Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer rues 'false start' from his side
Saturday 12 August 2017 18:38, UK
Frank de Boer labelled Crystal Palace's performance in their 3-0 opening day defeat at home to Huddersfield as a "false start".
There was much excitement around Selhurst Park as another new era began in south London, bringing with it a new formation and the promise of more possession football.
However, Palace couldn't cope with Huddersfield's intensity right from the off, with the Eagles second best as an own goal from Joel Ward and two from Steve Mounie ensured the Terriers' Premier League debut was a raging success.
"It is a false start," De Boer told Sky Sports. "If you analyse the game it is quite simple. We started quite well, but after ten minutes the game changed. Tactically, we didn't do what we have talked about.
"They scored two goals and we were are always chasing the game. We had some good chances to make it 2-1, and if we did make it 2-1, I had a good feeling that we would get at least a point.
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"We had good chances then 30 seconds later they went down the other end and scored again and the game is over.
"The problems are not always in defence. Sometimes it is the forwards not directly pressing and stopping crossings. We just didn't make the right choices and we got punished for that."
Palace did play good football at times, and created some openings, especially in the second half, with Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke denied by fine saves by Huddersfield stopper Jonas Lossl.
However, on the whole, there was not a great deal for De Boer to be positive about as his side were soundly beaten, leaving him with plenty to ponder.
"You have to do it [improve] step by step," De Boer said. "I think we played some good football at times today, but the game is not 75 minutes you have to concentrate for 95 minutes. It was an expensive lesson for us today, but we have 37 games left.
"They did a fantastic job. Full compliments to Huddersfield. They played as they always played, and we expected that. They made the best out of it."
