RAIN AND SUFFERING
Drenched Palace boss De Boer is left on brink as Wood shines for Clarets to seal win
THE weather delivered its verdict on Frank de Boer as he trudged off through the drizzle after a fourth successive defeat.
His Crystal Palace reign has undoubtedly been as big a damp squib as the miserable conditions in East Lancashire.
The Dutchman has chalked up the unwanted first of leading a top-flight side to four defeats at the start of a season without scoring for the first time in 93 years.
Steve Parish, who looked on grim-faced from the stands, had demanded better in talks with De Boer after their previous defeat.
And the Eagles chairman must now decide whether to press the button on De Boer’s sacking after just 77 days in charge, or feel there were enough positives from this display to give him more time. While De Boer has made mistakes, he should not solely be blamed for the mess Palace are in.
The board dithered when they could have had Marco Silva in June, and then turned their noses up at Sean Dyche.
How foolish that looks now as Burnley under Dyche are everything Palace are not – they are united, committed and resolute.
Parish and the club’s American owners must surely have expected a bumpy transition as De Boer tried to change the Eagles’ style from the long-ball football of former boss Sam Allardyce.
The players too must accept responsibility and it is not De Boer’s fault that Lee Chung-yong gift-wrapped the only goal for Chris Wood inside three minutes with the most suicidal of back passes. Nor can he be blamed for a succession of bad misses, culminating in Scott Dann heading wide from
just yards out two minutes from time. Palace did show fight, managing 23 attempts on goal, as De Boer adapted his purist principles to adopt a more pragmatic approach.
Dyche told De Boer that Palace were the better side, although it was probably of little consolation.
But critically, the Clarets defended better and Dyche went for Palace, deploying Wood and Sam Vokes up top for the
first time this season. Dyche could not have imagined his tactics would work so quickly when Wood (left) scored on his full debut in rapid fashion, although it was largely down to Lee leaving his brain in the dressing room. His attempted backpass from the halfway line was woefully underhit and striker Wood pounced on it to beat the onrushing Wayne Hennessey and net his second Premier League goal in two appearances.
Palace responded to their self-inflicted wound and Dann had a volley cleared off the line by Matt Lowton before Christian Benteke headed just wide.
The game was ridiculously open for so early in the match and Vokes went close with a glancing header, before Palace’s James McArthur wasted a fine chance. Burnley suffered a blow when skipper and England keeper Tom Heaton went off with a suspected dislocated shoulder after landing awkwardly.
Nick Pope replaced Heaton to make his Premier League debut and proved his worth, saving expertly from Benteke with his left foot.
Before that, Levi Lumeka had a header deflected wide and Jeffrey Schlupp blazed over from a great opening.
Then came the most glaring miss of all when Dann headed wide from Yohan Cabaye’s cross from three yards out.
A gutted De Boer shook his head in disbelief as he mimed how Dann should have headed the ball.
Now it just remains to be seen if Parish will put him out of his misery.