Joachim Andersen’s public praise for his teammates in Crystal Palace’s creative midfield duos Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze isn’t exactly a revelation, though interested suitors will again be enthused about their blossoming potential after watching the pair dismantle David Moyes’ West Ham over this past weekend.
Eze and Olise combining together, how long will it last?
EVERYONE with a vested interest in the Championship knew, at least five years ago, that two released Premier League academy players were bound to return to England’s top-flight at some stage. One at Queen’s Park Rangers, Reading the other.
They were each their team’s talisman, taking up responsibility ability in the final third for middling second-division sides and quickly stood out to any scouts watching.
That hasn’t changed in south London when both are fit to feature, albeit doing so in the glare of a Crystal Palace side struggling for stability – both on-and-off the pitch.
Oliver Glasner has been tasked with steadying that ship, but there’s a resigned sense Roy Hodgson’s latest successor may not keep hold of the two creators much longer.
The pair both scored before each assisting Jean-Philippe Mateta during Palace’s 5-2 win over Europa League quarterfinalists West Ham on Sunday and centre-back Joachim Andersen’s comments reiterate just how important the pair are to CPFC’s chances of success as they again target bridging the gap to the division’s top sides.
As quoted by the Standard’s Malik Ouzia, the 29-year-old said:
“I think every team would want to have them, we haven’t seen them play together so much this season and every time they have, been unbelievable. Everyone’s wishing those two can stay fit, keep playing how they do and they’ll score goals like they did today [Sunday].”
Olise, heavily linked with a Chelsea reunion last summer, instead signed a new four-year contract extension but has struggled with persistent muscular issues after suffering a serious hamstring injury and enduring a setback on U21 duty with France.
Eze hasn’t been particularly fortunate either on that front, despite belatedly making his senior England debut last summer. Hamstring, thigh and the purposely ambiguous muscular issues have hampered their time together on the pitch, in a post-Wilfried Zaha era at Selhurst Park where ambitions have changed.
Their divisional counterparts, especially those struggling for creative depth, have too taken notice. Premier League leaders Arsenal’s over-reliance on captain Martin Odegaard to orchestrate their creative chances in the final third is clear, while Tottenham have a similar issue with summer acquisition James Maddison.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer coup has proven a double-edged sword for the same reason, while Manchester United could do with help in all areas across the pitch if their 4-3 extra-time FA Cup semifinal win over Championship Coventry is anything to go by.
Much like their stubborn Zaha stance for many transfer windows before he departed for Galatasaray on a free in July 2023, Palace find themselves in a position of power.
Using Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice as examples, they’re able to command significant fees for their burgeoning stars as an inflated market means low-ball offers will be rejected out of hand and a tug-of-war won’t be far away from the rumour mill.
Picture source: Getty Images
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