The Palace Way - Season Preview 2024/2025
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And so, here we go again! Another season full of hope and expectation is about to commence. The hard yards have been put in, finishing touches have been added and Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace are ready for what has the potential to be a landmark season in the club’s recent history.
In what will be the Austrian’s first full season at the helm, expectations have undoubtedly been raised by the impressive form in which the Eagles finished last campaign.
Six wins from their final seven league matches, saw Palace end 2023/24 as one of the form teams in the Premier League and saw the club achieve its first top half finish in nine years.
The football was scintillating, the goals were flowing and Palace’s star assets were consistently showing their quality in a well-suited system.
The summer window was always going to bring jeopardy. When sides like Palace hit form, the vultures begin to circle.
Michael Olise, as a result of a frustrating but necessary release clause, departed the club to join German giants Bayern Munich.
With speculation casting doubt over the futures of Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze too, Palace still have work to do to ensure they are not starting the new campaign short on numbers and quality.
Moroccan defender Chadi Riad and Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada were acquired early on in the summer and have been afforded time to integrate and adapt. Their performances during pre-season have been promising with both set to feature heavily in the upcoming campaign.
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Long-term target Ismaila Sarr has joined from Marseille for a fee in excess of £12 million. The Senegalese forward will add much needed attacking depth and variation as Palace look to fill the creative gap left by Olise’s departure.
Palace’s transfer window so far has been steady but they are in danger of passing up a golden opportunity. If the Olise windfall can be reinvested wisely, a top-half finish could be the minimum Palace fans are hoping for.
It is on the pitch that everything will be decided. Our hopes and expectations rest solely on Glasner and his men. With this, The Palace Way team have provided their thoughts on what we can expect over the next ten months.
Breakout season
There is only one real choice for this category - Matheus Franca. The young Brazilian has recently seen himself sidelined by injury, but his return to the first team is imminent following surgery.
Palace’s #11 needs to prove that he was worth the £20M spent on him last year. A somewhat uninspiring start to life at Selhurst Park has led to some fans losing faith in Franca, but there are still many that believe the 20-year-old has what it takes to make the step up and shine in the Premier League.
With the arrival of Daichi Kamada - who is incredibly versatile - there is slightly more pressure on Franca to succeed, as even without Olise, competition in his position is strong.
The Brazilian has the talent to kick-on in his career, and Palace fans will be hoping that his commitment and patience matches the talent. Chances may not come often for Franca, so he will need to take them when given to make an impact for Oliver Glasner’s men this season.
Cory Woodthorpe
Key man
There were a fair few choices for this. One could argue that the defensive stability of Guehi and Andersen will be key for the upcoming season, or the bombing runs of Daniel Munoz are crucial for Palace’s success. You could even name Mateta and his scoring exploits key, as well as Wharton’s ability on the ball to link play together.
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However, this season only one player could claim the moniker of key player – Eberechi Eze. The talismanic attacking midfielder will need to step up after the departure of Olise, and demonstrate his undeniable talent if Palace want to build on last season’s finish.
Whilst the addition of Kamada will ease the weight on his shoulders, the former QPR starlet will be crucial to the continuing success of Oliver Glasner this season.
Tom Reynolds
Youth prospects to look out for
There are quite a few exciting prospects in the Palace youth setup, especially those from last year’s group of U18s who are now fighting for a starting place for the U21s.
The first is Mofe Jemide - a tall, strong, and dominant left-footed centre-back who has already established himself as a starter for Darren Powell’s squad, despite being only seventeen years of age. Comfortable on the ball and a natural leader, Jemide has trained up with the Palace first team on many occasions, and even featured for Oliver Glasner’s side in pre-season. Due to his age and Palace’s current depth in central defence, it’s unlikely he’ll feature too much this season - but injuries could pave the way for a debut in cup competitions.
Franco Umeh is another player on the cusp of the first team. His versatility and natural athleticism have seen him effectively become a regular at Copers Cope, with both Roy Hodgson and Glasner keen on the 19-year-old. Despite the latter’s apparent desire to convert him into Tyrick Mitchell’s deputy at wing-back, game time will be crucial at this point in Umeh’s development, and a loan move in January could still be on the cards.
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Steve Parish himself described academies as darwinian in nature - and that competitive nature will rear its head most in relation to Palace’s young wingers. In the U21s, Jesse Derry, Hindolo Mustapha, Asher Agbinone, Adler Nascimento, David Obou, and Jadan Raymond will be fighting between themselves for just two starting places. All six are returning from injury-hit campaigns, and the concept of “survival of the fittest” could become more literal than metaphorical as the season progresses.
The academy is a work in progress, but it’s getting there. The current crop of U21s is the closest thing to a “golden generation” we’ve had to offer in recent memory - but don’t set expectations too high. The full benefits of Category 1 are yet to be realised.
Bruno Collingridge
Anticipations
As Palace fans, it can be easy to get too caught up in the negativity that can circle online. Football fandom can be fickle and reactionary and with the glimpse of success we experienced at the end of last season, opinion has become even more volatile.
With the prospect of success a very real possibility next season, there is a desperation for everything to go according to script at every given moment. This is unrealistic.
