Oliver Glasner prefers not to speak too much about individual players, but with Ben Chilwell, things were different. The passion with which he discussed Chilwell’s debut spoke volumes as to the impact he expects the defender to have at Crystal Palace.
Maybe it is surprising that the Palace manager chose to speak so highly of the 28-year-old given he played just 45 minutes in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Doncaster Rovers on Monday night, particularly given that the Chelsea loanee’s performance, while strong, was not absolutely outstanding.
Yet it was less about what he offered in the second half and more about what he gave before the game, what he provides the team with off the pitch, or outside of his personal contribution in a tactical sense.
That is what seems to have already caught Glasner’s eye. Palace’s squad has been questioned for a perceived lack of strong leaders. Whatever the merits of that, Chilwell has more than enough experience to bring something to this squad which none of the other players are able to.
He has won the Champions League and was a runner-up with England in Euro 2020. He has 21 international caps and over 200 Premier League appearances. That is what Glasner is counting on making a difference as much as Chilwell’s on-pitch ability.
“He has the experience and you could see and hear it,” the Palace manager said in his post-match press conference. “Before the game, even though it was the first time he was with us, he was talking in the dressing room and pushing all the other players. It’s a good and positive impact because we’re always looking at what they’re doing tactically but we want a good spirit, pushing and supporting each other.
“In my career, not at Crystal Palace, sometimes players are on the bench maybe hoping that the other player makes a mistake so maybe they can play more minutes but he’s completely the opposite. This is what we were looking for and I appreciate it.
“First of all, you always can help the team most when you perform well. That’s the most important thing. Not just to support the others. Most important is he focuses on his game, his strengths, his way of playing football in our shape, in our system.
“The second thing is that it’s good he supports the young players, that he speaks in the dressing room. Experience always helps you… you can tell a lot, talk a lot, read a lot and watch a lot, but if you experience something it’s most important. He experienced this success at the highest level but unfortunately we can’t win the Champions League.”
His 45 minutes at Doncaster doubled his total played for the season, with his only appearance beforehand coming in Chelsea’s 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Barrow in September. Immediately the difference with Tyrick Mitchell was stark. Chilwell played almost as a left winger more than a wing-back.
That was beneficial when Palace attacked, but, as Glasner noted, there were a few defensive deficiencies, one in particular where he switched off slightly or misjudged a cross which eventually allowed Doncaster an opportunity.
“We have 45 minutes of video that we can show him because I could see some habits we do differently. He needs this game time, he’s (been) training with us for just one week.
“He was a little bit too passive in defending so they could pass in behind. This is what we are doing differently but you could see he is comfortable in possession, in passing. (He is) a little more attacking than T but this is what we were looking for, so it was a positive debut.”
Glasner does not believe that Chilwell’s arrival will act as incentive for Mitchell, who has had no true competition for his position since Patrick van Aanholt left in summer 2021.
“We don’t need to sign a player to push T. If T starts to get lazy I will push him. Ben brings quality, experience, it’s important to integrate him into the way we are playing. It’s maybe a bit more aggressive than he is used to, especially out of possession our wing backs have to do a lot but he will get used to it because he understands the game very well.”
Even if that is the case, Mitchell will surely benefit from having competition for his position, in particular someone who is far more attack minded than he is. Chilwell operated in a high role, buzzed around the pitch and looked to get involved more than his team-mate would in an attacking sense.
More of his touches were in the Doncaster half than his own. When he and Daniel Munoz pushed up, the pair were both on the halfway line at times. But the balance is that defensively he was less assured than Mitchell. Whether that changes once he has adjusted and played more minutes is uncertain.
Chilwell gets instruction from Glasner on his Palace debut (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Mitchell will, and should, relish the opportunity to learn from Chilwell. He is no longer a young player, at 25 with over 150 appearances, but that experience at the ultimate highest level should be tapped into regardless. Perhaps the pair can learn from each other.
Glasner’s system takes time for players to understand, but it is sharpness and fitness that will be crucial for Chilwell. The hope will be that he integrates quickly and contributes meaningfully on the pitch just as much as he already appears to be doing off it.
Mitchell will not give up his place easily, and it should not be a given that Chilwell will displace him, but Palace do at last have a naturally attack-minded left wing-back.
That has already pleased Glasner no end.
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
