Palace’s disastrous trip to Kenilworth Road at the end of November saw the Eagles not only slip to a late defeat in a frustrating and gritty encounter, but it also marked the end of Cheick Doucouré’s campaign. Last season’s Player of the Season succumbed to a catastrophic Achilles injury, leaving Palace without one of their most influential players and forcing young defender Chris Richards into unfamiliar territory.
Chris Richards is talented and offers a considerable amount to the Palace squad
American international Chris Richards was brought to the club in the summer of 2022 from Bayern Munich. He was seen as a young, forward-thinking centre-back who could provide perfect cover for the impressive duo of Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi. His tactical versatility was one of the main attractions for the Palace hierarchy. He had experience playing on the right-hand side of a back three and was seen as capable of providing extra cover for Joel Ward and Nathanial Clyne at right back.
Richards found minutes hard to come by in his first season at the club, starting only four Premier League games and featuring a mere nine times. The defensive quartet of Mitchell, Andersen, Guehi, and Ward was trustworthy and resolute, giving Richards time to adapt to life as a Premier League footballer and ensuring seamless integration when he was eventually called upon.
His short cameos were impressive, with his pace, athleticism, and technical proficiency particularly notable. Then manager Patrick Vieira now had a player in his squad who could aptly deputise for either Andersen or Guehi without the overall style of Palace’s build-up play being jeopardised.
It is perhaps these displays that encouraged Roy Hodgson to utilise Richards in a more advanced holding midfield position in the absence of Doucouré.
Richards as a holding midfielder - tactical versatility pushed too far?
Since the injury to Doucouré at the end of November, Richards has enjoyed his most consistent spell of Premier League football. In this period, he has started and completed every one of Palace’s league matches.
His fortunes have been thoroughly mixed. He has received a considerable amount of praise for his ability to read the game, make interceptions, and win the ball back in advanced areas of the pitch. This was evident for all to see in the build-up to Palace’s equaliser at Stamford Bridge at the end of December. Richards won the ball back on the edge of the box from Ian Maatsen, showing his natural defensive instincts. His positioning was perfect, and he allowed Palace to recover the ball and sustain an attack that would ultimately lead to a goal. This is what all good defensive midfield players should do, and this is what Doucouré does so effectively and consistently.
However, his defensive statistics are still pale in comparison to Doucouré’s. This season, the Malian averages almost 3.4 tackles per game in comparison to Richards’ 2.75. This is made starker by the fact that over half (55 percent) of Doucouré's tackles have occurred in the middle or attacking third of the pitch, in comparison to Richards’ 41%.
This difference in the statistical defensive output between Richards and Doucouré is further illustrated by gaps in the number of interceptions per game (1.3 and 2, respectively). All of these statistics allude to the fact that while there is not a considerable drop-off defensively when Richards is starting, he is still falling behind the high bar set by Doucouré.
This is understandable and should be analysed in its specific context. Richards is not a natural defensive midfielder. Adapting to the rigours of the position will take time, and hitherto, he has done enough to provide effective defensive support for the back four.
Palace is not visibly or statistically worse defensively when Richards starts in Doucouré’s place. In the seven league matches since the Malians injury, Palace have conceded the same number of goals (eleven) as they did in the seven games leading up to and including Luton away.
Richards is tall, strong, and athletic. These are all assets that help enormously when placed in the fast-paced war zone that the middle of Premier League pitches can become. He is well placed to continue to adequately cover the defensive holes created by Doucouré’s absence. In this sense, the praise he has received has been warranted.
It has been in an attacking sense that the most noticeable drop-off has been seen. Cheick Doucouré is a defensive midfielder gifted with outstanding defensive as well as attacking qualities. Not only can he provide the defensive screening needed for the transitional nature of the Premier League, but his composure and confidence on the ball in the attacking half of the pitch allow Palace to progress quickly from defence to attack.
Richards, while competent on the ball in a back four, struggles when in the middle of the park. He looks ungainly and lacks the composure and technical ability to receive the ball, turn, and play forward. This presents a real problem for Palace when attempting to quickly turn defence into attack.
This is highlighted by the severe disparity in the progressive passing stats of both players. Doucouré has played 49 progressive passes (4.9 per start) compared to Richards’ 11 (1.3 per start). This difference is not only evident in a side-by-side statistical comparison. It is obvious to all those who watch Palace on a consistent basis. Richard’s tendency to play safe backwards passes stifles potential attacks and causes opportunities for swift transitions to stagnate.
Again, the context of the situation must be accounted for. Richards is performing as expected of a player playing out of position. He does so with energy and hunger, and he has done his best to limit the impact of losing a player as significant as Doucouré. He is the best alternative that Palace has, and that, in truth, is where the problem lies.
The squad is not deep enough to cope with the losses of its most influential players. Palace do not have another viable defensive midfield option. Hodgson has had to choose between playing an out-of-position Richards or an inexperienced, albeit talented, David Ozoh.
Academy graduate Ozoh has been impressive in the limited amount of action he has seen. He, like Richards, is athletic and has the strength to deal with the robust nature of the Premier League. He is a natural midfielder who has taken on more of a box-to-box role within the academy set-up.
These attributes, in theory, make him an ideal asset for Hodgson to utilise while Doucouré is out of action. However, his lack of experience is a major obstacle, especially when playing under a manager who places heightened value on trust and experience.
For now, Palace fans have to accept that Richards will be undertaking the brunt of defensive midfield work. This is an issue, and he needs help.
With Doucouré’s potential return months away, the hierarchy at Palace will need to address this problem in January if they want to climb the table and steer clear of trouble. With almost three weeks already elapsed in the window, time is fast running out.