Palace ungracefully bowed out of the FA Cup after a shock 1-0 defeat to Championship strugglers Derby County on Sunday. Yet, whilst Palace fans rightly bemoan the team’s lacklustre performance, something altogether more powerful lurks beneath the surface of the result.
As an eyewitness, it could not be clearer that long-term squad issues – largely survived up until the festive period of the season – have proved as debilitating as they are worrisome.
All credit should be paid where it is due; Palace sit ninth in the Premier League (within their seventh consecutive season, on track for their eighth), with some dogged and hard-won points as of late. Since their 2-0 win at Turf Moor in late November, Palace only succumbed to defeat in a lone 1-0 loss against Newcastle in the league.
It’s a stark contrast to the Eagles’ position at the turn of the last decade; deducted 10 points for falling into administration, staring blankly down the barrel towards League One. Palace are hardly enduring a nightmare spell in their history.
Yet, manager Roy Hodgson has continually articulated a sentiment in the public sphere long held by pundits and fans alike: Palace do not have the enduring squad depth to perform at their potential, due to a lack of squad investment.
As of the Derby defeat, Palace have no less than 10 first-team injuries to account for. Talisman Wilfried Zaha, Mamadou Sakho, Andros Townsend, Jeff Schlupp and Max Meyer are but a mere handful of notable squad players to have suffered frustrating injuries, ranging from minor strains to long-term issues. Both Meyer and makeshift left-back Jairo Riedewald had to be substituted off for sustained injuries during the Derby game.
As impressive as the likes of Sam Woods and Brandon Pierrick have been in stepping up to the mantle of first-team football, their very inclusion in the squad is testament to the continual woes that have addled Palace’s chances at clear success.
Palace remain one of the league’s lowest-scoring sides through an intoxicating concoction of injured attackers and a lack of investment in a reliable scorer. Whilst the likes of Jordan Ayew and Zaha may have had their flashes of individual brilliance this season, it has not been enough to capitalise on the true potential of Palace’s attacking power.
Injuries are hardly something that can be directly avoided in the modern English game, especially given the lack of a defined December winter break that is comparable to, for example, the German Bundesliga. Yet, the second lack of investment requires distinct human agency. Hodgson has frequently spoken of his desire to see a couple of new fullbacks and another top-class striker arrive to SE25, and so far, his less-than-ambiguous calls remain unanswered by the Palace board.
The Derby game fielded what was superficially a competitive squad, but soon crumbled after some incisive passing and tired bodies left Palace on the receiving end of much of the pressure of the match. If anything, most of the inspired offensive and defensive play from Palace came from the far more refreshed and arguably motivated young talents of Woods and Pierrick.
Going into the weekend’s home game against Arsenal, one is left truly puzzled as to whether Palace will be able to field a fit, energised starting XI without featuring youth players. The performance and tactics against Derby reflected a Palace side frankly far more concerned about putting an end to any future FA Cup fixtures this season on top of their league run, rather than displaying a competitive edge.
