Crystal Palace: Roy Hodgson now has fresh major ‘worry’ at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace: Roy Hodgson now has fresh major ‘worry’ at Selhurst Park

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Published 4 hours ago
Crystal Palace have struggled to find their feet in one area of the pitch at Selhurst Park this season.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson will be concerned about the Selhurst Park outfit’s productivity this season.

Journalist Dean Jones has suggested to GIVEMESPORT that the 76-year-old had hoped to rely on two players.

The Eagles travel to Newcastle United following the conclusion of the season’s second international break.

Crystal Palace’s lack of goals are starting to look like a worry at Selhurst Park, as journalist Dean Jones provides GIVEMESPORT with an internal verdict on two players whom Roy Hodgson had hoped would hit the ground running this season.

The Eagles hope to secure a top-half finish in the Premier League this season.

Crystal Palace news – Latest

It’s been a mixed start to the season for Crystal Palace, who have won three games from their first eight without setting the world alight in the opening stages of the campaign. Hodgson’s side lost their talisman in Wilfried Zaha during the summer transfer market when the Ivory Coast international decided against extending his stay in south London, signing for Super Lig giants Galatasaray as a free agent.

That means that the 76-year-old is leaning on his alternative attacking options. However, it’s not been the goalscoring start that Hodgson hoped for, with Palace hitting the back of the net just seven times in the Premier League this term.

A defensive solidity has enabled the Eagles to concede just seven at the other end of the pitch, ensuring they sit ninth in the table during the season’s second international break. But after already playing the likes of Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and Nottingham Forest this term, Hodgson would have expected more firepower out of his frontline during the opening stages of the campaign.

Hodgson had hoped he could lean on Eze and Olise this season – Dean Jones

Following Zaha’s departure, Jones claims that Hodgson hoped to lean on Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise to provide the attacking threat this season. However, for various reasons, the duo have been unable to reach their full potential this term. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“Palace have scored one goal in the last four games, and there’s always part of Hodgson’s makeup and history that leans towards these spells throughout the season, especially if he hasn’t got difference makers. Hodgson used to lean on Wilfried Zaha to be the difference maker for Crystal Palace, and coming in this time around, he was hoping that Eze and Olise could be two guys that he used to break down teams in specific moments and come up with something special. But it is starting to look like a bit of a worry now. Even going back to the last home match [before Nottingham Forest] against Fulham, there was a real lack of creativity even with Eze on the pitch. Now, without him, there’s even less chance of him being able to unlock the door. You look at their next two games. They’ve got Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, two of the best teams in this division this season. The lack of goals looks like it might continue.”

Crystal Palace injury news – Eberechi Eze

Hodgson will be without Eze for the next few weeks after being substituted in their 1-0 victory at Old Trafford almost two weeks ago. The Eagles feared the forward could be out for six weeks with a hamstring injury. He missed last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest and is absent for England’s upcoming internationals with Australia and Italy.

Hodgson has been without Olise for the campaign, also recovering from a hamstring injury, hinting that the experienced head coach will have to seek alternate ways of boosting his side’s goalscoring record this month. If Eze’s injury does follow the feared timeline, Palace may not see the England international in action until after the season’s third international break in November. Therefore, Hodsgon will be sweating upon the fitness of some of his most important players heading into mid-autumn.

What next for Crystal Palace?

Enduring somewhat of an injury crisis, Hodgson is thankful for two weeks of respite during the season’s second international break. The south London outfit travel to Newcastle on 21st October, before the visit of Tottenham awaits on 27th October.

November begins with clashes against two sides battling it out at the bottom, as the Eagles head north to take on Vincent Kompany’s Burnley on the 4th before Sean Dyche leads his Everton side to Selhurst Park on the 11th. Therefore, next month represents an opportunity for Palace to add to their points tally and keep themselves in the top half.