This is not how anyone hoped or expected things to go for Crystal Palace and Oliver Glasner but, after eight winless Premier League games, something needs to change.
For now, at least, Glasner retains the support of the Palace board who are eager for him to turn Palace’s fortunes around and succeed. Should their struggles persist, however, then his position will inevitably come under increased scrutiny.
Despite his insistence that the problems are born of a lack of confidence, rather than any tactical failures, he appears to have indicated a willingness to tweak the way he sets his team up.
“We don’t create enough at the moment, but it’s too much to expect us to play offensively brilliant,” he said in his press conference after the 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest on Monday night. “Maybe it is (time) to change the shape — today we played 3-5-2, (but) maybe we need more players on the pitch who have scored goals (and to) find the right formation.”
He had previously stuck rigidly to his 3-4-2-1 setup, although he places more emphasis on principles of play than the actual formation.
There was an attempt to try something new in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Ipswich Town during the international break earlier this month in which he played with two strikers and a back four. That remains one option.
Ahead of Sunday’s critical game against Tottenham Hotspur, The Athletic looks at what he could change to kickstart Palace’s season.
Should Glasner switch to a more conventional back four?
Palace’s defence may not be the most pressing concern, with seven sides having conceded more than their 11 goals this season, but it is how the makeup of his back line affects the structure and balance of the rest of the team that is a concern.
There is no doubt that the sale of Joachim Andersen to Fulham for around £25million ($32.3m) in the summer has impacted Palace. They miss his searching diagonal switches of play which served to exploit width. Palace seem to be playing more narrowly, which is less of an issue when the ball is moved quickly through the middle and there are options. But, at present, that is not the case.
One of their best-performing players from last season’s run-in, Daniel Munoz, has struggled to be effective this time around. The Colombian was so critical in marauding down the right flank and putting opponents under pressure — assisted by Michael Olise drawing defenders away — but has offered little threat in the final third this time round.
That failure, combined with Tyrick Mitchell being capable as a left wing-back but clearly superior as a full-back, means the core function of Palace’s back three/five falls down. It is supposed to underpin the system, creating space and pinning back defences, but that has not happened anywhere near often enough.
It would be controversial to drop Munoz, but if Palace do go to a flat back four then Chelsea loanee Trevoh Chalobah might be a more natural option in that role, or Nathaniel Clyne could return to a position with which he is familiar. Joel Ward played there in the friendly against Ipswich.
In theory, that would potentially sacrifice some attacking threat but, given that is lacking already, might it not instead make a positive difference?
What to do with Eberechi Eze and Daichi Kamada?
There has been an intense focus on Kamada. He is the club’s highest-earner and Glasner had pushed concertedly to sign him after his contract with Lazio expired in the summer. But the Japanese midfielder has been underwhelming, contributing little offensively.
It will almost certainly have been a challenge to adapt to the culture, intensity and physicality of the Premier League. That should afford him some mitigation, but it cannot excuse his failure to make a meaningful contribution to date. Curiously, his improvement has come in the form of his defensive work — in the defeat by Forest in particular, he was dogged and determined to make challenges in his own half to win the ball.
As with Eze, tracking back and covering the defence is not something he excels at. As a No 10, making the most of his ability to be incisive with his passing or late runs into the area is more important. But that is also a system issue.
That passing is only useful if players are running in behind. However, Palace have lacked intensity in their play and, when they do win back possession, they do not have sufficient numbers in advanced areas ahead of the ball to hurt opponents. At present, Kamada is simply not offering enough to warrant a place as either a No 6 or a No 10.
It is Eze who is the major conundrum, though.
Outstanding at the end of last season, he has found it difficult to adapt to life without Olise and the pressure on his shoulders as Palace’s most creative outlet. An imminent return to the England fold feels unlikely on this form, even if he has come back strongly before.
The anomaly is that, despite scoring only once in the Premier League to date this season, Eze remains Palace’s biggest goal threat. He scored both in that 2-2 friendly draw with Ipswich.
