Premier League 2023/24 club previews: Crystal Palace

Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Alex Keble takes an in-depth look at each of the 20 clubs.

Crystal Palace

Rewind a year and not a single Crystal Palace supporter, awaiting the second phase of progress under Patrick Vieira, would have predicted that 12 months later Roy Hodgson would be back in the dugout.

It’s too simplistic to suggest that clubs can only progress by appointing coaches who are ever younger, ever more radical. Results are the only commodity of value and, of course, people can change.

Nevertheless, there is concern among fans that rehiring Hodgson on a permanent basis, following his buoyant and lively interim spell last season, has the hallmarks of a backwards step, especially in light of another difficult summer at Selhurst Park.

Chairman Steve Parish is banking not only on Hodgson’s warmth and experience, but on last year’s surprisingly expansive football signifying a permanent late-career shift.

Performance last season

2022/23 final positions

Position Pos	Club	Played Pl	GD	Points Pts
10	Fulham FUL	38	+2	52
11	Crystal Palace CRY	38	-9	45
12	Chelsea CHE	38	-9	44

PL performance last five seasons

How to improve on 2022/23

The story of Palace’s season of two halves depends upon your perspective.

By the time Vieira was dismissed in mid-March, with Palace winless in 12 Premier League matches, there was general agreement his position was untenable. Hodgson’s success, after lessening the intensity and unshackling the players, proved it was the right call.

But an alternative explanation is that Palace did not play a single bottom-half club in that 12-match run through the start of 2023, compared with eight of the 10 matches Hodgson managed.

The sheer speed and scale of their turnaround - Palace went from zero shots on target in Vieira’s final three matches to nine goals in Hodgson’s first three – may indicate there was a still a good engine underneath; that Palace could have held firm through the storm.

On the eve of 2023/24, the question is whether Hodgson will build on Vieira’s groundwork and continue the unchained revival, or whether the loss of Wilfried Zaha and difficulties in recruiting may encourage Hodgson’s more conservative instincts.

Key transfers

Like last summer, Palace have been restricted by a small budget. Brazilian winger Matheus Franca has signed from Flamengo as a direct replacement for Zaha, but there is widespread belief in Brazil that the 19-year-old is still raw and will take time to settle into Premier League life.

A bigger concern is losing their star players. Reported interest from "big six" clubs in Marc Guehi and Cheick Doucoure has so far come to nothing, but Hodgson has admitted the club face a “fight” to keep Michael Olise.

However, Palace will be boosted by the arrival of midfielder Jefferson Lerma from AFC Bournemouth.

See: Lerma can form perfect pairing with Doucoure

See: Summer 2023 transfers

Tactics

Palace supporters will hope Hodgson continues with what worked in the spring: a 4-3-3 with two supposed wingers – Jeffrey Schlupp and Eberechi Eze – pushing forward as adventurous No 8s.

But if the Eagles start to struggle, Hodgson could bring back his tried-and-tested tactical set-up of old. That would mean a flat 4-4-2 that looks to sit deep and absorb pressure, shuffling across in narrow and compact lines to frustrate the opposition before hitting quickly on the counter-attack.

Reasons to cheer

Eze scored six goals and assisted another in the 10 matches under Hodgson, playing every single minute – and predominantly in a new central midfield position.

There are also high hopes for forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who returns to the club after amassing 15 goals and eight assists on loan with League One side Charlton Athletic.

With Olise injured, Rak-Sakyi has a chance to impress Hodgson on the right side, although he faces competition from January signing Naouirou Ahamada, who has looked sharp in pre-season.

Reasons to fear

Palace fans won’t relax until the transfer window is closed with Doucoure and Olise still on the books. Even then, the lack of incomings is worryingly similar to last summer, which many ultimately have been to blame for the later unravelling under Vieira.

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TV Info - Broadcasters

Opening six matches

Palace have the opportunity to pick up where they left off with an opener against Sheffield United (A), before they face Arsenal (H), Brentford (A), Wolverhampton Wanderers (H), Aston Villa (A) and Fulham (H) in a relatively kind start.

Predicted XI v Sheff Utd

4-3-3: Johnstone; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Doucoure, Lerma, Schlupp; Ayew, Edouard, Eze

See: Each club's 2023/24 preview