Crystal Palace almost got off to a good start under Big Sam and were a Christian Benteke penalty away from grabbing the three points against Watford. They had to settle for a point but already, you get the feeling that they are on the way up after Sam Allardyce’s appointment. The former Sunderland manager has never been relegated and considering the resources he has at Palace, the fans should be hoping for a mid-table finish at least.
Sam Allardyce added a lot of stability to Sunderland and made excellent use of the winter transfer window. The signings of Jan Kirchhoff and Lamine Kone helped stem the influx of goals while Wahbi Khazri’s addition added more incision up front. His shrewd business in the transfer market kept the club afloat and he is likely to do that again as the team doesn’t have the necessary balance at the moment.
Like the scene was at Sunderland, Crystal Palace needs more defensive reinforcements. The club has been linked with Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs in a bid to add more quality to their defence. They currently have Joel Ward and Zeki Fryers as their left-backs and Kieran Gibbs will easily be an upgrade over the two.
Arsenal sparingly used Gibbs as Nacho Monreal was in terrific form last season. This season, though, Monreal’s lack of pace has become too evident as teams have exploited the right flank to get the better of him. Alexis Sanchez was often played up front and his absence on the left flank meant the work rate to cover Monreal was missing. Alex Iwobi didn’t offer the same protection to Monreal.
With a crucial phase coming up for the Gunners, Wenger will want depth in that position. However, whether or not he considers Gibbs as a long-term option in that position is still a doubt. If Palace can somehow manage to convince Arsenal to sell him, it would be a smashing deal.
Allardyce likes his full-backs to bomb forward and that was seen last season as Patrick van Aanholt and DeAndre Yedlin produced some good performances on the flanks. However, Sunderland didn’t have good wingers, unlike Crystal Palace.
The Eagles have two good wide players in Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, so their full-backs don’t necessarily have that big a load on their shoulders to attack and create chances. Perhaps Big Sam should focus on strengthening their centre-back areas. Delaney is on the wrong end of his 30s and Tomkins hasn’t been convincing at all, so the need to sign a good centre-back is imperative.
