Crystal Palace risk consigning themselves to the fate their fans feared when Roy Hodgson was kept on as manager for this season. Rather than kicking on, they appear to be treading water.
Faltering recent form has placed pressure on manager Roy Hodgson, who retains the support of chairman Steve Parish but faces a difficult run of fixtures to come.
The Eagles’ 3-2 defeat to Everton before the international break at least had the asterisk of the Toffees’ strong form heading into the game, but there were no mitigating circumstances for their 2-1 defeat at lowly Luton Town on Saturday.
Despite having 61 per cent possession and having twice as many shots as their hosts, Palace lost as Luton recorded their first-ever Premier League win at Kenilworth Road, leaving the Eagles with just one League win from their last six outings.
Sunday’s visit to West Ham and next Wednesday’s home match against Bournemouth now take on added significance, and not just because Palace are struggling for points.
Those games are followed by a tough run that features matches against Liverpool, Manchester City, Brighton, Chelsea and Brentford before the end of the year.
And then their first Premier League fixture next year? Arsenal. Away. Palace could be in real trouble by late January if they are not careful.
It is a run of games reminiscent of the two-month spell from January to March that spelt the end for Patrick Vieira last season.
Games against Tottenham, Southampton, Newcastle, Manchester United (twice), Brighton (twice), Brentford, Liverpool, City and Aston Villa yielded just five points and no wins.
With Palace having already faced the big boys under Vieira, it must be said that the kind run of ten fixtures Hodgson came in for at the end of last season were part of the reason Palace finished the campaign so well.
That, in turn, contributed to Parish’s decision to keep the 76-year-old on for what is expected to be his last season in charge, this term. Brendan Rodgers and Steve Cooper — who Palace still admire from afar — were also interviewed.
Hodgson must deliver results without two of his best players, after Cheick Doucoure and Eberechi Eze suffered injuries against Luton.
Doucoure may not play again this season following an Achilles tendon injury, while Eze could be out for four weeks with ankle ligament damage.
The potential saving grace — and Hodgson needs it to be — is the return of Michael Olise.
On a weekend when Alejandro Garnacho’s goal rightly stole the headlines, Olise’s strike at Kenilworth Road was a timely reminder to Eagles fans of what they have been missing.
Olise, on his first start since suffering a serious hamstring injury for France Under-21s in June, picked the ball up near the halfway line and beat Amari’i Bell twice down the right wing, cutting back onto his left foot to bend a piledriver into the top corner.
A virtual ever-present last season, he was Palace’s top assister with 11 in the League but scored just twice.
Olise must add goals to his game this season to help Palace, and Hodgson, through this tricky period.
