Charlie Austin would have been a good addition to Crystal Palace’s attack this summer, had they made a move for him.
Former Eagles striker Neil Shipperley was firmly behind a deal being agreed for the striker, telling Football FanCast that his off-the-ball work impresses him:
I’ve been hoping Palace would go in for Austin to be honest. I think he’s quite a good player and he does a lot of work off the ball.
I think he’d do a job for Palace.
read crystal palace verdict
Palace have lacked out-and-out goalscorers for a number of years now, often struggling to find the net regularly in attacking areas.
While the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend chip in from time to time, a ruthless marksman leading the line is what Roy Hodgson needs.
Austin could have been that man if Palace had made a move for him, working hard, bringing teammates into play and, most importantly, finding the net.
The 30-year-old instead joined West Brom from Southampton, where he could excel in the Championship.
A debut goal in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Millwall in the Carabao Cup highlighted his goalscoring prowess.
The likes of Jordan Ayew, Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham have merits as footballers, but none are as naturally clinical as Austin, despite struggling towards the end of his time at Southampton.
