Crystal Palace FC Thread + Championship Chat

[Ant040689]

I like a rant, I like Palace, I don't like polluting the 'Tips for Tikay' thread with Palace talk. I will have free reign here.

I am not a typical chirpy fan that bores you with bias and a little bit of an OTT affection for their club. I am not like that, I am a reserved supporter, go to a lot of games home and away but I feel the urge to scream from the rooftops because finally i think we have a team to get us promoted automatically and that excites me.

We have one of the best goalkeepers in the league. We have two great wing backs who are undoubtedly solid. A centre back in Damian Delaney who has been a revelation, since coming in he hasn't lost a game. Ramage is the weak link in the team for me as his partner and really think we have a better player on the bench in Darcy Blake who was very impressive at the beginning of the season. Saying that though you can't take much away from Ramage as he is doing well by anyone's standards, I just think we have better on the bench is all.

With the midfield we have two very strong anchoring centre midfielders in Jedinek and KG who provide a steel with great pestering in closing down and hard tackling. Then, we have the small playmaker just in front of them in Garvan, who takes our free kicks and has a great eye for a through ball and cross, a great left foot. Then we have two very tricky wingers in Bolassie and Zaha. Bolassie has improved massively under the influence of Zaha because I think he is realising if he can do it I can too. Has been a great asset and scored last night which is great to see as he always gets himself into good areas but was always lacking the finish. Very skillfull and many a fan believe he is much like Zaha, say at 70% in comparison.

Then we have Wilfried Zaha. Has been terrorising defences all season and has been the figurehead of our great form. Last night he was quiet until the start of the second half and then burst into action getting us a penalty. He normally makes every full back he comes up against look silly, forcing them to play deep which opens up play elsewhere. I have not seen anyone with the raw ability to get past their man like he has the capacity to do. He is the best flair player I have ever seen. His crossing is getting better. His shooting is still pretty woeful but if that was to improve then he would be a true phenomenon. He really excites me and if he improves as much next season for us as he did from last season to this then he will be a joy to watch.

Then up front we have Glenn Murray who we nabbed from our rivals Brighton. 12 goals i believe he has this season and wouldn't be surprised if half we pens. We have had 5 penalties in the last 2 games which is astonishing. He has missed 2 of those though so that is enough for me to say he can't have them anymore. Both times he went down the middle and the keeper effectively stood there. Aside from that, he is the archetypal target man linking up play to the two tricky wingers and bringing the whole team up the pitch. Very good with his head and getting into poaching positions from crosses and being in the right place at the right time. He needs to improve his direct shot taking on goal though as he is mostly always looking to feed someone else and can't remember the last time he took a shot from outside of the box this season. But for the way we are playing this season I do think no other player available from this division could match what he does for Palace. Aside from Zaha, if Murray was to get injured you would probably see us as a mid table outfit. Zaha and Murray are huge for this club.

Think that is about it. I would predict Peterborugh away to be a very tough encounter and I am probably not going to back it considering how well they are doing at home. I assume it will be a draw, but if we can get an early goal we could quite well deflate them and get on top as we did to Ipswich who I might add were the better side for the first 20 mins last night until we winded them with our first and they could never really recover after that.

Talk about anything Championship in here as well and any supporters from fellow clubs should give spiels about how your team are performing just so that everyone can get a better insight. How is your team getting on? Any bet suggestions?

I welcome rants and essays about any of the championship sides as I am always interested to better know the opposition! Let loose in here if you would like. I would however be pretty impressed with all of you if there wasn't one reply and this was left to die, as I would take that as an awesome bit of a 'shhhhhhh' to me. I would applaud it. Now for some reason I am almost welcoming it, but please don't.

[tikay]

Congratulations Ant!

Long may it last.

Newcastle have plenners, Palace have you.

[Sheriff Fatman]

I was very impressed with Palace when they played at Oakwell a few weeks ago (on the day that Freedman had left the club).

One of the better sides seen at Oakwell this season, without a doubt.

[Ant040689]

I was very impressed with Palace when they played at Oakwell a few weeks ago (on the day that Freedman had left the club).

One of the better sides seen at Oakwell this season, without a doubt.

N1.

We didn't even have Zaha, probably the cutting edge we missed there. Did we deserve the win that night or was the draw fair?

[Doobs]

8/1 for ptomotion long gone.  Currently best priced 11/4.  I took the 5/1 a couple of days ago.  Lets do this.

[Ant040689]

8/1 for ptomotion long gone.  Currently best priced 11/4.  I took the 5/1 a couple of days ago.  Lets do this.

Was I a partial cause to you taking 5/1?

[Doobs]

Yep,  decided they were too big at but by then they had played another match.  Rather than sulk, I just bet anyway.  Also backed them last night, though wasn't much. 

