By Freddie Jennings
CRYSTAL Palace fell to a demoralising 3-2 defeat at home to Ipswich Town last Saturday. It was the Eagles’ defensive deficiencies as opposed to their attacking endeavours that was the problem.
Axel Disasi’s red card on the 34th minute changed the complexion of the game with the scores at 1-1, but Palace continued to push despite falling behind to a Leif Davis header before half-time.
It was the resurgent form of Jorgen Strand Larsen that hauled Palace back into the contest, with an expertly taken goal levelling the scores at 2-2. He received the ball from Japanese international Daichi Kamada before turning his defender and lashing a killer finish into the bottom corner in front of a jubilant Holmesdale Road End.
The three Ipswich strikes were examples of how not to defend, with balls into the box causing chaos and confusion. However, the Tractor Boys’ own rearguard was blameless against the big Norwegian’s predatory instincts.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the £48 million man. His arrival was greeted by second takes and bemusement at his transfer value, as he easily became the Eagles’ most expensive ever player. He made an instant impact in his opening home fixture by netting a brace against Scott Parker’s Burnley even if those strikes did come in vain as the Clarets came from behind to win 3-2.
Perhaps lift-off would have arrived sooner if the Eagles had actually beaten Burnley yet the rest of his debut campaign was marked by just two more goals, albeit both being important strikes in 3-1 wins at Tottenham and Shaktar Donetsk.
French marksman John-Philippe Mateta returned to take the limelight as the match-winner in Leipzig to clinch the Conference League title.
However, Strand Larsen appears rejuvenated and fresh now following a positive summer at international level for Norway in the United States as he helped his country reach the World Cup quarter-finals as deputy to Erling Haaland. His catchy song to the tune of Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” instantly made him a fan favourite among the Selhurst Park faithful and those supporters are starting to be rewarded.
He scored two well-taken headers at home to Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup after getting on the end of expert crosses from Oscar Mingueza and Ben Chilwell. There was a sense of inevitability as the ball dropped on his head, and on both occasions, he wheeled away and took the adulation of the crowd. Those moments showed how lethal he can be when given the service, he has a clinical edge in front of goal that Mateta doesn’t naturally posses to the same level as the former Wolves and Celta Vigo man. The Ipswich strike was further evidence of this, but one thing that Mateta does have over his team-mate is hold-up play. This acts as the main element of Strand Larsen’s game which needs improvement and was scrutinised during the Ipswich defeat.
However, despite his upturn of form, Strand Larsen remains modest and humble. His growing influence on the pitch has led to a greater presence off it where he has spoken about the need for patience under Pierre Sage, as the Eagles boss settles into life in the Premier League. He said: “We have a whole new team almost playing together, a lot of new players, so it will take some time to get into rhythm, to get to know each other.” He is clearly a vocal presence in the dressing room and has struck up strong relationships with his team-mates, such as World Cup winner Yeremy Pino. Strand Larsen sent messages of congratulations to Pino after Spain’s World Cup win and has also been seen on holiday wearing a France shirt with Mateta’s name and number on his back. Even though there must have been a slight sense of jealousy as he saw Mateta do his trademark corner kicking celebration in Leipzig back in May, Strand Larsen joined in alongside the rest of the squad to enjoy the moment as he replicated the classic attack on the flag. It is testament to the character of the man that he appeared to be genuinely delighted for his supposed striking rival.
His magical moment against Ipswich provides further evidence that he in fact can live up to his high price tag, yet for now Palace just need him to build on his current form and continue to provide the team with clinical finishes in big moments.
