Change is afoot at Crystal Palace — and Patrick Vieira is the man charged with taking the Eagles into a new era.

The South London side are entering their ninth consecutive season as a Premier League club, thanks largely to the pragmatic leadership of former manager Roy Hodgson.

But with the division’s oldest squad last term and their veteran coach departing, the time has come for a fresh approach.

The challenge for Vieira is to build a more youthful side without putting Palace’s top-flight place at risk.

Last season

At first glance, finishing 14th in the table last season was par for the course. After all, Palace had finished in the exact same position in two of their previous four campaigns.

But the underlying numbers painted a more worrying picture of a side beginning to move in the wrong direction.

Palace's success had been built on defensive solidity in previous seasons but they conceded 66 times in 2020-21. That was 16 more than in 2019-20 and their worst record in more than a decade.

Things were no more positive in attack, where the team’s expected goals (xG) total of 32.4 was the second lowest in the Premier League.

New faces

With a host of senior players departing Selhurst Park at the end of last season when their deals expired, a summer of upheaval was always going to be on the cards.

Palace's big signings so far have come at the back.

Central defender Marc Guehi, 21, who enjoyed an eye-catching loan spell with Championship play-off finalists Swansea last term, was signed for £21million from Chelsea. 

The capture of Lyon centre-back Joachim Andersen, 25, for £19m following an impressive season with Fulham is also a smart bit of business.

In midfield, Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher looked every inch a Premier League play at West Brom in 2020-21, while bringing in creative maestro Michael Olise, 19, from Reading looks an absolute steal at £8m.

The line-up

4-4-1-1: Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Ayew, Milivojevic, Gallagher, Zaha; Eze; Benteke.

With Vieira yet to take charge of a competitive match at Palace, it is difficult to ascertain which system he is set to favour when the Premier League campaign kicks off. 

The 2019-20 season saw him primarily utilise both 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-1-1 at Nice, though the former Arsenal star did occasionally switch to a back three before his departure in December 2020. 

Crystal Palace’s players should be familiar with that set-up, having mostly stuck to a rigid 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 under Hodgson. 

But Vieira’s style is likely to involve pressing higher up the pitch and a greater emphasis on possession.

Star man: Wilfried Zaha

Wilfried Zaha has made no secret of his desire to move to one of England’s elite clubs but there appears to be little interest from members of the big six this summer.

With two years remaining on his deal, the Ivory Coast international, 28, is likely to be part of Vieira’s plans and will be key to Palace’s chances of survival once again.

The forward chipped in with 11 league goals last season while his charging runs and quick feet were a key part of the team's attacking play.

A more offensive-minded approach from the South Londoners this term could see Zaha find the net more frequently.

Up-and-comer: Tyrick Mitchell

Academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell broke into the Crystal Palace first team last season — now he will be looking to nail down the left-back berth under his new manager.

After injury interrupted a promising start to the campaign, the 21-year-old racked up 19 top-flight appearances in 2020-21.

Mitchell has been deployed in a more attacking role by Vieira in pre-season and should get a chance to showcase his full range of talents when the Premier League kicks off.

The boss: Patrick Vieira

Vieira is a well-known name in England after his exploits for Arsenal as a player — but the jury is still out on the Frenchman when it comes to management.

He recorded a solid 44.44% win percentage while in charge of MLS side New York City from 2016-2018 but failed to win silverware despite enjoying a broadly successful time with the US outfit.

A mixed spell in charge of Nice followed. 

Vieira achieved an impressive fifth-placed finish in 2019-20 but things went wrong the following season and he was sacked with Les Aiglons sitting 11th in Ligue 1.

There are enough positives from his two previous jobs for Palace supporters to be optimistic about their future under the 45-year-old World Cup winner. 

But managing the Eagles will be the biggest test of his credentials yet.

All information correct as of 11am, August 3, 2021