Frank de Boer questions “courage” after Crystal Palace defeat

Frank de Boer has lost all of his first three Premier League games in charge of Crystal Palace and the Eagles have yet to score a goal.

Palace lost 2-0 at home to Swansea City on Saturday in a game which already felt like a relegation six-pointer.

Tammy Abraham and Jordan Ayew scored either side of half time to suck the life out of de Boer’s team and Palace never fully recovered from a slow start to the game.

Speaking after the game the Dutchman, who saw his side booed off at half time, revealed his thoughts on yet another lackluster display.

“We were uncomfortable with how we played,” de Boer said. “Swansea didn’t play that well the first half but I said before the game because they play the same system as us, we have one spare man left in the back and they had one spare man left in the back, it will become a lot of duels and the team which maybe shows the most courage but also makes the less mistakes will win the game. In the end it was like that.”

De Boer did salute his side for the “spirit” and “guts” they showed in the second half and revealed he is desperate to give Palace’s vocal fans something to cheer.

“I saw a totally different Crystal Palace in the second half and then you are already behind. You want to get in front. The crowd is fantastic and they always stay behind you. You want to give them something back,” de Boer added.

Palace have lost 3-0 at home to Huddersfield, 1-0 at Liverpool and now 2-0 against Swansea City heading into the first international break of the campaign and everything points to the obvious question: can de Boer really turn this group of players into a flowing, possession-based side?

It was a brave hire by Palace to bring in de Boer in the first place.

He wants wants to play an attractive style in a 3-4-3 formation but is trying to do that with a team of players put together by Sam Allardyce and his notorious direct approach. It is like asking Leicester City’s players to possess the ball and not hit teams on the break.

Palace are not playing to their strengths.

Time and time again Palace’s defenders were caught on the ball and they looked uneasy at trying to possess the ball as de Boer wants them to. Substitute Martin Kelly made mistakes for both goals and Palace just couldn’t get any quality service to Christian Benteke up top.

It will be a very long international break for de Boer and Crystal Palace with the bookies already making him the favorite to be the first PL manager to lose his job this season.

Follow @JPW_NBCSports