Three ways Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace could line up next season

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3-5-2

The summer of 2016 can be marked as the summer of the 3-5-2. It was successfully implemented at Euro 2016: by Joachim Low’s Germany, Chris Coleman’s Wales, and Antonio Conte’s Italy. These performances must have caught Pardew’s eye as Palace first implemented the formation on Tuesday night in their final match of their North American tour against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Dann admitted that the system needs work but that it could be implemented next season.

At full strength, the center-back trio would have to be Tomkins, Dann, and Delaney; they are by far the best and only Premier-League quality centre backs in the Eagles’ squad. In the absence of a defender Joel Ward and Mile Jedinak would be able replacements.

Ward could very well be omitted in the regular lineup under this system. At times last season, his performances slipped away from what we have come to expect from him in past seasons. As a result, Pardew might drop him to the bench and make him fight for a spot.

The system would, to Crystal Palace’s strengths, be focused on wing play. Souare and Townsend would feature as wingbacks, Townsend has displayed defensive ability early on and has played in that position before, and Zaha and McArthur can drift wide.

Zaha would be in an unfamiliar position having more defensive and central duties but with some discipline he could serve the system well.

Bolasie might be more effective up front with a striking partner. Pardew experimented with the Congolese international playing as a lone striker last season. The issue a lot of the time was his isolation and desire to drift wide, providing no central options. Partnered with Wickham, Bolasie can roam the pitch and have Wickham as a target-man option.

As of now its an imperfect and rough system, but Pardew could be working to perfect something along these lines.

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