5 Tactical Changes Crystal Palace Fans Can Expect This Season

One of the recurring themes of Palace's first two seasons in the Premier League has been their aversion to keeping the ball, often only charting 30-40 percent possession. For a team that plays on the counter attack, that is fine, as Palace will have wanted to exploit the space created behind opposition defences that would get forward more and more looking for the breakthrough against a resolute defence.

An anti-possession football mentality is a completely acceptable way of winning games, but problems arise when an anti-possession team comes up against a team who just don't want the ball either. The ball doesn't just sit in the centre circle with both teams sitting on the edge of their box playing with their Game Boys - one team will naturally find themselves with more of the ball and, at home, that team is going to be Palace, as clubs new to give them nothing on the break. 

This caused problems. The team would find themselves dominating possession but having no clue what to do with it. Palace lost more games at home last season than any other team - including losses against Aston Villa, Hull, West Brom and Sunderland and - in all those games - Palace controlled possession. Palace's counter attacking style works great against teams that like to have the ball and attack but at home, Palace will have to find a way of turning possession in to goals when they have the ball and that's where Yohan Cabaye comes in. In a lot of games last season Palace missed someone who could pick a pass in a crowded last third and Cabaye will have been brought in with the express intention of providing a bit of guile to the pace that Palace have.

Palace now have two ways to play and will aim to be equally comfortable exploding out from defence as they will controlling the tempo of the game.