Pre-Season Discussion, Look Ahead to the Future: Crystal Palace

   

Crystal Palace finished the 2012/13 season placed 5th in the Championship behind Watford (3rd) and Brighton and Hove Albion (4th). They secured their place in the final of the championship play-off with a draw away to Brighton and defeating them 2-0 at home to face Watford. After a Kevin Phillips strike in extra-time; The Glaziers gained promotion to the top division. So, let us take a look at the side and their chances in the up coming season.

Season 2012/13

• Let us take a look at how Crystal Palace went about in their quest for promotion last season. 
• Their highest win came against Ipswich Town at home where they won 5-0.
• They won 19 games (equal low amongst the top 6 teams), drew 15 and lost 12 scoring 72 points.
• Mile Jedinak was awarded the Crystal Palace Player of the season award.
• Glenn Murray scored 30 goals in the division and ended up the top scorer of the division.

Transfer Signings

Departures:

Aaron Akuruka, Kadell Daniel, Bayan Fenwick, Jack Holland, Andre Moritz (all released); Jermaine Easter (Millwall), Alex Marrow (Blackburn, free), Jason Banton (MK Dons, loan),  Jose Campana (Sevilla, £1.75m)

Signings (as of 13th August 2013):

 

Elliot Grandin,  Jerome Thomas (West Brom), Dwight Gayle (Peterborough United, £6m), Stephen Dobbie (Brighton, £850,000), Kevin Phillips (Blackpool, Free), Marouane Chamakh

 

Elliot Grandin, Jerome Thomas and Kevin Phillips are all seasoned professional football players who have also played in the premiership for a decent time. No doubt, that has helped the ranks at Crystal Palace and the capture of Jerome Thomas definitely will prove a pivotal buy. Kevin Phillips may not have many years or stamina left to play out a complete Premiership season but he has shown he still has enough left to lift a team when required. 

 

Man to Watch:

 

Mile Jedinak

This man has to be it; the stand in captain is sure to be named full time captain, after edging out division's top scorer Glenn Murray and wonderkid Wilfried Zaha to the player of the season award, Mile Jedinak will be the man to keep Crystal Palace up, his abilities, determination, strength, and the quality of leadership that is engulfed in him has to be key for the Glaziers to stay in the top-flight for another season. With Glenn Murray out for almost nine months and surely will not play this year again, a lot of impetus is upon how Jedinak handles his troops in the most tough league in the world.

Other players who are the ones to look after are new signings Marouane Chamkh and Elliot Grandin

 

Verdict:

 

Relegation

If the squad does not improve till 31st August they will be in a lot of trouble come the January Transfer window. They do not have enough premier league players to talk about; the signings are not showing a clear intent neither they are able to get wonder loan kid Wilfried Zaha back to the club. Defensive line-up shows players like Peter Ramage (ex-QPR) , Danny Gabbidon (ex-West Ham), while midfield shows only Jerome Thomas (ex- Westbrom) and Elliot Grandin (ex- Blackpool and Ian Holloway man) as decent premiership level players. Forward line in Chamkh, Dindane, and Wilbraham show some promise but as we have seen, it is the defensive side which keeps clubs in the PL not the offensive side.