Since completing his move to South London from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, it is fair to say that Chris Richards has had to be extremely patient.
With game time few and far between during his first season at the club, the American international was limited to nine appearances, which included just four starts.
Richards made his first start in the Carabao Cup at Oxford United in August 2022, before being limited to a series of cameos from the bench. An unfortunate hamstring injury and a further muscle injury did not help and kept the centre back out of action for the entirety of October until the break for the World Cup. With the latter also forcing him to miss out on the USMNT World Cup squad.
An injury to Joachim Andersen at Chelsea in the following January offered Palace fans their first glimpse of Richards when he made his first start for the Eagles in the Premier League against Manchester United at Selhurst Park. Even though that fixture is now synonymous with Michael Olise’s breathtaking last-minute free kick, which secured a point for the South London side and ruined any hopes of a title charge for Erick Ten Hag’s Red Devils, Chris Richards’ composed performance at centre back proved £8.5 million was good business by Dougie Freedman for the then 22-year-old. A particular highlight came just before half time when he raced the length of the pitch, matching the pace of Antony, to make a brilliant last-ditch challenge as the Brazilian was about to cut into the box.
Following his stellar display, what became less understandable was Patrick Vieira’s unwillingness to play the young man in the weeks prior. For example, the Frenchman favoured the strength of Andersen and Marc Guehi in the FA Cup third-round tie versus Southampton, when it was the perfect opportunity for Richards to showcase his talents. Moreover, on more than one occasion, Viera chose to call upon the experience of James Tomkins from the bench when he was required to make a change at centre back, most notably at Chelsea, much to the frustration of the fans. What was more concerning was that, according to Vieira, Richards was only given the green light to start because Tomkins was “not feeling 100%“.
I feel as though Chris must have felt just as bemused as myself.
Much to the delight of the fans and Richards, the American was quite rightly rewarded with another two starts in the goalless draw with Newcastle United at Selhurst Park and the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, after a consistent run in the team, Richards did not feature in the proceeding game against Brighton after another injury setback. A return to full fitness for Andersen saw the Dane start at centre back in the trip to Brentfrod the following week and limit Richards, who had returned to the squad, to eight minutes off the bench. Despite his strong run of form, albeit brief, Richards once again found himself back in the same position he was in at the start of the season.
The sacking of Vieira and the appointment of Roy Hodgson signalled a desperate need for points in order to avoid relegation. Therefore, it was no surprise that Roy chose to rely on the formidable duo of Andersen and Guehi. During this tough time for the club, rotating the squad and taking risks was completely out of the question, and justifiably so. As a result, between February and May, the 23-year-old would feature just once, playing 90 minutes in the 2-0 defeat at Wolves, where he was deployed out of position at right back, and it showed.
In similar fashion to his first season, Chris had to bide his time for his first start in red and blue in the 2023/24 season. Completing 90 minutes at centre-back in the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park, the former Bayern Munich man showed flashes of what we saw against United at Selhurst back in January. Searing pace, well-timed tackles, and a good ability on the ball were all showcased by the American international. Despite giving away a penalty in the dying moments of the game, for many, including myself, it was another example of a poor decision by VAR and the PGMOL.
From September until the start of December, it was service as usual for Richards, with cameos off the bench here and there.
An injury crisis for Hodgson’s side, which left them without several key personnel to call upon, particularly in midfield, such as Chiekck Doucoure, gave Hodgson no choice but to ask Richards to fill in as a defensive midfielder for the game at the London Stadium against West Ham. A man of the match performance felt fitting, not just because he had played out of his skin in a position unfamiliar to him, not for the first time, but also for his attitude since joining Palace, something which has made him a fan favourite.
Richards featured prominently throughout all seven of the December fixtures and played a key role in the memorable draws with City and Brighton. Even though he was initially filling in for an ill Will Hughes and injured Jeffrey Schlupp at West Ham, it is now clear that Roy favours Richards over the pair. Deploying him as a half-back, or anchor, if you will, in what is essentially five at the back, enables him to rely more heavily on the defensive side of his game and therefore his strengths.
Of course, whenever you put a recognised centre back in the middle of the park, they are always going to look slightly slower and off the pace, certainly in transition, but so far Richards has really impressed the Palace faithful with his superb run of form.
What has also been really nice to see is the recognition he’s been getting in the media for his recent performances as well as from his national team, with some making the case that he could potentially be the answer to replace injury-stricken Tyler Adams in the centre of midfield for the USMNT.
His first season in England was a turbulent one, plagued by numerous injuries, bizarre decisions by management, and the situation the club found themselves in towards the back end of the season. When considering all of these factors, it feels great to finally be able to see Richards start consistently at the club, even if it is in the centre of midfield as opposed to his preferred centre-back role.
