Crystal Palace had the oldest squad within the Premier League earlier than Patrick Vieira was appointed at Selhurst Park in 2021, and the recruitment technique for the reason that supervisor’s arrival has championed a younger strategy.
Indeed, the squad is nonetheless wealthy with skilled gamers however the rising stars within the workforce have been the distinction over the past season with Michael Olise, Odsonne Edouard, Tyrick Mitchell and Marc Guehi only a few of the younger gamers who’ve been making their mark in South London.
However, there is definitely nonetheless loads of room for enchancment because the Premier League marketing campaign to date has been robust for the Eagles with solely six factors tallied up from their first seven league outings leaving them teetering on the sting of the relegation zone in seventeenth.
As a outcome, Vieira might check out his younger academy gamers rising by means of the ranks in hope of a golden alternative to interrupt into the senior workforce at Selhurst Park, and one participant who might be the proper inheritor for veteran midfielder James McArthur is Malachi Boateng.
The proficient 20-year-old ace is at the moment on loan with Scottish Championship aspect Queen’s Park and is thriving in his new position in Scotland, scoring one aim and delivering one help from his defensive midfield place over his seven appearances to date.
Boateng was the recipient of giant reward from the Crystal Palace U23’s supervisor Shaun Derry after he received Crystal Palace’s U23 Player of the Year award again in 2020:
He said: “A midfielder who has so many strings to his bow… He shows aggression, he shows quality on the ball, he can get around the pitch – wins the second ball and can dictate play.”
Should Vieira give Boateng an opportunity?
Yes
No
The teenager has made 53 appearances within the defensive midfield position however his capabilities to additionally supply an attacking risk with aim contributions might make him the proper central midfielder to succeed McArthur, who is at the moment struggling injury points and coming to the latter phases of his profession.
Like the younger Palace gem, McArthur is aggressive in his defensive duties, appearing because the midfield metronome in the course of the park. Boateng would seem able to doing that, however crucially possessing the instruments to do nicely offensively too.
With that being stated, Vieira must be conserving an in depth eye on the teenager’s growth with Queen’s Park over the approaching months as he might develop into a really helpful participant within the senior workforce again in London, serving to them to probably save tens of millions on enhancing their midfield depth subsequent summer season.