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Crystal Palace once again broke hearts on Saturday, with the Eagles relegating a team for the third straight season in Huddersfield, who more or less rolled over for their hosts in the second half and were fortunate that the scoreline was so flattering.
The last couple of results have stung Palace, but an interesting XI got the job done at the weekend. There was even a rare start for Max Meyer, although the German once again failed to impress.
On the chalkboard
The former Schalke wonder-kid replaced James McArthur in an exciting-looking midfield trio alongside Jeffrey Schlupp and Luka Milivojevic and was surely intended to make use of any small spaces afforded to him by a Huddersfield side that have served solely as the league’s punching bag this campaign.
His 45-minute performance, though, was underwhelming and the 23-year-old was substituted for McArthur at half-time – a change which saw the Eagles grab the game by the scruff of the neck and lay siege to their visitors’ back line.
The Palace number 7 will surely be disappointed that he couldn’t make more of an impact and it could be a while before he features ahead of McArthur again – how many more chances can Roy Hodgson afford the £125,000-a-week star to prove himself?
How many Meyer opportunities?
The diminutive midfielder has made just 12 league starts for the Eagles since signing in the summer and has chalked up one goal and two assists – an output far from worthy of his astronomical wages. There have been calls for the German to feature more frequently but, each time Hodgson has obliged, the player hasn’t delivered in the league.
Has this guy found the worst stadium in English football? Decide for yourself by watching the video below…
Sure, he has been a useful player to have in the cup competitions but paying six-figures for a benchwarmer is ridiculous for most top-six sides let alone one battling relegation.
