Frank de Boer admits Crystal Palace debut taught him 'very hard lesson' as Dutchman reflects on Premier League 'false start' against Huddersfield Town

Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer conceded he was taught a 'very hard lesson' about the Premier League as the Dutchman was well and truly defeated on his home debut.

Palace's players were jeered as an own goal from Joel Ward and two strikes from Huddersfield's £11.5million record-signing Steve Mounie confirmed the 3-0 loss.

De Boer won four titles with Ajax in Holland and was manager of Inter Milan last season before taking over from Sam Allardyce at Selhurst Park in the summer.

Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer has called Saturday's 3-0 loss to Huddersfield a 'false start'

Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer has called Saturday's 3-0 loss to Huddersfield a 'false start'

The Dutchman endured a nightmare debut as Palace manager and learned a 'very hard lesson'

The Dutchman endured a nightmare debut as Palace manager and learned a 'very hard lesson'

This was not how he wanted to introduce himself to England's top flight and the 47-year-old now faces Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at Anfield next weekend. 


Asked if this was a harsh lesson for him, De Boer said: 'You can call it that. It is a very false start for everybody. Nobody expected it.

'It is a very hard lesson for everybody, for me, the staff, the players. Especially at the highest level, football will always be decided with details.

'We lost the game in 50 minutes. We started well and after 10 minutes, we made the wrong choices and we were pulled back. At the end, 3-0, they deserved to win.'

De Boer handed debuts to his three summer signings. That included Chelsea and Manchester United loanees Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, as well as Jairo Riedewald.

'Tactically, we did not do what we spoke about and paid an expensive price,' De Boer added.

'We were not pressing up top and they were allowed to get crosses too. We did not make the right choices and got punished.'

Selhurst Park was a hive of optimism before kickoff, with the crowd excited to see De Boer

Selhurst Park was a hive of optimism before kickoff, with the crowd excited to see De Boer

But the final whistle was met with a loud chorus of boos following a humiliating home defeat

But the final whistle was met with a loud chorus of boos following a humiliating home defeat