Adam Sells’ verdict on Palace’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth: Subs-plot telling as Glasner’s tinkering doesn’t yield a result

BY ADAM SELLS

Football is a game of fine margins. Managers live and die so often by the choices they make in the heat of the battle. When a game is in the balance then deciding whether to stick or twist is why they are paid the big bucks.

With the rules in the modern era permitting five substitutions at Premier League level from nine reserve players, it has become of even greater importance to make the right calls.

On a wet, windy and horrible Tuesday night on the South Coast, it was Bournemouth’s changes that tipped the scales the home side’s way in what was for the most part a tight contest.

Both Cherries boss Andoni Iraola and Palace counterpart Oliver Glasner tinkered with their line-ups during the second half at the Vitality Stadium – as the sub plot of substitutions came to the fore.

Jefferson Lerma returned to his old stomping ground in a less familiar central defensive role, after Palace lost American international Chris Richards to a hamstring injury at Nottingham Forest four days earlier.

Glasner decided to overlook the experienced James Tomkins, or shuffle the pack defensively by utilising Nathaniel Clyne. Lerma had looked comfortable in an auxiliary role for the most part.

With 20 minutes remaining the Austrian boss withdrew Jordan Ayew and Will Hughes in favour of Jeffrey Schlupp and inexperienced midfielder David Ozoh.

The decision to switch Lerma back into midfield and employ Ozoh in a defensive back three proved the Eagles’ undoing. Antoine Semenyo, who had been introduced at the interval, outmuscled Ozoh despite being a clear second favourite in the duel.

The forward, who ironically was extensively scouted by Palace’s sporting director Dougie Freedman and came close to joining the club just more than a year ago, was able to find another substitute Justin Kluivert, who adroitly outfox Daniel Munoz before finishing emphatically past Dean Henderson.

It was a familiar tale for Palace, who went into the game shorn of 10 senior players.

Glasner can only have looked at the options available to Iraola with some degree of envy.

His team had their moments, mainly in the second quarter of the game. After an opening 25 minutes or so where there were no real chances, both sides fashioned opportunities and could have gone in front.

The visitors were wasteful in some good situations, where the final pass was often missing. Jordan Ayew forced Neto into the first save of the game, while the excellent Henderson saved brilliantly from a Philip Billing header.

The Palace keeper denied the same player again from a long-range free-kick either side of a gilt-edged chance for Lloyd Kelly, whose header went narrowly wide.

The game’s other decisive moment happened during stoppage time at the end of the first half. Eberechi Eze appeared to have his team ahead only for VAR to rule out the goal for the most marginal offside against Jean-Philippe Mateta.

After the break, and prior to the goal, Henderson repelled Dominic Solanke from distance. From a Palace perspective it was all very much a case of ‘nearly’ but ‘not quite.’

There was some neat interplay involving Eze, Mateta and Adam Wharton at times, but Neto was never seriously tested. The team lacks genuine pace, ball carriers and has been missing a killer instinct in the last few outings.

After conceding, things got ragged as Palace pushed and they were grateful to Henderson for another excellent stop with his legs to deny Semenyo a second Bournemouth goal.

The defeat leaves Palace with an uncomfortable end to the season in prospect. They are still 11 points short of their worst Premier League points total since returning to the top-flight.

Since being appointed Glasner has won once in five matches, three of those games against teams below Palace and four that have been in the bottom half.

There are eight games left to play, six of which are against teams occupying places in the top eight. It will be a fight to scrape the points required to keep his team safe.

Glasner will hope that losing a useful point at the Vitality Stadium won’t be critical when the 38 games are concluded.

Unfortunately he is experiencing the same issues that his predecessor Roy Hodgson encountered. Hodgson was often criticised for making too few in-game changes. Given recent evidence, perhaps the level of caution was understandable.

More changes have been made, but things have stayed the same.

STAR MAN
Dean Henderson. Made a handful of key saves during the game.

BEST MOMENT
The link-up play between Mateta and Ayew that led to Eze scoring his disallowed goal.

PICTURE: PA