Thread by @AlexanderBrkr

🧵Crystal Palace vs Leicester | live tactical thread...

It's that time again! I'm going to be using this game to investigate and discuss tactical thoughts on Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace.

Either follow along, or bookmark for later (will pin this) 👍🏻

Yes btw the tactics board is here too, I just wanted to avoid looking too nerdy in the headline tweet as last time I got called a ginger specky virgin by 2000 people

Our lineups.

Let's go.

Okay, spotted a first potential problem with this 3-5-2ish setup for Palace, at least defensively.

Leicester are pushing Ndidi onto Clyne, the RCB. This means Munoz is isolated vs Mavididi.

Faes plays the pass to him here.

Now, if you had another winger in the side for Palace, say this was a 3-4-3 as usual, then you could expect the winger/wide forward to drop in and help defend.

Or, they drop into midfield, and Doucoure shifts wide to press.

Instead, we're seeing Nketiah drop back.

This means if Palace win the ball, they basically just have Mateta as an early pass forwards. Feel like this could lead to them struggling to get out of their half as the game goes on.

Let's see!

I know I was previously very critical of Mitchell when I watched Palace before, particularly the lack of support he was offering on the left in attack, but this is positive.

If Eze had turned towards goal, he could have released Mitchell here in a TON of space 👍

Really dislike this 3-5-2 from Palace. I think it could work in a game where they're mostly on the counter. But, not sure Glasner should use it again, against a deeper sitting side.

I know that's an early call, only 15 min in, but here's why:

⏮️ Remember what I said before about Nketiah having to track back, meaning that Palace's options on the counter are limited?

Well, here they are defending out wide, with Nketiah dropping in diligently...

And look, Palace win it back! I wonder if they can use this chance where Leicester have committed seven players pretty high to hit them hard on the counter

Quick pass inside, nice, now let's get it forw- oh we can only pass it to Eze and kind of Mateta.

I know we're only 17 minutes in, but so far Palace have looked like a side that prefers attacking in transition but isn't actually that threatening in transition

On the bright side, the out of possession has been tight so far.

Good opportunity carved out, and if Wout Faes wasn't proving that he is a pretty good defender only laughed at because he has silly hair, Palace might have had their first shot on target.

GOAAAL to Leicester ⚽️

I know Wharton got criticism yesterday, I'm hoping it's not because of this. Mateta sending a pass behind him (when really he should be laying it into the feet of Nketiah) is not Wharton's fault lol

It's a really good pass in behind, and Guehi's body positioning isn't too bad either. I think if I was to criticise anyone, it might be Lacroix.

He's not got anyone to his left shoulder, so he probably has licence to close in with a bit more intensity here.

Also Henderson kinda craps the bed here, he slows down at the timestamp below. It's obviously a gamble, a potential penalty, but I think he *could* have got to the ball first. But, this is quite nitpicky.

Okay, I KNOW Tyrick Mitchell is a fan favourite and every Palace fan I know has reliably told me that he's improved a lot going forwards over the last nine months....

However, while his positioning has been nice this game, the execution has not.

Here for example...he's receiving the ball in a ton of space, and he's only got one defender closing down.

I think, ideally, a wing-back here would:
🔹 Bring the ball down, with a positive touch towards the defender, baiting them in
🔹 Look to take them on one-vs-one, and hopefully get round them
🔹 But either way, bringing the ball into a more dangerous position, where a cross in the air or along the ground is possible

Instead, he stops it quite abruptly out wide, and immediately goes to cross it, winning a corner.

It's fine, but look at the space available if he had been able to cut back inside! It's just too predictable and he doesn't look comfortable there 🤷‍♂️

I know he gets an assist this game so i can't wait for Mitchell to turn into Roberto Carlos and prove me wrong

This pass from Wharton is absolutely perfect. Again, Mitchell's position is great.

Can he do something better here?

He kinda shanks it behind Eze...it's not ideal is it, although it is a bit more of a difficult situation.

Still, you know what I'm thinking.

I feel compelled to highlight his good passes too, like this one in minute 30 to Nketiah on his weaker foot. V nice.

I mean this still speaks to a wider problem for Palace, in that their best form of progression so far has been these eye-of-a-needle passes from deeper players. It doesn't feel like a sustainable plan to creating goalscoring chances.

Yeah the more I'm watching the more I'm baffled by the idea that Wharton had a bad game. He's put it on a plate for Mitchell on four occasions now, and this one is the best of the lot.

Excellent ⭐️

Alright, I've just started the second half and Palace have conceded again, however I don't really see the point in talking about this one. It's a scrappy goal, not much interesting to point at, so we'll move along.

Palace goal!

And look at that, it is Mitchell proving he can contribute!

Again, this is really nice movement from him, peeling away from his marker. It's causing a tension for Justin. Should he track MItchell tighter, opening up that central space? Should he close Eze down?