While there have been presentable chances missed against Manchester United and Liverpool, he has also found himself out of luck. Against Forest, he came close on more than one occasion, most notably when a long-distance strike, after Adam Wharton had laid off a free kick, was pushed onto the crossbar and over by Matz Sels.
But on the flip side, in a team which needs to play quickly and with more intensity, he is sometimes guilty of slowing things down and being ponderous on the ball.
Even so, for all the criticism that can be levelled against him, dropping Eze, the team’s main creative force, would be a step too far. Helping him to find his groove is the only realistic option. That may require changes elsewhere.
So how does Glasner balance the midfield?
Midfield is the main source of Palace’s problems.
Cheick Doucoure’s return from injury is likely to help restore some balance given the ideal partnership would be pairing the Malian with Adam Wharton.
It would assist Eddie Nketiah, in particular, to have Wharton’s passes breaking the lines. But the young England midfielder may require surgery on a groin injury which has hampered him since Euro 2024. Without him at the top of his game, Palace have no one to progress the ball forward quickly and with purpose.
So, until Wharton is sufficiently fit again to feature, maybe the best solution would be partnering Doucoure with Jefferson Lerma. Both are capable of moving the ball forward and contributing offensively while providing stability for the defence. Admittedly, that would be tough on Will Hughes, who has done little to warrant losing his place.
What about the front-line options?
On the face of it, having scored just five goals — the fewest in the Premier League this season — the attack is the obvious area which requires improvement. But it is not necessarily their striker(s) that are the problem.
The absence of service from Eze and Kamada and the overall lack of support is the major issue.
Glasner could look to switch to playing two strikers. It was not especially successful in that friendly against Ipswich, although Palace did score twice, but in a more competitive environment, it might work with the right options.
Nketiah cost Palace £25million and it is apparent his best role is up front, even if his stint as a No 10 has not been a disaster. But he has now gone a year without a Premier League goal.
He was best at Arsenal when afforded regular minutes and Palace need to find consistency in selection and setup to gain familiarity. Glasner hinted at restoring Jean-Philippe Mateta to the starting XI after the Forest defeat, but it is not inconceivable the two could be paired up front. That might allow Mateta to draw the attention of defenders, occupy them and offer Nketiah some space in which to thrive.
Although not especially threatening this season, Mateta is the player with confidence. He came into the campaign off the back of an outstanding end in those final games, a run to the final of the men’s football tournament in the Olympic Games, and has impressed recently in training. It is hard to deny him a place in the team.
That he has struggled in front of goal is at least in part because of the lack of service from the midfield and the absence of support.
Ismaila Sarr, recruited from Marseille, is probably better as an option on the right of a midfield four, with Eze on the left. His start against Liverpool left a lot to be desired, but he has had little game time this season. He has scored goals at this level before and offers speed and directness which Palace are lacking.
So too, does the youngster Asher Agbinone. It is far too soon to suggest starting him, but the 19-year-old forward is confident, exuberant and not afraid to take risks.
The mood in the dressing room is subdued and he would offer something fresh; an unknown quantity from the bench for a short period at the end of games. He has impressed many at Palace since travelling to the United States in pre-season.
Glasner is never afraid to speak home truths when necessary and has found it difficult to understand why Palace are not winning games. The message to his squad has been supportive, possibly as a result of the defeats having consistently proved narrow. He believes that, sooner or later, things will turn. But to do so, his attacking players must have more conviction and be more ruthless.
Patterns of play are the key focus in training, as they were when he first arrived. They are concentrating on moving the ball quicker with one or two touches, and different formations have been considered. The Austrian and his staff appreciate that something has to change.
There is every chance a victory soon will give Palace’s season lift-off, as it did for Bournemouth last year after a similarly grim start. Until that elusive first win is delivered, Glasner must not only think in solutions but find them.
(Top photo: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)