As the old year closed and the transfer window opened, many of the names and faces we love at the Palace enjoyed 2024 as an amazing year (even life changing). And some didn’t.
Not all the names here are the ones you might expect. For example, Marc Guehi doesn’t make this list despite elevating himself in 2024 from England squad player to “superstar” future England captain, now one of the first names on the national team sheet every game.
So here goes. No need to bring out the red blue giggle goggles though – as is normal for SE 25, the situation is not always perfect.
Let’s start with Justin Devenny, whose 2024 marked a tremendous breakthrough. His year began at Blackburn U21 in a 3-3 draw, and it ended with Devenny a valuable player off the first team bench.
Key Question: What do I love most about JD? Premier League players are trained and ready to produce 90 minutes of high energy football every match – even when they’re not a starter. Being a sub for 10 minutes, I therefore expect to see up to 90 minutes of effort crammed in. Subs should surely run further faster than those who already completed 80 minutes of hard toil – but they never do. Until Devenny. From the moment he enters the field of play, he gives everything, and I love him for it.
For Tyrick Mitchell, chats with his agent must have changed. A lot. A year ago, his agent’s advice was probably, “Keep your nose clean with Roy and Ray, a new manager will be along soon.” As 2024 ended, it was more like “Holy banana, Mitch, we’ve got Barcelona, Arsenal, Spurs and AC Milan on the phone for you. And Chelsea urgently need a decent left back.” This year Mitchell gave mighty effort to the Palace cause as he added wing back play to his repertoire, but his contract expires in June so he can have a free transfer in the summer.
Key Question: Will he stay or will he go?
Twelve months ago, Max Lacroix was playing a Bundesliga match for Wolfsburg at Heidenheim. Now this stern tackler handles the star strikers of the Premier League and seems to be growing weekly in front of our eyes. As he becomes more familiar with his opponents, they look increasingly likely to find themselves in Lacroix’s pocket with his car keys. And, once he really finds the net with headers from our set pieces, he will only grow in stature and value. He’s only 24 years old and under contract until 2029.
Key Question: Is Lacroix an upgrade on Andersen? Of course! Andersen’s long range crossfield passes are definitely missed, but Lacroix’s recovery speed is faster, his forward distribution is clearly improving, he cost half the fee that Andersen fetched, and he’s 4 years younger.
Who knew when he was kicking Wilf for Watford that one day Will Hughes would be a top man for Palace? Supporters and opponents alike have been surprised by his interceptions, tackles and vision throughout 2024 as this key squad player now means so much to us all, and he ended the year with the captain’s armband, adding an important assist with a captain’s corner. Last year, our latest “Hughesie” assumed the mantle of James McArthur more than ever, winning the hearts of Palace fans who now regularly reward him for his surging play with the very best kind of name calling.
Key Question: Hughes is out of contract in June, he’ll be 30 in April, West Ham and Fulham are said to be interested in scooping him up for free, but can Palace afford to lose him?
Some years change lives. After 2024, life for Adam Wharton will never be the same. On New Year’s Day a year ago, Wharton was a Blackburn player in a 2-2 home draw with bottom Championship team Rotherham. Then came his move to Palace and his sensational rise to the top of the English game. Inside five months, Wharton had earned a place in the national squad and was on England’s bench as they reached the Euros Final. Now, he’s learning to understand the limitations of his body, a different experience likely to stand him in good stead as he enjoys a career at the highest levels. And he’s only just begun!!!
Key Question: If the floodlights went dark mid-match, would Wharton’s mental pictures of the game enable this rugged tackler to still fire an instant pass to feet or float a beautiful cross?
For Eberechi Eze, 2024 was the strangest year. All Palace fans already know Eze well, so I interviewed Dolly De’Ath, who happens to be a Brighton supporter, for her view. “Eze is absolutely your new Zaha, with two important differences. Eze plays with a smile on his face. Plus, apart from the odd suspect dive, he wants everyone to love him and not hate him.”
Key Question: Eze’s transfer value rocketed as England reached the Final of the Euros. Is Eze’s productivity drop this season a sign he won’t be so attractive to elite clubs and therefore have to stay longer in SE25? Tiredness, niggling injuries and bad luck have seen his goal output drop since the Euros, but Ebs spent 2024 weaving wild spells with his magic twinkle toes and we can expect normal goals and assists service to be resumed before too much of 2025 has gone. What an exciting thought for the New Year!
Daniel Muñoz started 2024 in Belgium, and soon blew into SE 25 like a tornado. In our team’s sudden spring transformation, Munoz was the standout symbol of how to play Glasnerball. Over the last twelve months, his transfer value soared from 8m quid to over 20m (Transfermarkt). Plus, during the close season, Munoz experienced exceptional moments for Colombia in reaching the Final of the Copa America. Now, when Muñoz doesn’t play, Palace are diminished.
Key Question: The thought of that ball of energy cooped up in an aeroplane seat for 11-hour flights to South America every few weeks is pretty scary. So how does Munoz get his energy out on the plane?
