Crystal Palace did not come out on the winning end of Tuesday night’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Eagles manager Roy Hodgson will be pleased with the performance of American defender Chris Richards.
Richards got the nod in the Eagles’ starting lineup at Molineux, playing 90 minutes in a 2-0 road defeat. It was the 23-year-old’s first start for the English Premier League side since February 4 and his fifth overall performance in 2023.
Joachim Andersen’s own goal in the third minute unfortunately put Crystal Palace down 1-0 after only three minutes, but Richards did his best to keep the Eagles in the match until the final whistle.
Richards completed 90% of his passes (46/51), won six of his nine duels, made three clearances, and seven recoveries. He remained a threat in the air for Crystal Palace and the Eagles tried to fight back for an equalizing goal.
Ruben Neves’ penalty-kick finish in the 94th minute however sealed Wolves’ third victory out of the past four matches. It was Crystal Palace’s first defeat since Hodgson’s return to the club earlier this spring.
Andersen’s departure at halftime due to an injury could force Richards into the starting lineup down the stretch as Crystal Palace tries to avoid any relegation worries. Richards has made nine combined appearances for the Eagles since joining from Bayern Munich last summer.
The Eagles next host West Ham United on Saturday before final matches against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest.
9 combined appearances and heās been there since last summer?! ā¦for a full season?! 1st year in the EPL would be disappointing one for Hoover, Alabama, especially for a 3rd CB. 3rd CBs get more game time than 9 appearances in the EPL. Rob Holding (Arsenal), Laporte (Man City), Harry Maguire (Man United) to name a few. Itās not just the big clubs. 40+ matches a season, seems to be enough for (non-GKs) backups to get a 1000 minutes. A lot of optimism, for a player whoās been injured a lot.
Be easy. You have basically laid out the reasons why the guy wasn’t playing — it has been as a result of injury. 9 combined would be a really bad sign—- but he has been INJURED. Were Holding, Laporte, or Maguire injured for their clubs as 3rd center backs? Richards is still young. The fact that Roy played him from the start is a good sign.
Courey – I donāt know how you came to that conclusion from what I posted. I didnāt make a case for why heās not playing. You didnāt even look up how many times he didnāt get on the field when he was healthy. He doesnāt play for CP even when Hoover, Alabama is healthy. You have to count the number of matches he dressed but didnāt play. Itās not complicated. Itās objective reality!! He canāt beat out Anderson or Guehi, when heās healthy. PERIOD
You have to realize that almost all of those players you just listed went deep in various different competitions tangong from domestic to European cup competitions this season . Where as Crystal Palace didnāt limiting Richards to primarily a back up role as most of their games were played in just the EPL. Also add that he had a few injuries this season which kept him out. As long as he can stay healthy I foresee more games for Richards next season. He can play both CB and at RB in a traditional 4 man back line and can play in a 3 man back line too.
2tone- I realize you like to post, so you can read your on posts. You are not here for conversation or help people understand the game better. You make statements that you donāt even backup. Someone can ask you a question about your posts and you arenāt nuanced enough to answer. 2tone- āNoel Buck should be on the U20sā¦ā Reader- Who should he replace in the midfield? 2tone- I donāt know! What?!!! Next youāre going to tell me that a man weighing 160 pounds can have a NFL career. Iāve been watching Hoover, Alabama play since ā19 U20 CONCACAF tournament. Availability is the best ability. Even when heās healthy, the the Eagles manager doesnāt play him. Look at how many times he dressed but didnāt play. What your post did was make excuses. The 3rd CBs in majority of leagues play more the 9 matches. (I listed those 3 CBs because they play in the EPL and most US fans recognize the names.)
Awesome to see. Richards your time is now. Take that starting spot and donāt relinquish it. Solidify your standing by playing well at the end of the season and head into next season as the starter!
I really hope Richards can stay healthy, he has all the tools to be the best defender we’ve ever produced. Seems a big if at this point, but sometimes it’s merely a matter of reaching full physical maturity- settling into ones body. Fingers crossed.