Last Season: 11thPre-Season Prediction: 12th - Another impressive season from Palace should see them stay well clear of the drop. Unlikely to suffer second season syndrome with Pulis at the helm.
Crystal Palace fans are probably still on the come down from what was a quite extraordinary first season back in the Premier League. Almost everybody had tipped Palace to tumble straight back into the Championship but they defied everyone after Tony Pulis masterminded an astonishing recovery following his appointment in November. In fact, the five wins on the bounce from March to April almost saw the Eagles soar into the top half, eventually finishing a brilliant 11th.
One of the major criticisms of Palace last season was their summer spending spree, bringing in 14 players during the off-season but failing to gel the squad. This season, Pulis has been keen to ensure the club do not replicate these mistakes, making just three signings to date; Chris Kettings from Blackpool, Frazier Campbell from Cardiff and Brede Hangeland from Fulham. Palace have bought well, raiding clubs in trouble to secure two free transfers and Campbell for just £900,000, an astonishingly low figure considering the current market for English players.
Palace have let a number of players go during this transfer window, carefully thinning their squad after their binge-buying last year. That said, the release of both Jonathan Parr and Dean Moxey means that a new left back has to be high on the agenda of Tony Pulis. The signing of Kettings indicates a movement towards youth, but some more talented youngsters should be a priority as eleven of the squad are aged 30-or-over. Otherwise, the squad has remained largely in tact and it has hard to criticise elsewhere after their escapades last season, although some more proven defenders could be a possibility.
Pre-season fixtures has seen little experimentation, with Pulis opting to play his star-players to figure out who his starting eleven are in time for the new season. The highlight was unquestionably a 13-1 drubbing of Austrian amateur side Grazer (although Pulis will have been devastated to have conceded a goal). It was not all plain sailing though and a final friendly loss to the Championship's newly promoted side Brentford will keep their feet firmly on the ground as they prepare for an opening day trip to the Emirates.
After the jubilation of last season, Palace fans may have to enjoy the safety of mid-table mediocrity for a while longer. Pulis is a proven mid-table expert and Palace fans can expect to be joining the likes of Swansea and Stoke in the higher echelons of the bottom half of the table. By no means should we be expecting stunning football at Selhurst Park, but we know we will have a solid unit with a lot of passion, alongside one of the noisiest, if not the noisiest fan bases in the League. Another solid season from the Eagles.
Key Man: Jason Puncheon - Puncheon has only been with Palace for a year after a loan spell followed by a permanent signing in January but has cemented himself as one of the key members of the squad. Operating on the right side of midfield, Puncheon has an ability to cut inside and use his much stronger left-foot. His prowess from midfield ended with him being the clubs joint highest goalscorer in the league, alongside Dwight Gayle. If Puncheon can add a few more assists to his game then he will become even more dangerous and a fantasy league managers dream.
One to Watch: Glenn Murray - Murray endured an extremely difficult first season in the Premier League after a serious knee injury kept him out until February. With so little playing time it is no surprise that the 30-year-old struggled to adapt to life in the top flight. One thing we can say though is that Murray knows where the goal is - 30 Championship goals the year before if you had any doubt - and if he is allowed a run in the side do not be surprised if he starts scoring freely. To get into the starting eleven though he will need to fight off stiff competition from the likes of Gayle, Chamakh and, of course, our next man.
Best Summer Signing: Fraizer Campbell - In amongst a trio of careful summer signings comes a striker who has found glimpses of form over the last couple of seasons. Campbell has always been a player who has promised much and delivered in flashes but couldn't quite string together a season of solid performances. The question will be how much he will thrive at the front of a team who realistically do not provide a lot of service to their strikers. Competing against the other three strikers will be a struggle but Pulis should manage to get the best out of him.
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