It's great stuff, and the cross is excellent too, weighted nicely and right inbetween GK and defence

Hats off to Mitchell. This also helps inform me of what my grievance is with him. I think it's mainly just the fact he's a non-threat 1v1. Stats kinda back that up.
Last season
🔴 1.04 attempted dribbles p90
🔴 48.6% success rate
🔴 Puts him in the 43rd percentile vs midfielders

A lack of one-vs-one threat isn't so bad when you're a full-back with a winger in front of you. I have a greater problem with it because, in Glasner's system, Mitchell is the primary width holder. He's often isolated in postiions where a better dribbler causes havoc.

It's something to keep in mind. He's 25-years-old now, so unlikely he'll ever become that player.

Maybe Palace's next signing should be a LWB who can *compete* with Mitchell, offering one-vs-one ability, rather than someone to outright replace him like I previously thought 👍

Something interesting in this game: Palace have attempted 41 logn passes, 11 more than Leicester. That's, somewhat surprising, considering you'd expect the promoted side to be more direct.

I think it's a symptom of predictable first-phase build-up for Palace. I'll explain

Right here: Palace's - and other back three team's - problems during build-up

64': Kamada on for Clyne↔️

A change to a back four, perhaps...?

The 4-2-2-2 rumours were true!

Are Crystal Palace available about to copy Marco Rose's RB Leipzig? 👀

Look at the problems Palace are causing now. Kamada, Eze, Nketiah and Mateta in this central zone, with Mitchell on the outside. Palace are now supported by him, not relying on him.
- Maybe Eze makes the run in behind?
- He could quite easily drop though and allow Kamada to run

Justin can't jump out to Nketiah - he'd be allowed Mitchell complete freedom on the left.

Faes can't jump, he has Eze to his right.

Winks can't press either, he'd allow the pass into Kamada right behind him.

In terms of the options available to the player on the ball, this is by far the most dangerous attacking situation Palace have created in 75 minutes of this game 👍

Kamada is picking up some excellent positions between the lines here. I'm also surprised with how much Nketiah is dropping in, and Eze going beyond.

As @Jon_Mackenzie has just pointed out to me, this makes a lot of sense considering Glasner spent two years as an assistant at Red Bull Salzburg under Roger Schmidt, another classic Red Bull 4-2-2-2 guy.

I hope not, because I'm 87 minutes in now and Palace have been looking so, so much better in this setup. They've gone from looking well below the sum of their parts, to getting the best of Eze and Kamada.

Case and point, the build-up to the penalty.

Kamada drops to receive the pass, taking LCB Okoli with him. Leicester now have a problem, a big hole in their back line.

Sarr, who's come on for Munoz and is essentially playing as that really attacking FB we spoke about before, makes an overlapping run. At the same time, Nketiah, makes a run in behind, dragging Winks with him too - helping create space for Kamada too.

Sure, it's another fairly risky ball, but the difference here is that Palace as basically three on three, in a game where Leicester would want nothing more than everyone behind the ball.

And, the resulting duel leads to Sarr latching on to the loose ball and winning the penalty!

Worth saying this: I have also been pretty distracted by Palace but infairness they've been so much better

But we'll call it there. 2-2, and it's a game of before the Kamada change and after.

Before, playing a 3-5-2, I felt:
◾️ Palace had LITTLE in the way of chance creation, beyond constant switches to WBs and hopeful balls in behind
◾️ This is problematic anyway given that Palace WBs aren't close to the best players in the team
◾️ The midfield was often bypassed in build-up, as was Eze
◾️Palace had problems building up and were forced into long balls

After the switch to classic Red Bull 4-4-2 with roaming #10s
◾️ Palace were finding players between the lines with much more ease
◾️ The overlapping full-backs were actually causing *more* problems, stretching a backline that was trying to get a handle on the cluster of central attackers
◾️ The #10s were able to face goal and make creative passes/actions

I think Glasner is on to something with this. This setup just profiles so many of his players in a better way.

Sure, the 3atb is good against top six sides, and it shouldn't be abandoned for this reason. However, against sides where Palace can expect majority of the ball, like Leicester, this system is much more damaging.

And, it shows in the statistics imo.

In 64 minutes, Palace had:
- 11 shots, 2 on target
- 24 touches in the box

In the remaining 25 mins, Palace had:
- 9 shots, 1 on target
- 19 touches in the box

Of course, game state is a factor, but still 🤷‍♂️

It's also worth saying that Glasner will have drilled this 3atb system into his players since he arrived.

It's possible that the 4-4-2 was something with v little time on the training pitch dedicated to it, and just an attempt at salvaging a point - yet Palace still looked so at home in it.

Their next Premier League game is against Manchester United, so a return to the 3-5-2 is warranted. However, after that, it's an away trip against Everton. I think that's a great chance to test this system out once again 👍

Thanks for reading everybody, I hope you enjoyed both my negativity, my journey to appreciating Mitchell, and my cause for optimism for Palace 🫡