A year beyond his wildest dreams – that was 2024 for Jean-Philippe Mateta. After 2 years struggling to dislodge Edouard for once and for all, Mateta suddenly emerged last year as a high class striker, also starring in the French national team at the Paris Olympics. For Palace, Mateta scored 17 in 30 appearances during 2024. His transfer value has now reached 16.6m quid (Transfermarkt) with Clickbait taking it closer to 30m.
Key Question: Not surprisingly, with Mateta’s contract up in summer 2026, Palace took up their one year option. He had wanted a big pay rise, so are Palace just protecting the value they can get if they sell him? JPM might not be happy to be playing for less than the wage he thinks he’s worth. Only time will tell.
Twelve months ago, Dean Henderson was tussling with fellow England keeper Sam Johnstone in a battle just to be the man between the posts at Palace. Now, with Johnstone gone, Henderson’s excellent positioning and spectacular saves have made him arguably the best keeper in the Premier League bottom half.
Key Question: Do you think in 2025 Henderson can pip Pickford and Pope for a place as England’s number one?
Who at Palace didn’t enjoy 2024 so much?
Replacing Michael Olise was always going to be a problem, but Palace have invested much time and money in owning three wingers. Each one should now rightly have eyes on stepping into Olise’s shoes, but unfortunately all can say 2024 was not their best.
The year started and ended with Matheus Franca injured. The Brazilian starlet made almost no progress while suffering enormous frustration. Despite a huge fee, Palace fans have barely begun to see Franca’s footballing talents. Especially after losing Olise, Zaha and Ayew, we need ball carriers who can relieve pressure by taking it 30 yards upfield to maybe start a counter or at worst win a free kick. That’s just one reason we need Franca.
Key Question: Forget the Ballon d’Or contingency in the transfer for being the world’s best footballer, will we ever see Franca kick a Premier League “ballon” for Palace again?
Malcolm Ebiowei had a trying year on the edge, at Palace last season and then at Oxford. Now the disappointing loan has been cut short, Ebiowei and Glasner’s team can maybe focus on turning his potential into reality.
Key Question: Can Glasner’s team bring out the talents Ebiowei clearly has?
Every Palace fan wants Jesurun Rak Sakyi in or around the first team, and it may not be fair to say he had a disappointing 2024. He started the year injured. Now he’s a first team regular – not for Palace, but for a team that’s currently only a few places behind us on the league ladder. However, it’s his future that causes concern to him and us as well.
Key Question: We need a player who does what JRS does, don’t we? Where will he be this time next year – Sheffield, somewhere else, or back home to Palace?
For Cheick Doucoure, 2024 started on the injured list and barely got much better. After spending wretched months with medical experts and treatment tables, at least our Player of the Year two seasons ago can now fight to win his place back on the pitch.
Key Question: Watching Cheick boss the midfield was fun, so how long must we wait into 2025 before we see the 2023 Doucoure?
Daichi Kamada began 2024 in Rome. Every week he was in the first team squad for Lazio in Serie A. Unfortunately, at Palace, the Japanese international seems to be struggling with every aspect of his game. Each week, I hope his performance will match his manager’s admiration for him, but still we all wait. His struggles to keep the ball have raised major doubts about the club’s highest paid player. Unable to lock down a starting spot, Kamada is reduced to being Glasner’s go-to stand-in.
Key Question: Can Glasner rescue his protege, or is it better to cut losses and bring in a replacement?
Rob Holding. This space has intentionally been left blank.
Key Question: What’s there to say?
2024 saw Eddie Nketiah in a spot of bench swapping. He opened the year on the Arsenal bench and ended it on the Palace bench. If JPM is injured or loses form, Nketiah is the obvious replacement – and wow, for Palace, he’s a high quality substitute. But is that enough for Eddie?
Key Question: Would it work to have a game plan where JPM wears defences down over 60 minutes, to be replaced by fresh Eddie with his speed and subtlety? It might work for a while, but will it be enough for Eddie?
Finally, what a 2024 Oliver Glasner had! He started last January probably with his feet up, enjoying a gap year as a European trophy winner, likely planning come summer to groove into the Palace job. Then came the Roy call from Parish.
Eleven months on, with Glasner and his coaches firmly running the show, Palace have lost just 7 of the last 27 PL matches.
Additionally, Glasner has proved talents much coveted in the Premier League. Twice already, Glasner has swiftly picked up the pieces from a sticky situation and created positive results.
Last spring, he unexpectedly took the reins for a difficult run-in during a relegation struggle. Glasner quickly demonstrated his turnaround talents with an eye-popping slate of sweet victories that generated job offers from world class clubs.
This season, although Glasner was gracious about it, an awkward summer window produced 20m quid profit from player sales, but evidently didn’t produce the players Glasner actually wanted when he wanted them. The effects spilled over into an awful start to the season that Glasner and his team are now correcting as we go.
Key Question: Shorter contracts for managers have become popular, with Wolves and Southampton both following Palace this way. Here’s the problem. Now, without a contract extension, Glasner will be working his notice from July onwards. He’s the best manager we’ve had (ever?), and we want him to build from here – not plan for a future elsewhere. Don’t we?
Extra Key Question: Isn’t it time to extend or improve Glasner’s contract?
