about Zaha’s…
Despite his success at Crystal Palace, Sam Allardyce left the South London club after just five months in charge.
It’s difficult to believe that Sam Allardyce has left Crystal Palace.
The club and manager appeared to have found each other’s perfect match, after the calamity of Alan Pardew’s drop towards the relegation trap door and Allardyce’s own fall as England manager. It looked like the right club, for the right manager, at the right time.
While his appointment initially lacked the bounce supposedly afforded to clubs making emergency managerial changes, the players and manager found the momentum to…
Youngster Josh Harrop struck as Crystal Palace lost at Old Trafford.
A Crystal Palace side already assured of safety and a Manchester United team looking ahead to Wednesday’s Europa League final with Ajax combined to produce a match lacking intensity. Palace never really looked like scoring in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat, while United barely needed to move out of second gear. It was a tepid end to a difficult season.
Positives
It was a positive that after conceding two goals so early in the game, Palace didn’t let their guard drop further. Previous encounters in which Palace…
Sam Allardyce discusses Crystal Palace’s successful bid for Premier League survival.
Sam Allardyce discusses Crystal Palace’s successful bid for Premier League survival.
Safety. The panic is over. The fear of relegation is just a figment of the past, there to act as a reminder of how easy it is for a side to fall towards the trapdoor.
Sam Allardyce will not get the credit he deserves for the miracle he performed at Selhurst Park. Because of the players Crystal Palace have, the focus of much of the commentary around the club’s plight is on how a side with such a talented squad shouldn’t have been in such a precarious position. There is no appreciation of the circumstances….
Four different goalscorers lifted Crystal Palace past Hull City and ensured the Eagles’ Premier League survival.
Four different goalscorers lifted Crystal Palace past Hull City and ensured the Eagles’ Premier League survival.
An early, opportunistic goal from Wilfried Zaha settled any nerves that Crystal Palace might have had, and a thoroughly professional performance ensured that Hull City barely had a chance. Three more goals cemented the three points that ensured safety.
Positives
Selhurst Park hasn’t been the easiest of environments for Palace players this season, with tension often boiling over at the slightest of errors. But the early goal, and the focused approach from the players, gave Palace a positive…
The FC crew discuss who is going down in the Premier League.
As Crystal Palace approach Sunday’s crunch match against Hull City, the focus for Sam Allardyce will be for his players to keep their composure and their temperament throughout what will be a highly pressured occasion.
Assuming Swansea win at relegated Sunderland, Palace need at least a point to ensure their Premier League status next season. Hull would prefer a win to bring themselves closer to safety, but need at least a point to ensure their battle for Premier League survival goes to the final…
A scintillating Manchester City trounced Crystal Palace at the Etihad to move up to third in the Premier League.
Sam Allardyce is clearly upset with Crystal Palace’s recent performances in their struggle for Premier League survival.
With the 2016/17 Premier League campaign coming to an end, who’s going to join Sunderland in the Championship next season?
Crystal Palace capitulated with little more than a whimper on Saturday, losing to Manchester City 5-0 thanks to a second half performance that lacked any of the characteristics previously exhibited in the recent wins.
Positives
Wilfried Zaha was arguably the only player on the pitch who didn’t show Manchester City the respect the rest of his teammates gave them.
Negatives
You can mitigate Palace’s lack of defensive depth, but the lack of backbone or pride in this performance was concerning. The…
Sam Allardyce laments Crystal Palace’s defensive letdowns against Burnley, but acknowledges the impact of the past week.
This season’s run-in has been one of the strangest that Crystal Palace have seen. When the fixtures were announced last summer, Palace fans looked upon the closing months with fear. The assumption was that the side would pick up points against those predicted to be lower down the table, but that the fixtures against the top six teams would provide the real challenge.
It was therefore imperative that Palace should win as many games as possible early in the season to ensure that there would be a cushion…