Worse than Johnson: Crystal Palace flop must not start again this season

Crystal Palace were left frustrated by decisions from the officials after they were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

The Eagles went 1-0 down through an own goal by Jefferson Lerma before the referee awarded a penalty to the hosts for an alleged foul by Dean Henderson on Marcos Senesi.

Palace’s skipper did well to claim the initial ball into the box with both hands before he dropped it into Senesi’s path and seemingly tripped the central defender up.

The replays, however, showed that there was very minimal contact on the Bournemouth defender’s knee to cause him to hit the deck, but VAR opted against suggesting a review for the referee to change his mind.

Despite that incredibly contentious piece of officiating that led to the second goal in the game, Palace cannot blame the officials for the result on the South Coast.

Why Crystal Palace cannot blame the referee for their defeat to Bournemouth

Taking the penalty away from the game, the Eagles still did not do enough at either end of the pitch to suggest that they deserved to travel back to London with a point or three.

Palace’s starting front three of Yeremy Pino, Jorgen Strand Larsen, and Brennan Johnson ended the game with one shot on target, which came from distance, and one key pass between them.

Strand Larsen’s shot from the edge of the box in the 46th minute of the game was the only shot on target managed by Oliver Glasner‘s side in the 90 minutes.

Johnson, who joined for a then-club-record fee of £35m from Tottenham in January, played the full 90 minutes without registering a shot on target, a key pass, an attempted cross, or a completed dribble.

Glasner, therefore, should be more concerned with the performance of his players than the performance of the officials, because too many players failed to step up to the mark, including the likes of Lerma, Strand Larsen, Pino, and Johnson.

Worse than Johnson: Crystal Palace player should not start again this season

As underwhelming as Johnson was against the Cherries, there was another Palace flop who was even worse than the Wales internationa on Sunday.

Justin Devenny played the first half at left wing-back and the second half at right wing-back, and looked below the level required in both positions for the Eagles.

The versatile player, who typically plays as an attacking or central midfielder, was dribbled past four times, more than any other player on the park, as he looked out of his depth in both full-back roles.

The Northern Ireland international also struggled with the ball at his feet for Palace, completing just 68% of his passes and failing to create any chances for his teammates, which means that he failed to offer quality in or out of possession for Glasner’s side.

Johnson, at the very least, completed 81% of his attempted passes and only lost possession eight times, ten fewer times than Devenny in the same time on the pitch.

It was the 22-year-old flop’s first start in any competition since the 2-1 loss to Sunderland in the Premier League in January, and it should be his last of the season.

Devenny has started six matches in the Premier League this season and the Eagles have picked up three draws, three defeats, and zero wins in those games, which should not come as a huge surprise given the level of his performance against Bournemouth.

The Northern Irish youngster may go on to develop into a valuable asset for Palace in the future, but he does not look ready to start matches at the top level for the club in the here and now.

Glasner, therefore, should bench the versatile midfielder for the remainder of this season and there could be a big decision to make on his short-term future when the summer transfer window.

The next manager may not view Devenny as being a key part of their plans, given his struggles this season, and could decide to send him out on loan next term so that he can gain valuable experience and develop as a player.