The arrival of Daichi Kamada at Crystal Palace was exciting. Not only because he was the first player in through the door this summer, joining on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Italy’s Lazio, but because there was hope he would be the one to replicate — as closely as possible — the impact of Michael Olise.
While Olise had not departed for Bayern Munich when Kamada arrived, there was a sense that the Frenchman leaving Palace in that window was inevitable. Midfielder Kamada had pedigree, was considered an excellent technician, and established himself as a firm favourite of Oliver Glasner at German club Eintracht Frankfurt before he took charge of Palace in February.
That familiarity was thought to be important and it should still be advantageous, but the reality is that those heightened expectations have yet to bear out in reality. Just as the expectation was too high after Palace won six of their final seven games last season, it was too much to pin hopes on the 28-year-old Japan international being a matchwinner in the same way as Olise had been.
Kamada started the opening game of the season, a 2-1 defeat away to Brentford, before being dropped to the bench for the visit of West Ham United a week later. He subsequently got recalled for the 1-1 draw with Chelsea only to find himself a substitute again for the following Premier League game against Leicester City, then returned to the starting XI for Saturday’s goalless draw with Manchester United.
In each of those games, he has performed different functions.
Against Brentford, Kamada operated as Palace’s right-sided No 10. After being introduced as a substitute in the West Ham match, he played in the double pivot but struggled. In the following games, he reverted to the No 10 position but was then back in the double pivot at the weekend.
It hints at how Glasner will use him this season but that is further reason to question whether he is capable of being the player Palace fans would have hoped for.
Are these unfamiliar roles for Kamada?
Not really, no. His technical ability suits the more advanced role but he has operated in both positions for a significant period of time before, and done so under Glasner’s management. In 2021-22, his first season with Glasner at Frankfurt, he was in a No 10 role for 91 per cent of his 2,211 Bundesliga minutes.
A year later, the picture was more mixed. From his 2,366 minutes, he played as a defensive midfielder 40 per cent of the time, then 23 per cent as a central midfielder and 24 per cent as a No 10. To complete the puzzle, 12 per cent of his appearances that season came as a left-winger.
Overall, though, that first year skews the numbers significantly in favour of Kamada playing as a No 10, totalling 57 per cent of his minutes under Glasner with Frankfurt. But he still played 21 per cent of the time as a No 6.
After moving to Rome-based Lazio last summer, he most prominently featured as a central midfielder rather than as a No 10 for Maurizio Sarri and then Igor Tudor.
It is clear Kamada has been trusted by different managers to play various roles. That versatility, and his availability on a consistent basis, is valuable, and a major reason why he is liked by Glasner.
So is he likely to feature as a No 6 for Palace?
It would appear that this is his most likely position. With Cheick Doucoure absent for several weeks with a toe injury sustained in the draw with Leicester, and Adam Wharton getting over a groin problem, there is a more pressing need for Kamada to play in a deeper role than there is as a No 10.
His familiarity with the role means he may be preferred there by Glasner, who said there was no particular position earmarked for Kamada when he signed. “As a manager, when you plan, the plan fails within the first week,” said the Palace boss, speaking before Saturday’s game. “Sometimes I started to plan the final training session one hour before training, so the topics are clear but then players arrive sick, so you have to change it.
“We didn’t know when Cheick Doucoure would come back. The situations are always changing. We knew if we needed him (Kamada) as a No 6, then he helps the team there, if we need him as the 10, then he helps him there.
“We didn’t expect Adam Wharton struggling with his groin but we have to find solutions. For me it was about NIPSILD (a German acronym) — don’t think in problems, think in solutions. We have to solve these topics and Daichi helps us to be more flexible.”
But it’s obvious Kamada is being tested by the physicality of the Premier League. His tackling has been questionable — against West Ham, he failed to stop Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the start of the build-up to the opening goal and in the Carabao Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers of the Championship, he was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card after committing multiple fouls.
Clearly, Kamada is not a destroyer but there were some signs in the first half against Manchester United that he is capable of positive interventions without the ball, winning two fouls in quick succession from Bruno Fernandes after dispossessing him. The team is lacking balance though, and when he is playing as a No 6 that is further exposed.
What about as a No 10?
There are problems here, too. Kamada has yet to be convincing in the more attacking role. It is still early and he may be adapting to the Premier League and a new country, but the signs are not overly promising.
More notably, the performances of fellow new signings Eddie Nketiah and, from the bench, Ismaila Sarr are a barrier to Kamada featuring frequently as a No 10. It would be unfair to suggest he has offered nothing, and Palace fans will have to become accustomed to the fact he is not the direct, quick, aesthetically-pleasing style of player Olise was, someone who loves to take on players.
That will be a difficult adjustment as so much of Palace’s recent history has seen them operate with marauding wingers. Jason Puncheon was the last player who was remotely similar to Kamada in that regard, while some consider him similar in profile to Max Meyer, the German midfielder who failed to make an impact at the club between 2018 and 2021.
If Kamada isn’t the best option as a No 6 or a No 10, how does he fit into the team?
He doesn’t — at least not as an automatic starter in those positions. He is a utility player, valued for his all-round options. In theory, Kamada should be able to help Palace carry the ball forward from the back and drive upfield in a similar way to Eberechi Eze, but it is hard to see this currently.
Neither Doucoure’s tackling ability nor the passing range of Wharton are attributes he can claim are also his best. It is the technical side of his game — exploiting space, carrying the ball and his vision in the final third — where he is most capable.
That has been evident, but only in glimpses. He won the ball against Leicester to demonstrate this and played Nketiah in to shoot just wide. He also played a role in Sarr winning a last-minute penalty — it was Kamada’s clever movement and excellent ball over the top for Nketiah which helped induce Conor Coady’s clumsy challenge.
“He’s different,” Glasner said. “He can score goals and assist, but you can also see, as a No 6, he can win a lot of balls. He’s very confident in possession, he can prepare our attacks — bringing Ebs (Eze) and Eddie and the wing-backs in a good position. Daichi is a great profile for us, so I am really pleased with his performances.”
Kamada is a player Glasner trusts to play in different roles, with whom he is familiar and who is typically available for selection throughout a season.
He may not yet have demonstrated his talent, but his manager appears to believe in him.
(Other contributor: Mark Carey)
(Top photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
