BY ALEX PEWTER
When Crystal Palace suffered a slow start to their league campaign, there was at least hope as manager Oliver Glasner has overcome this situation before at previous clubs.
The excuse surrounding the lack of pre-season, the loss of players to international duty, and subsequent injuries took a toll on the Eagles’ small squad, possibly more than on other clubs.
Yet, with the returns of several players, the team is only one player away from a full selection and, quite frankly, the team is used to Matheus Franca’s absence, as frustrating as that is for both player and club.
A large contributor to the success at the end of last season was a fitness advantage, aided by the mid-season training camp, which allowed the team to dominate sides with their intensity and pressing.
Following the Manchester City game, it’s clear the same physical advantage is returning to Glasner’s team and they spotted it in the data ahead of the match.
“With City, they have so much possession in every single game – they are the lowest in high-intensity sprinting distances, whereas we are fifth or sixth in the league,” said Glasner. “In the games they lost this season, they lost against high-intensity teams – Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton.
“Talking about it, this is a strength of us. The intensity and the runs we can make behind. With our wing-backs, our 10s and our strikers.
“We thought this would help us to win because competing with City with their possession is not very easy, and there aren’t many teams that can do this. So, you have to find different ways. For us it is our intensity.”
There has been a noticeable change in how the team has pressed and carried the ball since the EFL Cup match against Aston Villa, an aspect missing from the season’s low points.
It has been many seasons since Crystal Palace have been able to boast a counter-attacking team and one that brings a physical edge over their opponents in most areas of the pitch.
Daniel Munoz has made a significant impact since his arrival in January last season in his wing-back role. He has arguably been aided in his recent performances since playing alongside Ismalia Sarr, filling some of the void of Michael Olise in that sense, even if in a different way.
With fixture congestion over the winter period, which will require managing the fitness of many players in the team, Glasner is aware it is a balancing act.
“Yes, it’s important to be fit and stay fit,” he said. “Otherwise, you’ll never reach your best playing. You need the training, the games, and the minutes.
“Now we have eight days to rest, and then we go into the next three-game week, and it’s even shorter. Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday – we need all the players to be fit.”
“We need them being sharp, ready and playing how we want – that’s the most important thing. That’s the most important thing, how we want to defend. How we want to attack.”
“Then we still have a lot of potential to improve.”
PICTURE: ALAMY
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