Eddie Nketiah must be pleased with how he has settled in at Crystal Palace.
After 16 minutes at Loftus Road, he scored his first Palace goal. A quick free kick from Eberechi Eze slid him into the Queens Park Rangers penalty area and, though the angle appeared unkind, he struck a powerful first-time effort through Joe Walsh at his near post to put his side ahead.
“Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!” was the chant from the travelling support at the far end, but the appreciation extended beyond the goal to his industrious display and desire to keep the ball moving where others were prone to falter. These were Championship opponents, but he had showed the same promising attributes on his debut in the 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Saturday.
There had been a chance in the second half of that draw which was almost an exact replica, stylistically, of the one he converted here. The difference was the eventual outcome. He had received the ball from Daniel Munoz to the right of the area and shot across his body towards the far post. It was an instinctive snapshot which he fired narrowly wide, but the signs were encouraging.
Nketiah posed a threat against Leicester on Saturday (Alexander Canillas/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
The 25-year-old, who scored twice in a 3-0 friendly win over Reading during the international break and impressed the coaching staff with his performance as both a lone striker and No 10, has operated in that latter unfamiliar role throughout his two competitive outings.
He has shown an eagerness to win every loose ball, put his foot in for anything that was potentially winnable and demonstrated how tidy he is when in possession. Overall, Palace have been too slow and ponderous with the ball in transition, but Nketiah moves it quicker and is always intent on delivering something positive.
By selling Jordan Ayew to Leicester, Palace lost a forward who could contribute in defence and attack. Nketiah, while not as adept as Ayew in his own half, has already demonstrated that he will work for the team, tracking back and winning the ball on the edge of his own box on occasion. Glasner’s system is predicated on selflessness.
The man signed for an initial £25million ($32.9m) with another £5m to follow in potential add-ons is playing a role which does not best suit him, but doing so in a way that works for the team.
“He’s very involved in the game,” Glasner said after the QPR victory in the third round of the Carabao Cup. “He’s not the pivot like in basketball; he’s not waiting with his body because he doesn’t have a body like a 190(cm) No 9. He’s so smart in finding the space. He can play as a No 9 and a 10 and, when we switched to a 4-4-2 against Leicester, he played around the striker.
“He has such a good feeling (for the game). Sometimes he needs to stay in the pocket then make the run in behind; when Ebs (Eze) put a chip over he ran in behind and then he was waiting for the cutback when T (Tyrick Mitchell) gave him the pass for the second chance. These are different situations, but he has a feeling to make the right decisions.”
By that, Glasner seems to be making the point that, while Nketiah is not the tallest or physically imposing player, he makes up for it by being clever in his movement and decision making.
Nketiah will have opportunities at Palace (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Playing regularly should afford Nketiah the opportunity to develop that understanding with Eze in particular, establish familiarity with his new role and find that sharpness. After all, the goals flowed most freely at Arsenal when he enjoyed a prolonged run in the team and struck up a rapport with his team-mates.
It is something both he and Glasner referenced, with the manager saying he kept the same front three for this game as he did against Leicester for that purpose. That indicates this may be his preferred setup.
“These things can’t just happen overnight,” Nketiah told the Palace website after his debut against Leicester. “You’ve got to develop. The more you play with each other, you get the relationships and start to work each other out. But we can complement each other because we’re different profiles.”
The line is now open 📞🦅 looking forward to the next round! @CPFC pic.twitter.com/RGImSC2jWW
— Eddie Nketiah 📞 (@EddieNketiah9) September 17, 2024
The quality of his finishing is a strength that he will surely demonstrate as he has more chances. He has been Palace’s best performer in the past two games, but if he is to continue as a No 10 he will need to be creative and adapt to the physical demands of a Glasner side.
“I’m nowhere near at my best,” he said on Saturday. “I know I’m going to keep getting better, and I’m sure I can help the team. I’ve been really pushed physically to keep improving, keep getting fitter.”
The early signs are promising. Nketiah’s best position may well be as a striker and that could be where he ends up but, for now, he is adapting to different roles in different formations as Glasner tinkers with his setup in-game. So far, he has shown he is up to the task.
GO DEEPER
Eddie Nketiah had appreciation at Arsenal. At Palace, he gets opportunity
(Top photo: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
