Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner highlighted “a lack of finishing quality” in his team as he underlined the need for Palace to make signings in the January window.
Glasner has previously bemoaned a lack of depth in his Eagles squad, and he once again underlined the issue after their 1-0 loss to Tottenham at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
It was another occasion in which the Palace attack failed to click, with Glasner alluding to his side’s under-performance in expected goals so far this term. The Eagles have the biggest xG differential in the Premier League, having scored 8.4 goals fewer than their xG would suggest.
“To be honest, if you watch our game today, it's pretty clear what we need," Glasner told the press after the match.
“Then, it's the decision of Crystal Palace. If you're constantly underperforming in scoring goals, what we can do is encourage the players, support them, and be positive.
“I can't blame anybody for missing the chances, but we have to accept right now that we have a little bit of a lack of finishing quality in the team.
"It looks like we can't replace Ismaila Sarr, Daniel Munoz and Daichi Kamada, who are very often involved in our goals. But on the other side, we want to be back in the next week, so it's now to support all the players.
"I see the way we play, the structure, the chances we create. The patterns work. It's now really supporting the players to get this confidence back that they are able to score more goals.
"My feeling is the closer we come to the goal, the more nervous we get in decision-making.”
Speaking on Sky Sports, former Palace boss Alan Pardew has echoed Glasner’s opinion and called on the board to back the Austrian, adding that he has done a “tremendous job” in the Palace hot seat.
“He's suggesting, 'I want some more players'. His contract is out in the summer. He's probably more important than anything else, to keep him at the club. He's done such a tremendous job,” said Pardew.
“If I were the board, I'd be looking to feed him a player or two. I just think with the board they have there, American ownership, there is finance available.
“Whether they can get the targets over the line is another matter - it's always difficult in January.”
Palace currently sit in ninth in the Premier League table after 18 matches, with their next game a home fixture against Fulham on New Year’s Day.
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