As we cross the halfway point of the season, the picture of where teams might end up starts to become clearer.

Crystal Palace have spent much of the season facing their perennial problem – too good to go down, but not quite at the level of a European side.

With 22 games gone they sit seven points above the drop zone, which should be enough of a buffer to see them stay up, although in the Premier League safety is never guaranteed.

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Patrick Vieira has been Palace’s manager since July 2021, and despite many initial doubters, he has made steady progress with a team who were decimated by expiring contracts when he took over.

It might be too simplistic to judge purely on league position, but the season before he took over Palace came 14th. He led them to 12th in his first full season and they sit 12th again this season.

The more apt judgment is the cultural changes a manager makes. Vieira has freshened the squad up and built up a solid relationship with his best player, Wilfried Zaha, although the Eagles top scorer is out of contract at the end of the season.

Football has seen a shift in the importance of the manager.

A method championed by Leeds when they appointed Marcelo Bielsa in 2018, saw the key decision-makers prioritising the appointment of a manager who would encourage players to join the club.

Within a couple of seasons Bielsa had led them back to the Premier League. One of the reasons for that was his name carried with it some gravitas which helped recruitment, as players were desperate to play for the great Bielsa, even if it was in the Championship.

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The stature of Vieira and his greatness as a player has had some of the same effect at Palace, none more so than with Marc Guehi, who referenced the manager as a reason to make the switch across London from Chelsea.

The central defender has been vital since he made the transfer and earned an England call-up as recently as September 2022, narrowly missing out on World Cup selection. Attracting a player with his talents is central to a shift under Viera.

The squad now has eleven players 25 or under and Selhurst Park is becoming known as a place where talented youngsters can hone their skills. The squad has seen a complete refresh under the French manager.

Players such as Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze were looked at by many Premier Clubs when they were impressing in the Championship for Reading and Queens Park Rangers respectively.

They chose the Eagles, which is a testament to what the club is building towards.

There is potential for the team to progress in the coming seasons, if they can hold onto these talented players and continue to bring in more than a push for a European spot is by no means out of the question.