4-goal prodigy emerges, Eze and Riedewald shining: Reasons to be optimistic for Crystal Palace - Our View

While Crystal Palace’s position in the table seems largely in good health, it’s not too enjoyable to support the Eagles right now in all honesty.

Overall, Roy Hodgson has done a solid job at Selhurst Park, but he’s currently in danger of ruining his efforts due to the sheer boredom that his football delivers.

WhoScored shows that the south Londoners register the third-fewest shots per game in the Premier League this season with 9.4, and also average the fourth-lowest possession with 42.8%.

While the Selhurst Park faithful may not look forward to games like they used to, there are still a couple of reasons to be optimistic…

Jaïro Riedewald and Eberechi Eze

In Jaïro Riedewald and Eberechi Eze, the Eagles have two young midfielders who are simply a joy to watch. The Dutchman – schooled in Ajax’s fabled academy – has finally broken into Hodgson’s XI and is looking more and more at home with every game.

In Eze’s case, he is proving why Steve Parish spent £19.5 million on him.

The London-born maestro is always receiving the ball on the turn, making those who try to close him down look silly.

Him and Riedewald are already making games more bearable to watch alongside Wilfried Zaha too, so just imagine how good they’ll be with a bit more Premier League experience under their belts.

Scott Banks

Dougie Freedman looks to have found an excellent player in his native Scotland. The south Londoners spent £200,000 on the attacker in January when signing him from Dundee United, and his displays for the Under-23 side have been mouthwatering.

The 19-year-old has scored four goals and grabbed two assists in eight Premier League 2 games so far this season, and looks to be a real gem.

As London News Online revealed, Hodgson even rejected a loan offer from Rochdale for his services, while the teenager has recently been spotted training with the first-team.

Tags:eagleseberechi ezejairo riedewaldroy hodgsonscott banks

Billy Meyers

Billy Meyers is a London-based journalist for HITC Football, The Boot Room, The Chelsea Chronicle and Rangers News, who specialises in keeping readers up to date with the latest news and rising Google trends. He has previously written for 90min and Football FanCast, while also interviewing a few footballing figures including Allan Russell, during his time working alongside Gareth Southgate as England’s striking coach. Billy has also worked closely with YouTube star Spencer Owen when creating written content for Hashtag United.