da bet vitoria： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
da bwin： Crystal Palace’s start to the season has been a mixed one, to say the least.
Impressive wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa have been slightly stained by a drab defeat to Sheffield United and a disappointing draw against 10-men Wolves, but one thing has remained constant – their lack of depth at full-back.
As it stands, the south Londoners have just one senior left-back and one senior right-back in Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt – if you decide to see Jeffrey Schlupp as a midfielder now, of course.
However, a recent transfer target could help add depth to both of these positions.
The Sun (print version, 22 September, page 61) reported earlier this week that Crystal Palace are interested in signing West Brom youngster Nathan Ferguson as they look to add cover to their full-back positions.
The 18-year-old is an encouraging target for the south Londoners due to his age and potential to improve – we have previously detailed the problems that come with Palace often signing older players, who end up leaving the Eagles in a problematic position in terms of failing to make a profit on their investments.
Ferguson has shown plenty of signs so far this season to suggest that he is a promising young player whose value will only grow as he learns his trade in the game – he has started seven of the Baggies’ Championship games this term, grabbing one assist while making 2.6 tackles and 2.6 clearances per game. Decent beginnings.
With just Ward and van Aanholt available, those areas of the field are problematic for Palace – even more so after the latter’s worrying display against Tottenham, which did not go down well with some supporters.
Roy Hodgson was recently forced to play academy centre-back Sam Woods and centre-midfielder Jairo Riedewald at right-back and left-back respectively in the Carabao Cup, after injuries to Ward and van Aanholt – the 72-year-old later said he felt “sorry” for the makeshift duo. Indeed, Palace lost the game on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
Significantly, Ferguson can actually play in both full-back positions, having appeared four times on the right of Slaven Bilic’s backline so far this term, as well as three times on the left. That could make him an incredibly important member of Hodgson’s squad, even if it’s primarily from the bench.
He does lack a little going forward, averaging just 0.3 key passes per game this season, but the trade-off appears to be greater defensive solidity, and that only fits the Hodgson mould after his side finished up with the sixth-most clean sheets of any Premier League side last term.
Ferguson, then, appears to tick some crucial boxes in terms of the type of defender Palace need – defensively sound, versatile and offering genuine resale value. We’ll have to see whether that’s enough to convince the Eagles to make a concerted effort for his services.