In Crystal Palace’s 4-0 loss to Newcastle, manager Roy Hodgson made a significant tactical mistake involving the £14 million star, Odsonne Edouard, which had a detrimental impact on the player’s effectiveness.
The tactical change involved Edouard being played out of his usual position, which had negative consequences for the team’s performance.
A notable factor in this tactical error was the return of Jefferson Lerma and Cheick Doucoure to the starting lineup, which should have been a source of joy for Palace fans. However, injuries to other attacking options led to Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta both starting the match.
What surprised many was the decision to place Edouard in a left-wing position, with Mateta as the central striker and Jordan Ayew on the opposite wing. This tactical setup was suboptimal, and several aspects during the match indicated that Hodgson’s decision was a mistake.
While Edouard is capable of playing on the left wing, his success this season, with four Premier League goals, has come as a striker. Moving him away from his effective position, especially with the absence of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze due to injuries, seemed like an unusual choice.
Furthermore, Mateta has shown limited effectiveness as a starter in the Premier League this season and has been more impactful as a substitute. He struggled to contribute to the attack when playing as the sole striker.
Edouard is not known for his defensive skills, and his placement on the left-wing, particularly against full-back Kieran Trippier, posed problems throughout the match. Trippier had considerable freedom to attack, as evidenced by his joint-most assists in the Premier League this season. Hodgson’s tactical decision forced left-back Tyrick Mitchell into difficult defensive situations against two players.
While Edouard should contribute more defensively, the tactical choice to position him on the left-wing was questionable, given his limitations in this aspect. The next game for Palace against Spurs will be another challenging encounter, and Hodgson will need to reconsider his approach for the next Premier League match.
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