Crystal Palace were held to a 1-1 draw by Zlinski, leaving their Division One hopes hanging in the balance.
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has urged his players to put in their best performance in the play-off second leg at Selhurst Park, but that’s easier said than done.
advertise
There was a lack of emotion from most of Crystal Palace’s players on Thursday, resulting in another tepid performance. One in particular stands out.
Palace winger Brennan Johnson made his seventh appearance for the Eagles since his £35m move to south London in the winter.
Unfortunately, he has yet to open his account for Glasner’s side and once again underperformed.
Johnson failed to complete any dribble attempts and lost possession nine times. He struggled in the game, touching the ball only 26 times.
His lack of productivity is no surprise.
His season at Tottenham Hotspur has already been abysmal, failing to contribute a goal in his final seven games for the club.
advertise
There was a sense of desperation from the start when Johnson arrived, and that feeling only grew.
The 24-year-old was never a good fit for this Palace side and so far looks like a gamble that hasn’t paid off.
The £35m fee is starting to feel like money well spent.
With the departures of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, Palace have lost two of their most creative and ball-playing attackers, who were able to unlock a compact defense through skill and cunning.
What they need is a technician, someone who can easily read between the lines and create something from nothing.
Instead, they signed a runner. Johnson’s main advantage is the offensive space behind him, but the Hawks already have Ismaila Sarr and they need something else.
As it stands, Johnson is not the answer. He looked like a costly misjudgment on the part of the palace brass.