[Sheriff Fatman]

I was very impressed with Palace when they played at Oakwell a few weeks ago (on the day that Freedman had left the club).

One of the better sides seen at Oakwell this season, without a doubt.

N1.

We didn't even have Zaha, probably the cutting edge we missed there. Did we deserve the win that night or was the draw fair?

The draw was fair overall.

It was amusing reading the forums afterwards as the Palace fans' general reason for not winning the game was that Zaha was missing, which completely ignored the fact that we've been missing pretty much a first team for the whole season (Steele, McNulty, O'Brien, Mido, Silva to name a few).

[Ant040689]

Yep,  decided they were too big at but by then they had played another match.  Rather than sulk, I just bet anyway.  Also backed them last night, though wasn't much. 

Glad to be of help.

Makes me chuckle about how you rubbished our chances and my claims for how we are doing great and it should continue. Imagine you just stopped and thought for a second, past your preconceptions and then knew it made sense.

Look out for the injuries of Murray or Zaha and we have our starting midfielder Dikagcoi going for a month in January for the Africa Cup of Nations and he is pretty integral. Will be interesting to see how we get on without him.

[Ant040689]

I was very impressed with Palace when they played at Oakwell a few weeks ago (on the day that Freedman had left the club).

One of the better sides seen at Oakwell this season, without a doubt.

N1.

We didn't even have Zaha, probably the cutting edge we missed there. Did we deserve the win that night or was the draw fair?

The draw was fair overall.

It was amusing reading the forums afterwards as the Palace fans' general reason for not winning the game was that Zaha was missing, which completely ignored the fact that we've been missing pretty much a first team for the whole season (Steele, McNulty, O'Brien, Mido, Silva to name a few).

I think why Palace go on about Zaha is because he can literally be a one man show and I have no idea but assume none of those players you listed are singularly as important as he to how well the team play. But you are right, we weren't caring about your team troubles we only look at Zaha gone and bemoan our luck.

Considering you were so light on players you did terrifically. I only just seen the highlights now and it looks like you rode a dominant first half from us and got back into the game in teh second. I remember betting at evens on that game for the Palace/draw and is one of the many successful bets i have had because of our unbeaten run.

How do you perceive your chances this year?

You going to be staying up comfortably. Possibly going to go on an amazing run up the table to push for playoffs when the players a back? I know your manager was in the hat to replace Freedman and i have only heard good things about him. Do enjoy his frank interviews, always comes off well.

[The Camel]

Palace are best priced 11/4 for promotion.

I'll lay 3/1.

[DungBeetle]

Good thread - the Championship delivers year on year - one of the most exciting leagues in the world.

I am a Watford fan.  We have had a summer of positive unheaval but the big changes have predictably led to inconsistency.  We have a very talented team - probably the best I have seen since the 80s, but I am yet to be convinced of Zola as manager, and I don't think we have any idea what our best team is.

I expect us to improve as the season goes on (we are on 20 points right now in 16th, but ckoser to the playoffs than the relegation spots) and I think there is zero chance of us going down.  I've seen us three times so far (inlcuding the 3-2 game at Selhurst), and the team has played well only in patches.  I would take 10th with a playoff push the year after.

As for Palace I still don't think they will last the course, but I am less certain of that than I was after 2 extremely comfortable wins since that post.  I think Holloway is an upgrade on Dougie, and I think it might actually really boost their season, as Holloway will give new impetus and may well keep the great start going even further.

[DungBeetle]

By the way Ant - unlucky Boro couldn't bink a winner last night - I was rooting for you for a £5k win!

[The Camel]

Good thread - the Championship delivers year on year - one of the most exciting leagues in the world.

I am a Watford fan.  We have had a summer of positive unheaval but the big changes have predictably led to inconsistency.  We have a very talented team - probably the best I have seen since the 80s, but I am yet to be convinced of Zola as manager, and I don't think we have any idea what our best team is.

I expect us to improve as the season goes on (we are on 20 points right now in 16th, but ckoser to the playoffs than the relegation spots) and I think there is zero chance of us going down.  I've seen us three times so far (inlcuding the 3-2 game at Selhurst), and the team has played well only in patches.  I would take 10th with a playoff push the year after.

As for Palace I still don't think they will last the course, but I am less certain of that than I was after 2 extremely comfortable wins since that post.  I think Holloway is an upgrade on Dougie, and I think it might actually really boost their season, as Holloway will give new impetus and may well keep the great start going even further.

My Watford correspondent needs a box of Kleenex every time the word Forestieri is mentioned.

Dunno why.

[tikay]

By the way Ant - unlucky Boro couldn't bink a winner last night - I was rooting for you for a £5k win!

We all were!