Evann Guessand’s second spell at Crystal Palace is already approaching an important point, with questions growing over whether the forward can force his way back into Pierre Sage’s plans before January.
The 25-year-old returned to Selhurst Park on loan from Aston Villa this summer, but his opportunities under the Palace manager have quickly become limited.
Guessand has managed just two Premier League appearances totalling 54 minutes so far, while Sage has publicly demanded a better response after being unhappy with his performance against Manchester City.
The suggestion that Sage is now “fed up” with Guessand comes from former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown’s assessment of the situation, rather than being a direct quote from the Crystal Palace manager.
Brown believes Guessand has fallen well down the Palace pecking order and has raised the possibility of his loan situation being reconsidered in January if his position does not improve.
How did Guessand get to this point?
Guessand’s current situation is more striking when his recent career is viewed as a whole.
Little more than a year ago he was coming off the best season of his career in France. That earned him a major Premier League move to Aston Villa, but what followed has been a stop-start period involving Villa and now two spells with Palace.
Sage has already sent Guessand a clear message
The current problem is not simply that Guessand has been unfortunate with team selection.
Sage publicly explained that he was unhappy with what he saw from Guessand and Dwight McNeil when they came on against Manchester City.
“They (Guessand and Dwight McNeil) were not in the squad because I was not happy with their performance when they came on the pitch against Manchester City. It’s my decision, a sports decision.”
That removed much of the mystery surrounding Guessand’s absence. Sage was making a footballing decision and demanding more from the forward.
Crucially, however, Sage did not say he was “fed up” with Guessand. That description comes from Brown’s interpretation of the situation and should be viewed as such.
The Palace manager has not publicly closed the door on Guessand, but the competition around him makes the challenge increasingly difficult.
Competition for places is making life harder
The latest concern for Guessand is that his route back into the side may be becoming narrower rather than wider.
Brown believes as many as four Palace players could now be ahead of the forward in Sage’s pecking order, while the availability of other attacking options only increases the competition.
Again, that is Brown’s assessment rather than a declaration from Sage himself. What is established is that the Palace manager was unhappy with Guessand’s contribution against Manchester City and subsequently left him out.
For Guessand, the task is therefore clear. When another opportunity arrives, he needs to make it count.
January could become an important decision point
That is why talk of January is beginning to make sense without treating an early exit as inevitable.
Guessand still has time to change the direction of his season. A run of games, injuries elsewhere in the squad or one strong performance could quickly alter his position.
His previous Palace spell is proof of how quickly that can happen. In February, Guessand came off the bench against Wolves and struck a 90th-minute winner at Selhurst Park – his first goal for the club.
But if January arrives and his Premier League involvement remains minimal, all three parties could have a decision to make.
Palace would have to consider whether continuing the loan benefits their squad, Aston Villa would have to assess whether Guessand would be better served elsewhere, and the player himself would have to consider where he is most likely to play regular football.
Guessand still has the opportunity to change the story
The important distinction is that Sage has challenged Guessand rather than publicly given up on him.
His journey over the last 18 months shows how quickly a player’s position can change. A breakthrough campaign at Nice earned him a Premier League transfer, difficulties at Villa led to Palace offering him another opportunity, and a memorable late winner against Wolves showed what he could offer at Selhurst Park.
Palace then decided to bring him back for a second spell, but his start to the new season has left him fighting for his place all over again.
The next turn in that journey is still in Guessand’s hands.
If he responds to Sage’s demands and begins contributing, January may pass without the issue becoming significant.
If he remains on the fringes, however, the possibility of his loan situation being reconsidered will become increasingly difficult to ignore.
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