Sam Allardyce might just lose his stature of a Premier League relegation saviour this season. His appointment following huge controversy certainly indicated a desperate and immediate measure on the club’s part, which was taken against what many fans and Palace faithful wanted.
Palace are currently in the 19th position with just 19 points from 25 games. Despite spending around 40 million pounds in the midseason transfer window to rebuild the shattered squad left by Alan Pardew, Allardyce has found it difficult make things work in club’s favour.
A relegation at the end of the season will definitely see numerous players leaving and it is always tricky to bounce back from such a situation the immediate season. Hence, it is up to the players to take the driver’s seat and survive the crisis.
Here are 3 players who should step up to clubs’ rescue.
Christian Benteke- The big money move from Merseyside club Liverpool didn’t bring the impact everyone expected. The Belgian has managed to score only nine goals in 23 appearances, which is utterly disappointing by his standards. Struggling to find playing time in Liverpool, Palace was the perfect platform for the Belgian international to prove his mettle and he better does that before demoting to a Championship type striker.
Benteke came to the spotlight with Aston Villa in 2014/15, when they were in the top flight. He had scored 13 goals in 29 games when the rest of the squad squandered. Known for his strong presence in the D-box and clinical finishing, the forward has all the ingredients to make a mark and he can surely help Palace stay up.
Wilfred Zaha- Scoring has been a huge problem for Palace of late. Palace have managed to score just 3 goals in their last seven matches and it questions a lot about their forward line. Once touted to be a big player in the top-flight football, Zaha hasn’t lived up to the hype like many, but at 24, he still has a chance to prove himself.
Palace don’t have a better alternative other than him on the flanks and his contribution will be immensely needed if Palace want to retain their Premier League stature.
James Tomkins- The defending too has been shambolic for Palace this season. Despite bringing in the likes of Jeffery Schlupp, Patrick van Aanholt and Mamadou Sakho, opponents have often found an easy way to break into Palace’s backline and get the back of the net. The Eagles have conceded a whopping 46 goals in 25 games so far and it is something they need to improve.
Tomkins has been quite inconsistent at the back. He has managed to score thrice from the back but the fans will want him to make the team sound at the back first. An experienced enforcer like him should hold the back line together at such times of crisis.