It is important to remember that when Palace’s season gets underway on Sunday, it’ll mark the start of Oliver Glasner’s first full season in charge. With all the excitement of last season, it can be easy to forget that the Austrian managed to instigate a complete transformation of the club’s fortunes in little over two months.
This is what is so exciting about the year ahead - Glasner has had a full pre-season to continue to implement his ideas and iron out noticeable issues. The demanding nature of his philosophy requires advanced tactical understanding and extremely high fitness levels, both of which can only improve with time.
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Glasner’s Eagles have certainly caught the winning bug and all Palace fans will be excited to see if this form can carry over into the new campaign.
With the summer transfer window not closing until August 31st, there is still plenty of time for things to change. Optimism could be curbed by a failure to reinvest and replace Olise - a piece of transfer activity that is essential for Palace to kick on. The club’s tendency to wait until the latter stages of window’s to finalise deals must be taken into account, but as it stands, the squad is in need of bolstering.
Get the next few weeks right and the unbridled anticipation seen at the end of last season will return.
Haris Armstrong
Apprehensions
As the natural excitement of a new season ramps up, there will be areas of doubt for Palace fans ahead of the season’s opener away to Brentford. A lack of movement in the transfer window relative to the quality of players that have left will see Glasner's side struggle if certain players are injured.
Three players who will play a role of huge importance in the coming season are wingbacks Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Muñoz and goal scoring sensation Jean-Phillipe Mateta. If a serious injury were to impact one of these players, there is a severe lack of quality in depth.
During pre-season, Glasner has opted for 19-year-old Franco Umeh as backup to Mitchell. Although the young Irishman is a genuine cause for excitement, his lack of first team experience overshadows the potential of him finding himself starting in the Premier League.
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Similarly, if Muñoz was to suffer a setback, the only real option in the current squad would be Nathaniel Clyne, a player who should be considered a squad option heading into the new campaign.
Potentially the greatest risk for Glasner will be the fitness of Mateta. The French sensation has been in fine form since the closing months of last season. Palace’s chances of success are heavily reliant on Mateta’s fitness, but an adequate backup should be considered before the transfer window closes.
Fellow countryman Odsonne Edouard has struggled to live up to the potential he showed on his Palace debut, leaving Palace with a second choice who does not guarantee convincing performances.
A theme of fixtures that Palace have often struggled to collect points from are those against the newly promoted sides and those fighting relegation, taking just one point from Luton Town last season. This took an upturn from recent campaigns last season, as Palace took six points from both Burnley and Sheffield United - a feat Glasner will be expecting his side to replicate against Ipswich, Leicester City and Southampton.
If a maximum eighteen points are taken from those games, as well as collecting wins against other sides fighting at the bottom of the table, Palace will be well placed to push for a finish inside of the league’s top nine.
Henry Swain
Expectations
As I said in the season review article, I think European football is a genuine possibility. Do I expect it? No, but all it takes is one or two of the ‘stronger’ teams to have a poor season and Palace will be right in the mix for those European spots. I’d like to see at least three more signings, because we’re always two injuries away from a disaster, but I am hopeful for this season.
Cory Woodthorpe
Better than ever before, but not without the inevitable underwhelming frustration of missing out. We have the strongest squad we’ve ever had - but we’ve said that for the last couple of seasons. I’m not sure if that holds next year if we lose Glasner, Eze, and Wharton. Let’s make this one count and prove me wrong.
Bruno Collingridge
Given the end to last season, it is difficult not to get wrapped up in the hype. Olise’s departure, whilst significant, could be mitigated by quality forward additions. Sarr is a start, but a marquee forward signing is essential. Cover in wide defensive areas is also needed, especially with the physical demands Glasner places on his wing-backs.
If Palace can achieve these two things and supplement the squad sufficiently, there is no doubt that they can pick up where they left off. For the first time in a long while, Crystal Palace have a shot at European qualification.
Haris Armstrong
Palace are well placed to beat their record points tally of 49 points, and they will do so if they can build a consistent level of performance against both newly promoted sides and those making up the bottom six to seven sides in the league. A push for a place in Europe may be a stretch too far, but the idea of a cup run, or two, is one which could get Palace fans excited.
Glasner is an elite manager, and Palace must back him in the closing weeks of the transfer window. The squad is the best it has ever been, with the fans seemingly back on board and in love with the club following multiple seasons of frustration and disappointment. It’s certainly a season to look forward to - who knows what can happen in football!
Henry Swain
Palace’s season will largely hinge on what’s left of the transfer window. If they can keep their star players, and maybe bring in one or two more bodies, they’ll be well placed to try and beat their record points tally and push for a top half finish. Whisper it quietly, but Europe could also be on the cards for the Eagles.
If the traditional “Big 6” have some weaker seasons between them, there could be a spot for Palace in the Conference League, or even Europa. Palace also stand a good chance in the cups too – Glasner’s men showed last season they could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle.
The Eagles should be looking to finish top half at a minimum, with the hope of sneaking into Europe via a cup or a league position – provided they can keep their best players.
Tom Reynolds
The Palace Way
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