Oliver Glasner endured an embarrassing return to Selhurst Park earlier this afternoon, as his Nottingham Forest side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Dan Ndoye handed the Reds an early lead after just two minutes – as he capitalised on Anan Khalaili’s mistake, but it’s safe to say it was all downhill from that moment.
Two goals in quick succession allowed the Eagles to boast a lead at the break, before Yeremi Pino’s second-half strike secured all three points for the hosts.
It was an afternoon to forget for all associated with Forest, but there’s no denying Glasner will have learned a whole bunch about his new players following the capitulation.
Nottingham Forest’s poor performers against Crystal Palace
Just like manager Glasner, wing-back Daniel Munoz made his first return to Selhurst Park this afternoon, but was unable to showcase why his former employers made a mistake letting him depart.
The Colombian international was largely ineffective with the ball in attacking areas, as he failed to complete any of his four attempted dribbles and only completed one cross into the area.
Even without the ball, the 30-year-old was just as lacklustre, subsequently losing 68% of the ground duels he entered, whilst committing four fouls in the process.
He wasn’t the only player within the defensive unit to struggle against the Eagles this afternoon, with goalkeeper Matz Sels once again showing why the club tried to sign a new shot-stopper last summer.
The Belgian conceded three times during the defeat, with the second of the hosts goals going through his legs and trundling into the back of the net.
For the fifth time in six league games, the 34-year-old failed to complete a single high claim – which has once again led to questions about his ability to command his area.
His inability to play out from the back was once again highlighted in South London, as the former Strasbourg man could only find a teammate with 72% of his efforts.
Why Forest dud produced his worst display vs Palace
After two weeks of international football and no league action, many Forest supporters would have been hoping for a better display from many of the senior first-team members.
The attacking department in particular proved to be extremely wasteful throughout the encounter, as seen by the club’s tally of seven big chances missed.
The likes of Ndoye will undoubtedly get criticised for their performance, with the Swiss international missing three of the seven big chances at Selhurst Park alone.
However, fellow attacker Liam Delap was another who failed to deliver during the defeat, with his showing leading to many fans questioning the £45m deal to sign him.
The former Chelsea man once again led the line for Glasner’s men, but failed to produce a performance worthy of the lofty price tag paid for his signature this summer.
The 23-year-old featured for 72 minutes of the defeat earlier today, and was guilty for missing toe big chances of his own alongside Ndoye’s tally of three.
His effort from less than six yards just minutes before the interval summed up his lacklustre display, with the xG from such a strike being 0.9 – which highlights how poor his miss really was.
Away from his lack of clinical nature, Delap also struggled to deliver the goods, only completing 38% of the passes he attempted – highlighting his wasteful nature in possession.
|
Liam Delap – stats against Palace |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
72 |
|
Touches |
20 |
|
Pass accuracy |
38% |
|
Big chances missed |
2 |
|
Aerials lost |
75% |
|
Fouls committed |
1 |
|
Shot accuracy |
50% |
|
Possession lost |
11x |
As a result, the former Chelsea man gave possession away on 11 separate occasions – with such a tally the highest of any player within Glasner’s ranks.
His struggles at leading the line were also evident throughout the game at Selhurst Park, as the Englishman lost 75% of the aerial duels he entered this afternoon.
After such a performance, the attacker was handed a measly 3/10 match rating and tops off what was certainly his worst display after his big-money move this summer.
Whilst he has a lot of hype to live up to following his subsequent move, the supporters will need to be patient if they are to see the best of Delap’s skillset.
He’s certainly a raw talent who will need time to develop, but there’s no denying his showing against the Eagles was one which was nothing short of unacceptable.
