Ever since Roy Hodgson was replaced at Crystal Palace by Oliver Glasner, Tyrick Mitchell has been a fascinating player to watch.
With the Austrian switching to a 3-4-3 shape, the England international has been asked to play further up the field in a wing-back role.
Similar to Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the Crystal Palace No. 3 has gained recognition since his debut for his defensive prowess, yet there are still many unanswered questions regarding his offensive prowess.
Tyrick Mitchell was observed doing something intriguing during Crystal Palace’s training session in Marbella, suggesting that Oliver Glasner is acknowledging this.
Oliver Glasner’s actions regarding Tyrick Mitchell
According to video released by Crystal Palace, the 49-year-old was in charge of an offensive practice.
Mitchell becomes more involved in instances when he attacks the ball at the back post when crosses are swung in from out wide starting at 7:15.
We found this particularly noteworthy because in Glasner’s first three games in charge, the 24-year-old has many times found himself in good situations at the back post.
After gatecrashing the box in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Luton Town, Mitchell saw a low shot saved by Thomas Kaminski. During the 3-0 victory over Burnley, Mitchell was also regularly involved in assaults.
The Brent-born defender has only encountered Hodgson’s inflexible defensive approach since joining the first squad, with the exception of 18 months spent playing under Patrick Vieira.
It would make sense for Glasner to focus on this aspect of his game because Mitchell has only managed one goal and two assists in 31 games this season.
Given the dearth of left-backs available at the moment, if the Crystal Palace academy product can prove himself between now and the end of the season, he might even be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for UEFA EURO 2024.
This season, Mitchell might also be competing for a spot under Glasner.
After Lewis Hall’s loan stint at Newcastle did not work out, an article by Alan Nixon indicates that Crystal Palace will try again this summer to recruit the England U21 international from Chelsea.
Mitchell would have tough competition on the left if that move came to pass, therefore the Crystal Palace No. 3 needs to perform well in the games left to play this season.