Sometimes, we just want a player back because the one he’s been replaced with is not one that they like. Currently, some fans are clamouring for the return of one, Cameron Jerome. This despite the fact that, for me, we have a more than capable striker in one, Fraizer Lee Campbell.
Now don’t get me wrong, I really liked what Cameron Jerome brought to the Palace side last year under Tony Pulis. He led the line fantastically, chased down lost causes, held up the ball remarkably well, and ran the channels like a mad man. What he didn’t provide was a load of goals, something some Palace fans have conveniently forgotten. His header vs Cardiff in December 2013 and that strike vs Everton in April 2014 were the only two goals Jerome managed all season.
So with that in mind, Crystal Palace set out to get themselves a more capable and proven Premier League striker and management decided that was Campbell. One can debate whether he was actually a choice of Tony Pulis or Steve Parish but the fact remains that Campbell had the Premier League pedigree that we were looking for. Last season, Campbell scored some important goals for Cardiff, including two in a memorable victory over eventual Champions, Manchester City.
For me, Campbell provides qualities that Jerome had in his work rate and willingness to lead the line alone at times but he also adds the ability to create and take chances out of virtually nothing. Thus far this season he has scored a goal from nothing with a header vs Everton, a poacher’s goal vs Leicester City and a tap in vs Chelsea. Yes, he has missed some chances this season: the rebound vs Everton after a great Yannick Bolasie shot and most notably the chance vs Manchester United but I think he has put himself in better positions than Jerome did all year while having fewer legitimate opportunities. I feel that because he’s had so few chances that the ones he has missed have stood more than they normally would have. What Campbell, and indeed Palace, need are for our wide players to create more legitimate chances as they did against Liverpool recently but not against Aston Villa. If this is done then I have no doubt that Fraizer will score close to 15 league goals this season.
Last season, Jerome scored 2 in 28 games for Palace, while Campbell scored 9 in 39 for Cardiff City. One could hardly argue who had the better season but it is my belief that Campbell will go on to surpass that total and help Palace survive yet another Premier League season. As a whole, we should get behind Campbell and forget about Cameron Jerome, who is having a quality season at a lower level with Norwich City. We probably won’t finish 11th as we did last season, but I will take 17th with a healthy contribution from Fraizer Campbell and if not there is always a certain Andy Johnson… and even a certain Dwight Gayle.
