Patrick Vieira is set to put his Crystal Palace players through their paces for a pre-season unlike many of them have experienced before and for some of them it’s going to be a crucial period to impress.
Early next month the Eagles players will begin returning in stages to pre-season training, with the non-internationals arriving back at Copers Cope first before those involved in matches with their countries follow suit ahead of the start of the club’s pre-season tour. Palace will be flying out to Singapore to take on Liverpool on July 15 in their first of three scheduled games, followed by clashes with Manchester United (July 19) and Leeds United (July 22) in Australia.
As he did following his appointment last summer, Vieira is sure to work his players hard before the start of the new campaign. The Frenchman utilises high-intensity drills and runs double sessions as well as demanding complete adherence to his methods from all players.
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And while the trips to Singapore and Australia will be club-firsts for Palace and a promising opportunity to grow their international fanbase, it’ll also be an important chance for Vieira and his coaches to assess their squad ahead of the new campaign and make crucial decisions on several players who still have a lot to prove. Here are five players we believe could benefit the most from Vieira’s pre-season.
Odsonne Edouard
A year on from his deadline day arrival in south London and Odsonne Edouard is yet to nail down a role in Vieira’s team. The 24-year-old forward seemingly beat out Christian Benteke to a starting role in the first half of the season only to lose it to Jean-Philippe Mateta during the second.
A return of just six goals was underwhelming and the fact Palace have been tipped with signings another striker this summer shows there’s an element of lost faith in the current group of forwards. Edouard especially has left more to be desired after the fanfare that greeted his arrival.
He now faces a big task during pre-season to convince Vieira that he can step up to the mantle in his second Premier League season and lead the line for the Eagles. At 6ft 2ins he has the build to tackle the top-flight and the technical ability to be an effective link-up man with his teammates but it just hasn’t been seen often enough so far for Edouard in red and blue.
Jairo Riedewald
There’s little doubt that Jairo Riedewald is seen as a squad player at best by Vieira but with two years left on his deal at Selhurst Park he still could have a renaissance to his Palace career should he manage to change opinion of him over the coming months.
The 25-year-old Frank de Boer signing made only five appearances under Vieira last season and has been linked with a move away from the club over the summer. However, a strong showing in pre-season might tip the scales back into the Dutchman’s favour. Palace are already low on numbers in midfield and Riedewald is a popular figure in the dressing room, with several young players picking him out as the one who offers the most help and support.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
A young player with a point to prove will be Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who the club will have to make a big decision on following his performances in pre-season. Palace must decide whether to send the teenager - last year’s Under-23 player of the season - out on loan down the football pyramid or continue his development with the first team by giving him the occasional Premier League game.
There was an acceptance from within the club that deciding not to send him out on loan in January was a mistake, with Rak-Sakyi’s development clearly reaching its limit playing academy football and needing the challenge of the men’s game.
"We have to create that kind of pathway for those young players to play more minutes," Vieira said following Rak-Sakyi’s final day appearance against United. "In the next couple of days and weeks, we will have some decisions to make regarding his future, of course. All the options are on the table. We just need to find the best way for him to keep improving himself and to play games. This is what we need to reflect on."
Nathan Ferguson
The young defender is now entering the final 12 months of his three-year contract at Crystal Palace and barely has anything to show for it following non-stop injury problems that have set him back time and time again while in south London. There was hope he might build on his first-team debut away at Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day but further injuries then kept him out for the remainder of the season, with the tour to Singapore and Australia now looking like the next chance he’ll get to be out on the pitch under Vieira.
Ferguson will need to take his opportunities with both arms and prove he can be a valuable asset to the team. If not, it’s likely his association with the club will come to an end after an increasingly difficult spell on the sidelines.
Jean-Philippe Mateta
Unlike Odsonne Edouard, Mateta finished the season as the first-choice striker and, having also signed a five-year contract in January, he wouldn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. However, that hasn't stopped talk of another striker coming in to battle for a spot up front, leaving Mateta with a big summer ahead of him to kick on and prove his selection credentials.
The Frenchman has impressed in patches but is noticeably withdrawn as a substitute regularly by Vieira with 20-25 minutes to go, showing signs that he might need to up his fitness levels during pre-season if he is to start the 2022/23 campaign as first-choice.
