Selhurst Park will be rocking for Alan Pardew’s first game as manager at Selhurst Park with the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening, a game that Palace fans will be looking forward to.
Crystal Palace picked up a draw at White Hart Lane last month against Tottenham showing a similar fighting spirit that has been present throughout the past three years at the club but also in their efforts against Spurs in previous games since being promoted in 2012/13. The Eagles have managed to pick up one draw against the North London side in the past year-and-a-half alongside a tight 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park last season under the management of Ian Holloway.
Spurs are in fine form since a break in the Europa League, picking up 13 points out of a possible 15 with victories against Swansea, Burnley, Leicester and Cheslea alongside a draw at White Hart Lane to Van Gaal’s Manchester United. The Eagles have seen a similar turn in form with two draws under Keith Millen keeping his hometown side from slipping further into the relegation zone.
The new manager picked up his first victory as Eagles manager last Saturday with a 4-0 win over Dover Athletic in the FA Cup, a game that saw the visitors adopt a more attacking game plan compared to the counter-attacking football that is regularly played by Crystal Palace but that could be about to change under Pardew?
A Change in Tactics on the Horizon?
A 4-3-3 formation was used by Alan Pardew during Saturdays victory over Dover with Glenn Murray and Dwight Gayle featuring up top for Palace with the feeling that the two strikers were being tested out by the new manager to allow him to see their capabilities in-front of goal. It doesn’t look like a tactic that the 53-year-old will use as it looks like he may be set to continue using the formation we’re used to seeing, a 4-2-3-1 with different roles being appointed compared to those used by his predecessor Neil Warnock.
Despite Pardew using this tactic at his former club Newcastle on a regular basis, there still may be a change on the horizon with the hint of a few changes tactically during the coming months from the Wimbeldon born manager as at his first press conference as Crystal Palace manager at Selhurst Park on Thursday he explained his plans.
“From day one here, I will have 99% of the support in the stadium, but it won’t last long unless I start winning games,” Pardew said.
“You have to serve up the best possible football with the players you have and I’ll be trying to do that. We’re going to see a couple of differences in our style of play that will enthuse the crowd. My hope is we start fast and start well.”
International Cups and Missing Key Men
Both Mile Jedinak and Yannick Bolasie has been branded by a number of fans and pundits as some of the key players for the club this season and this has drawn them away for international duty with their respective countries in the Asia Cup and the African Cup of Nations. One question that has been asked is, who will replace these two key men?
There aren’t many obvious replacements for Mile Jedinak but with thanks to players that have been brought into the squad in the past year, Joe Ledley and James McArthur seem like the perfect midfield pairing with the two both capable of dropping back and defending but also attacking if Pardew does indeed try to change the roles played by the central midfielders.
None of the two players can honestly compare their statistics to the captain this season, with Mile Jedinak being at the heart of Palace’s midfield but without the key-man there it will be time for the two players to step-up to the plate and perform like they never have before. One area that the two players mentioned above have covered more than their team-mate is passing statistics as Jedinak (68.3%) is more of a tackler and defensive rock rather than a passer and a tackler that is McArthur (79.9%) and a attacking midfielder and passer in Ledley (75.5%).
Wilfried Zaha looks likely to keep his place in the starting line-up or should at least be allowed to and with the interest Alan Pardew had in the player during his time at Newcastle, it may be that the new manager has plans already on what type of role he wants the player to fit into at the club. The on-loan winger has a poor crossing record and it may be something that will influence Pardew to change his role on the wing to that of cutting into the middle instead, as with his crosses this season Zaha has only found a team-mate with eight of his 35 crosses.
Despite Palace lacking on the crossing edge this season, Jason Puncheon can boast at least the highest amount of completed crosses with 17 crosses out of a total of 89 which equates to a completion percentage of 19.1% where as Bolasie who is out on international duty has completed 13.1% of his crosses with only 16 finding a Palace player in the area out of a possible 112.
What Are The Stats, Stats Man?
– Crystal Palace have won two, drawn four and lost nine games against Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park.
– The visitors to Selhurst Park on Saturday have scored 26 and conceded 16 goals in their fixtures away from home against the Eagles.
– Pochettino’s side have lost only one of their last seven games against Crystal Palace in all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in the last four.
– The Eagles have only managed to pick up one home win in their last six games, drawing one and losing four.
– After keeping a clean sheet away from home on the opening day of the season, Tottenham have failed to keep one away from White Hart Lane since.
– Crystal Palace are without a win in their last eight Premier League matches, the worst form currently in the division.
– Tottenham have conceded the most penalties in the Premier League so far this season with five.
– Pardew’s side have only scored in two of their last seven Premier League matches.
– Spurs have managed to recover 12 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other team in the league.
– The Eagles have committed more fouls than any other team in the league this season with 270.
– Harry Kane has scored a total of five goals in Tottenham’s last five Premier League games.
– Palace manager Alan Pardew is only the second manager to manage three London clubs in the top flight after Harry Redknapp.
