Mitch Freeley

Crystal Palace will be hoping for a solid start to the Premier League campaign this year, and push into the European places under experienced Coach Roy Hodgson. Last season, the Eagles lost their first seven Premier League games and found themselves four points adrift at the foot of the table. However, former England boss Hodgson eventually turned the ship around after replacing Frank de Boer four games into the season, leading the Eagles to a respectable eleventh place finish. 

It’s been an encouraging transfer window for Palace fans so far, with the capture of highly rated German midfielder Max Meyer on a free whilst the signing of Cheikhou Kouyate from West Ham will bring Premier League experience to the squad. Expect Hodgson to make some late moves in the transfer window to add at least one new signing. 

Much of the season will depend on the form of attacker Wilfred Zaha. The Ivorian international’s goals essentially got Palace out of trouble last season and attracted the attention of Manchester United, Tottenham & Chelsea. Zaha signed a new five-year deal in March of last year, and Palace would demand a hefty fee if the attacker was to leave South London. 

Transfers (at the time of publishing)

Ins- Vicente Guaita [Getafe] Free, Cheikhou Kouyate [West Ham] Undisclosed, Max Meyer [Schalke - Crystal Palace] Free

Outs- Jaroslaw Jach [Caykur Rizespor] Loan

First Five Premier League Fixtures

11/08/18 Fulham Vs Crystal Palace-17:00- beIN SPORTS CONNECT
20/08/18 Crystal Palace Vs Liverpool-22:00- beIN SPORTS CONNECT
26/08/18 Watford Vs Crystal Palace -15:30- beIN SPORTS CONNECT
01/09/18 Crystal Palace Vs Southampton -17:00- beIN SPORTS CONNECT
15/09/18 Huddersfield Vs Crystal Palace -17:00- beIN SPORTS CONNECT

Fan View Robert Sutherland-  @RoDuSu on Twitter - Editor- Five Year Plan Fanzine

How has the summer transfer window been? We're yet to see how fruitful this transfer window is. Palace has a habit of doing deals late in the window, and with the earlier closing of it, it's leaving Palace fans understandably concerned that the signings needed won't materialise. 

There's a need for a winger, while a striker would be ideal also. In the perfect scenario, the club would sign players for all of these positions. Previous experience suggests the club won't.

Player to watch? There are two. Wilfried Zaha - because his move to a more central position, as initially instigated by Roy Hodgson, should result in him scoring more goals. He's capable of scoring at least 15 goals this season. 

Aaron Wan-Bissaka - Promoted from the youth team during last season's injury crisis, Wan-Bissaka has shown some youthful quality in the right-back position, impressing with some assured performances. More of the same could see him make the position his own this season. 
 
How’s the manager going to do? Hodgson performed a miracle last season by guiding the side away from a relegation battle despite a horrendous injury crisis. He's popular with his players and fans are incredibly supportive of the former England manager. The club played some of the best football seen at Selhurst Park since promotion to the Premier League. 

What would be a dream season for your team? A season which sees Palace play some entertaining football and avoiding any hint of a relegation battle would be ideal for most Palace fans. Add a cup run into the mix and it would be considered great. 

Premier League finish? Anything from 12th to 8th would be considered a success, but avoiding the bottom three is the priority.

beIN SPORTS Prediction- 11
(Note this is an average of the predictions from the beIN SPORTS team)

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