Ebere Eze features for the Crystal Palace U23 side today. Here’s Alexander Smith with a look at how he might fit into the Palace first team in the coming weeks and months.
Following what has been a superhuman recovery, Ebere Eze is back. Well regarded by coaches and adored by fans at Palace after his fantastic debut season last year, his return presents a selection headache for Patrick Vieira.
It is perhaps not a question of whether he will play, but instead one of where he will play, and how his talent will be utilised in this new-look Palace team.
A lot has changed tactically since Eze last played for Palace under Roy Hodgson at the back end of last season.
A more dynamic, attacking side under Vieira, he will be excited to get playing. The style of football is likely to offer him more chances on goal, and more opportunities to attack with the ball at his feet.
Eze’s strengths are his dribbling skills and ability to drive through the lines at defenders, picking the ball up from deep. He also has a superb passing range with fantastic vision, so it is important he is played in a system that suits these strengths.
One issue for Vieira to work out is how to fit Eze into a side alongside Wilfried Zaha, Connor Gallagher, Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise.
Such is the attacking strength of Palace this season, this is a massive (and very welcome) selection headache, with other players including Jordan Ayew, Jeffrey Schlupp and James McArthur also in and around the first team.
There are a number of options of how he could fit into this team. Here, I present some different options that we could see Eze deployed as, and how each would work.
Formation Option 1 - Attacking 4-3-3
A first, more attacking option would be as a part of an attacking midfield three, in Vieira’s preferred 4-3-3.
This would best be used with a strong defensive midfielder, like Luka Milivojevic, to allow the two attacking midfielders to play with more freedom.
When used against a team lower down the league, with more defensive instability, this could be lethal.
Paired with either Connor Gallagher or James McArthur, both of whom are tenacious players on and off the ball, Eze would be able to collect the ball from deep, either off the centre backs or the holding midfielder, and drive at the defence, running through the lines.
This system would allow Zaha, Olise, Edouard and Gallagher to also play. Olise and Zaha would provide options out wide, dragging defenders with them.
The threats of Gallagher and Edouard through the middle would then occupy further defenders.
This would allow Eze to take on players, and there will likely be another option that is free. Eze has the ability to pick these passes, potentially unlocking the defence.
At the same time, playing with Gallagher would allow both to operate as playmakers, with one taking the ball on, and the other making runs and providing options. If nothing is on, then one can drop deep to survey the state of the game and restart attacks.
Gallagher’s energy alongside Eze would work well and would add an extra dimension to Palace’s attack.
Whilst they would need to be careful when losing the ball, the idea would be that the holding midfielder, Milivojevic in the example below, would be able to break up any counter-attacks as they begin.
Alongside McArthur in this system would put more emphasis on Eze’s creativity, but again, McArthur’s energy and tenacity beside him could really complement Eze’s style of play.
In this formation, too, chaos could be caused when one of the centre backs makes a surging run from defence, like we have seen already this season. This could create mismatches with an overload in attack, creating chances. Again, though, care must be taken to not be caught out on the counterattack.
This, in my opinion, is the system that would suit our attacking options best. But, against the bigger sides, where more pragmatism is required, this system would leave us open. So, there are some other, more pragmatic options to bring Eze into the side.
Formation Option 2 - Defensive 4-3-3
A second option would be another variation on Vieira’s 4-3-3. This would see Eze play at the head of a midfield three, in front of two more defensively minded midfielders.
This would allow more pragmatism and solidity but would still allow Eze to play the playmaker role, picking the ball up from the holding midfielders and starting attacks.
From what we have seen this season so far, Vieira is not one to shut up shop, so this is by no means a fully defensive approach. Rather, it is a slightly more defensively minded version of the formation and tactics we know Vieira prefers.
This would allow Zaha, Olise and Edouard to play, but against a bigger team we might see Zaha in a front trio alongside Benteke and one of Olise or Ayew, making a slightly more defensively sound line-up.
However, this would need Gallagher to drop out the side, replaced by a holding midfielder, like Jairo Riedewald or Will Hughes to pair Milivojevic. A deeper James McArthur, or Jeff Schlupp could also work here, for a slightly more blended approach.
This would also provide a good option off the bench, with Gallagher’s energy replacing Eze, or vice versa if Gallagher had started. Likewise, this could shift into the more attacking 4-3-3, with whichever started on the bench coming on for one of the defensive midfielders.
Formation Option 3 - A Creative 4-2-3-1
Another option would be as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1.
This would be similar to the defensive 4-3-3, with Eze playing ahead of two defensive midfielders. The difference here would be that the three attacking midfielders may be more fluid, allowing them to swap positions between the three.
The wingers would start in a slightly deeper role, with a target man -- likely to be Benteke -- leading the line.
Whilst Vieira has liked using the 4-3-3, this could provide a bit more nuance to the attack, allowing Eze to drift wider, interchanging with the other wide players.
This would likely work well when Palace are on the back foot in games, with a focus on counterattacking. If Palace had started in a 4-3-3, then Palace could shift into this formation, especially when experiencing a period of pressure.
Also, Eze would be used to this formation, and type of system, having played as a number 10 at QPR in a 4-2-3-1, before joining Palace.
Formation Option 4 - Played wide in a 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1
Finally, Eze could start in a wide position either in the 4-2-3-1, or in the 4-3-3. This was largely how he was deployed last season under Hodgson, proving that he can pay out wide at Premier League level.
This would be a final option as whilst Eze showed that he was more than capable of playing out wide, this would be as cover if there are any injuries.
With Zaha starting so well on the wing, Ayew being ever dependable as an option, and Olise coming into the side, Palace have more than enough strength in the wide positions for Eze to need to be played out wide.
Vieira has also shown willingness to play Odsonne Edouard on the wing too, if needed, and Eze may only play on the wing should there be injuries.
Eze will see his best position as through the middle, and this will be where he can have the most influence on games. As such, being pushed out wide would more be a last resort, in my opinion.
It is very exciting for Palace fans to see Eze back in contention to be picked by Vieira. The football Palace are playing now is definitely a system within which he can thrive, and it will be interesting to see how Vieira utilises his talent.
Due to the nature of his injury, we will likely see him off the bench for the first few games before he is in contention to start. This will give us a good indication of how Vieira sees his game, and how he will deploy him.
It is important he is not rushed back in, and care must be taken to ensure he is eased back into the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
Wherever, and whenever he plays, Palace fans will be thrilled to see him back. He has spoken of his excitement of playing in front of the fans for the first time in red and blue, so he is sure to get a massive reception when he first comes on.
Let’s hope that Eze’s speedy recovery is completed this weekend, in front of the Selhurst faithful.