Chelsea talking tactics: Roy Hodgson is still wily and sneaky good

Chelsea faces a Crystal Palace side with momentum after a rough year. What can the Blues expect from Roy Hodgson and his wily, sneaky team?

Crystal Palace struggled to finish last season, even ending up in a relegation battle. Roy Hodgson continued on into the last year of his contract, more a wait it out situation than a genuine desire to keep him around. Whatever magic Hodgson had was seemingly gone and nature had run its course.

Until it didn’t. Palace had a solid win over Southampton to start the season. They followed it up a week later with an emphatic win over Manchester United. Everton, soaring high atop the table (yes for reals) held Palace off but it was not an easy fight. Even still, the Eagles look more like the phoenixes thus far this season. Hodgson is still wily and his team is still sneaky good in what is probably his last year as a manager.

Not much has really changed for Palace either. Hodgson likes to play around with a variety of tactics (this season 4-4-2 is predominate) but the main idea is always the same. They look to use their fullbacks and wingers to overload wide areas and release Wilfred Zaha or Jordan Ayew up top. It is worth noting that both Zaha and Ayew have spent much of their careers playing wide, which further strengthens Palace on the flanks.

Palace similarly likes to press in the wide areas when they don’t have possession. They keep their lines tight and as soon as the opposition fullback or winger gets on the ball, they pounce. This allows them to not only start possession in the area they want the ball anyways, but it also is possession gained in an area where the opponent is probably overextended.

Perhaps the thing that is most unique about Palace this season is that the rumors of Zaha leaving have been lukewarm at best. Since joining, it has felt as though every summer has been a saga with him but this year it has barely registered as a blip. It still happened, but on some level it seems as though Zaha has either accepted Palace is his destiny or Hodgson has convinced him to stick around (or the board’s asking price is still insane).

Regardless, Palace has come into this season feeling very good about themselves. Chelsea was also feeling good until the first match gave way to the second and so on and so forth. This is a match that will not only be dominated by the performance of the wide men on both sides, but by the momentum they carry into the match.

Chelsea would not be the first scalp Hodgson claimed, even this season. He may be close to his retirement date, but the former English manager is as wily and sneakily good as ever. Frank Lampard will need to ensure his side has just a bit more of an edge as they look to enter the break on good footing.