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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
For the most part of his Crystal Palace career, Max Meyer has been deployed on the left flank by Roy Hodgson, a position that doesn’t suit his qualities to say the least – the former England boss has already played him on the left twice this season.
The Germany international lacks pace, strength and that burst to get away from full-backs on the wing, but his low centre of gravity and close control suggest he’d be better suited to playing in the middle.
Against League Two side Colchester in the Carabao Cup game on Tuesday, however, the former Schalke playmaker had a chance to prove himself in the middle against an opponent who he really should’ve been standing out against.
With all due respect to Colchester, who impressively won the tie on penalties after holding the Eagles to a 0-0 draw in normal time, a player of Meyer’s pedigree should be having an impact against a League Two side, but he disappointed again despite spending most of the game in the middle of the pitch.
Meyer’s heat-map from the game shows that the 23-year-old spent a lot of time in a centre-attacking midfield role, but his stats do not make for good reading.
You could somewhat excuse his lack of impact in the Premier League – he has just one goal and two assists in the league since signing – on the basis of his mishandling, the quality of the opposition and the fact that he is still adjusting to the pace of the division.
Against Colchester, though, Meyer’s numbers were poor: Zero shots, zero key passes, two offsides and one unsuccessful touch, as well as being dispossessed three times. This does not reflect well on the German.
He has few excuses for being so ineffective against a League Two side, at home, in a position he is well-suited to.
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