Crystal Palace were brought back down to earth on Saturday afternoon, as Huddersfield defeated them 3-0.
It was a disastrous start to life in the Premier League for new Eagles boss Frank de Boer, and he’ll be keen to improve upon his first match in next week’s testing trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool.
A double from Steve Mounié and an own goal from Joel Ward proved to be the difference on the day, and David Wagner’s men came away with a comprehensive win.
So, we’ve taken a look at four findings from Palace’s embarrassing defeat to Huddersfield at the weekend.
A goalkeeper is needed imminently
Palace have been linked with a move for a goalkeeper this summer for a while now, but it’s time to act. The Eagles must sign a goalkeeper of top quality to replace Wayne Hennessey for now, with his performance against Huddersfield once again showing that there is work to be done.
De Boer must quickly learn from his mistakes
Frank de Boer needs time as Palace boss. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but he absolutely has to learn from his mistakes. Systematically, Palace couldn’t cope with Huddersfield on the counter and they struggled to contain their attacking threat.
He has to rectify his side’s mistakes, or else it could get ugly at Anfield next weekend.
Palace must make their chances count
Palace had more shots than Huddersfield on the day, and for periods in the match looked to be the more threatening side. They were impressive in the opening ten minutes, but their downfall came in their drop-off.
After a bright start, the intensity wore down and it appeared as though the focus drifted. Two basic goals were conceded in quick succession at around the 25-minute mark, and Palace defended with no intelligence.
This only goes further to reinforce that when Palace have these spells and look dangerous, they simply have to convert their chances. The quality is there, but the cutting edge just isn’t at the moment.
Patience is required
The performance and result were nothing short of unacceptable. However, it is early days.
Palace are adjusting to a new system, within a new philosophy, and players are adjusting. Jairo Riedewald looked dodgy, but Timothy Fosu-Mensah showed glimpses of quality. The players will need time to comply with De Boer’s plans, but they will need to click sooner rather than later.