4th Sep 2021 • Written by The Palace Way

Odsonne Edouard: The Answer to Palace's Scoring Problem

After Vieira’s first game in charge ended in disappointment, with Chelsea cruising to a 3-0 victory, it was clear to see the squad still needed some reinforcement. The lack of chances created was particularly concerning, with the Eagles only managing to register a single shot on target, and an xG of 0.32 - never posing a real threat to the Blues’ goal.

“ The chairman and Dougie [Freedman], we are working to improve the squad. We knew that we need to bring players, until the market [closes], everything is still possible. But we are looking to improve the team - to improve the squad. ”

— Patrick Vieira

The home draw against Brentford showed more positive signs in comparison, with loan signing Conor Gallagher’s performance being a clear highlight. However, it was once again glaringly obvious that the forward areas needed improving quickly. Three days later and another dominant performance, this time at Vicarage Road in the Carabao Cup, resulted in defeat. Ashley Fletcher’s late debut goal left Palace ruing multiple missed chances, and was likely the catalyst behind the club’s new transfer priority - a striker.

Both of Palace’s strikers are goalless in all completions this season

One of the club’s main targets was Eddie Nketiah, the 22 year old Arsenal striker who has seemingly fallen out of favour with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta. With 10 months left on his contract, the England U21s striker was chasing a move away from North London. Palace’s bid of £10 million fell short of Arsenal’s asking price of £20 million, and despite Arsenal lowering that price to £15 million, the deal fell through.

Palace’s bid of £10 million fell short of Arsenal’s asking price of £20 million

Following this setback in the transfer market, Palace quickly moved to secure the signature of highly rated Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard. In spite of the mitigating circumstances, Edouard managed a haul of 22 goals last season, but the disconnect between the club and the player was enough to lower his asking price to within Palace’s budget. Eventually a deal was struck at £14 million with potential to rise to £18.5 million - a shrewd transfer for a player with his prolific scoring record.

A deal was struck at £14 million with potential to rise to £18.5 million

Goals have always come naturally to the Frenchman. His youth career was extremely successful, scoring over 60 goals at U17 level in just two years. This prolific behaviour in front of goal earned him the nickname ‘The Rocket‘, as well as his first professional contract at PSG. Due to heavy competition, he was unable to break into the first team, and after a controversial loan at Toulouse, he was given the opportunity to redeem himself at Celtic Park.

Edouard’s prolific behaviour in front of goal earned him the nickname ‘The Rocket‘

He impressed in his debut season in Glasgow, managing to score 11 goals in 29 appearances - enough to convince Celtic to turn the initial loan into a permanent move worth £8 million. He was entrusted with leading the Hoops’ front line, and quickly repaid this trust by contributing 23 goals to the team in the 2018/19 season - leading them to their 8th consecutive SPL title. Carrying on this rich vein of form, Edouard went on to score 29 in 2019/20 and 22 in 2020/21, an extremely impressive goal scoring record that any striker would be pleased with. Over the course of his 3 seasons in Scotland he managed to garner a brilliant reputation for his goalscoaring prowess, becoming a fan favourite with the creation of the chant ‘I wanna be Edouard’ to the tune of the Stone Roses’ song ‘I Wanna Be Adored’. 

“I find myself applauding due to the sheer quality that he possesses, which is incredible. He also has a great footballing brain and technique for such a young player. He’s very strong and he also gets goals.”

— Brendan Rodgers

So what caught the eye of Patrick Vieira apart from his evident ability to find the back of the net? Speaking to the media in a recent press conference Vieira stated, ‘We need a different profile of player up front and we are working to try to improve that’, and Edouard fits the bill perfectly. Although similar in stature to Christian Benteke and Jean-Philippe Mateta, he is much more mobile than the aforementioned and is comfortable with the ball at his feet, often dropping deep into the space in the final third so he is able to link the play and help create chances whether that be for himself or for others.

Edouard fits the bill perfectly at Crystal Palace

His heat map shows his knack for collecting the ball further from goal; last season he was able to create 9 big chances - more than any Crystal Palace player - which were then converted into 6 assists. This trio of technical skill, great close control and dribbling combined with his physical attributes of height and strength make him a suitable striker for any top flight team and a real luxury for Crystal Palace. Coming from a dominant team who averaged 66% possession last season he will be extremely accustomed to that style of play and will slot in superbly to Vieira’s system. Of course the difference in quality between the Scottish Premiership and the Premier League has to be taken into consideration, but the Frenchman ticks all the boxes of what’s required to be a top Premier League striker.

His heat map shows his knack for collecting the ball further from goal

With the addition of Edouard up front, Crystal Palace’s squad is really starting to take shape. After a fantastic summer transfer window, Palace have put together a core group of players with a mix of youth, talent and experience which should shape the team for years to come. The prospect of a full Selhurst Park rocking with ‘I Wanna Be Edouard’ going round the terraces is mouth watering to say the least and I, for one, am certain that he will be adored.

❤️ 💙

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