As we eagerly anticipate Crystal Palace’s return to action on Monday, Jefferson Lerma has shown why he should be starting.
This season has been a bit of a disaster for Crystal Palace so far, with seven winless Premier League games – however after the international break we are hopeful things can change.
Crystal Palace may sit 18th in the league, firmly inside the relegation zone, but against Liverpool things were far better and Oliver Glasner’s Eagles deserved at least a point after a second-half resurgence.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 5 |
| 17 |  IpswichIpswich | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 4 |
| 18 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 3 |
| 19 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 15 | -11 | 1 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 21 | -12 | 1 |
Due to this and two weeks on the training ground with most of his team in which Glasner has been formulating a new system – we are expecting improvements this coming Monday against Brentford.
The Eagles squad is backing Glasner to fix things and we imagine he will have a plan to get things ticking – but it needs to be shown on the pitch now.
Jefferson Lerma in action for Colombia
So far this season, Jefferson Lerma has been one Eagles player to have struggled.
Lerma has been linked with a move to Galatasaray in January, however, his latest performance for Colombia should show the Eagles why he should be kept.
Lerma started for his country as they beat Chile 4-0 on Tuesday night – and now the Colombian media have been reacting to his performance.
After the game, Lerma saw his display reviewed by ESPN Colombia.
“The midfielder lung didn’t have much work in the first half against a team that very few times passed half of the court. For the second half, he had to try harder to reduce the spaces and control the rival’s attacks.”
Lerma saw his performance rated as 7/10 by El Heraldo, as he was praised for the balance he brings to the team.
“It is definitely the balance of the National Team. With him in the field the rest looks more compact. Good commitment.”
With this quality in mind, Glasner will likely be hoping that he continues along these lines.
How Crystal Palace midfielder Lerma fared for Colombia against Chile
Against Chile, Lerma started in a two-man pivot alongside Copa America standout Richard Rios.
The Crystal Palace midfielder played the entire game and impressed in doing so, with his game stats telling the full story.
- 40/45 (89%) passing accuracy
- 1 chance created
- 52 touches
- 7 passes into the final third
- 4/5 (80%) accurate long passes
- 1/1 (100%) tackles won
- 2 interceptions
- 3 defensive actions
- 4 recoveries
- 3 duels won
This display was the kind which endeared Lerma to Crystal Palace fans last season – and if he can implement these for the Eagles starting on Monday against Nottingham Forest then it could change Crystal Palace’s season trajectory.
- Premier League
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Nottm ForestNottingham Forest
Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace
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If Adam Wharton is fit to play, Lerma must partner him and Glasner needs to steer away from playing Daichi Kamada in this role.
