Crystal Palace FC Thread + Championship Chat

[anthonyl]

Said on this forum at the time we played Watford they looked very good, so not suprised by this.

Never seen a team move the ball around so quickly at this level. Need a better full back and striker though IMO.

[DungBeetle]

Yes - the Poodle is a fine left back, but Casetti, for all his good work going forward is too slow.

Not sure about a striker though - Geijo has only just started after being injured and he's prolific in the Spanish second division (which admittedly isn't as strong as Championship).  Deeney, Vydra, Forestieri all plenty good enough at this level.

[anthonyl]

Didn't realise Geijo had come back.

You'll be in the playoffs 5PM on Saturday, can't see brighton or hull winning!

[DungBeetle]

I have a sinking feeling that Watford's promotion challenge may be about to have a serious blow.  Isn't this the sort of stuff that Swindon were hammered for in the past?    It's the that fecking turd of an old owner as well - he has already knocked the club for £2million apparently and now this.  Furious.

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/10080321.Bassini_and_Watford_charged_with_misconduct/

[Sheriff Fatman]

I have a sinking feeling that Watford's promotion challenge may be about to have a serious blow.  Isn't this the sort of stuff that Swindon were hammered for in the past?    It's the that fecking turd of an old owner as well - he has already knocked the club for £2million apparently and now this.  Furious.

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/10080321.Bassini_and_Watford_charged_with_misconduct/

For a moment I thought you were going to put this down to the strength of tomorrow's opponents.

Sigh!

[tikay]

Huddersfield 2 Leeds 4.......

[Ant040689]

Palace was great yesterday, but it did hinge on a very early sending off which killed the game.

I can't believe Palace were 2.7 before kick off and I got on that on top of the 2.25 I had earlier in the week.

I think we will beat Blackpool next week and would say 1.95 is about right for the price, anything above that needs to be seriously considered.

Craig Mackail-Smith had a 1 on 1 that he missed that would have made it 1-1 if he had scored and then you can never know what would have happened then. I think Speroni shocked him by staying on his line despite him being clean through from the half way line and he took one too many touches in shock. Speroni didn't even have to touch the ball with defense of the goal, just had to jolt pretend to come out to put off their man.

I hope Cardiff lose today so we could possibly build a gap at the top by the time we play them at their gaff on boxing day. That would be a 6 pointer and if we win that that could well be the start of our out and out dominance

Would like to say though that if Murray or Jedinek get injured we are in big trouble as they are essential. Bolassie is starting to impose himself more than Zaha of late but I think that has to do with the man marking they have on him leaving Bolassie more free to strut his stuff. He's beginning to get a great cross in too which backed by the trusted left foot of Garvan means we can constantly be a threat.

Really enjoying things at the moment and really suggest to start backing us at home against most teams if you see over 2.0.

[jakally]

Great result for Palace yesterday. Looks certain now, that they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

I do think we can start to get after them a bit, in the near future.
Feels like they are running a little bit above expectation, and are getting things going their way, more often than not, at the minute.

They've got a tricky run of games coming up, and if they start to get too short, will be ripe to oppose.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Yesterday appears to have been the tipping point in terms of fan opinion on Keith Hill.  Until now the majority opinion on the forums has been pro-Hill, but it's now swayed the other way.

Suddenly, I'm in the minority, which doesn't bode well for us.

[Ant040689]

Who do you support Jakally?

Most of what you have said is correct, but what I would add is to not oppose them at home unless it really is juicy because if you look at our record we haven't conceded in three scoring 11 I believe. We would have beaten Millwall aswell by four goals if not for the sending off. Beaten Cardiff and Blackburn as well, which at the time were two teams of note in the league and Cardiff more so now.

Away from home we really aren't that bad too and I am dissappointed we faced Leeds when we did with them on the up.

We do win a lot of games over drawing them and when we have got the draw or loss there normally has been a good excuse to why we were slightly unlucky.

We beat Leicester away when they had a 100% record, with many of their fans saying we were the best team there all season. Wolves we beat 2-1  away when they were top 5, kicking off their dysmal run.

We are just generally a tasty team that I now feel shouldn't be seen as running above expectation in the sense that the fall will be coming shortly. We should be seen as a team that has realised their true potential this year and are now comfortably holding their own. If we looked at all shaky on our run I would be the first to admit and I was worried about yesterday, but I think we are the best team in the league.

As soon as Cardiff's home form tumbles, which I think it will as they haven't been amazingly dominant in games, we will be the only outstanding candidates for the league title with the main threat coming from Leicester.

What must Dougie Freedman be thinking? He assembled a great team on a mediocre budget and left when he was reaping the awards only for someone else to step in and basically get the plaudits for the truly dogged work that led to where we are now. I have no real regrets over him leaving and he is a Palace legend. I just feel upset we couldn't possibly have gone up to the prem with a living club legend at the helm.

Now we have a manager that is well versed in the prem survival fight and the second time round could see better results, if we get there ofc!

How did everyone else's team get on yesterday or how do you feel about your chances if playing today?

[Chompy]

Yesterday appears to have been the tipping point in terms of fan opinion on Keith Hill.  Until now the majority opinion on the forums has been pro-Hill, but it's now swayed the other way.

Suddenly, I'm in the minority, which doesn't bode well for us.

Stdd during a relegation season unfortunately.

Loads of tex and tweets to Radio Fens FM yesterday calling for Fergie Jnr's head, which is pathetic. The only thing he's been guilty of is bringing in too many problem kids. Otherwise, he's had us promoted three times and is the best we've ever had.

Barnsley and Posh aren't big enough clubs to compete in the Championship long term. Fans just need to accept it.

[TightEnd]

What a player Will Hughes of Derby looks

Only 17-18, came out of Repton School

Already got Man U and Arsenal scouting him, and they were at Leicester yesterday

One pass that split our defence for their goal was sublime


In your notebooks, the next Nick Powell!

[Sheriff Fatman]

Yesterday appears to have been the tipping point in terms of fan opinion on Keith Hill.  Until now the majority opinion on the forums has been pro-Hill, but it's now swayed the other way.

Suddenly, I'm in the minority, which doesn't bode well for us.

Stdd during a relegation season unfortunately.

Loads of tex and tweets to Radio Fens FM yesterday calling for Fergie Jnr's head, which is pathetic. The only thing he's been guilty of is bringing in too many problem kids. Otherwise, he's had us promoted three times and is the best we've ever had.

Barnsley and Posh aren't big enough clubs to compete in the Championship long term. Fans just need to accept it.

That's a much harder sell to our fans because this division, historically, is our natural level (we're way ahead of anyone else for time spent at this level).  Very few seem to recognise the gulf in financial parity in this league compared to even 10 years ago.  It's like Premiership MkII these days between the haves and have nots.

[TightEnd]

More than half the division has had parachute payments in the recent past, several big overseas owners have come into the division looking to get their teams up, quick (most doomed to disappointment, as its just a numbers game, not everyone can pass through the funnell to the Premiership) if you are Barnsley or the like its a struggle

Not sure what else Keith Hill is expected to do. He's bought well, spots talent, keeps the team competitive. Without a lot of further investment to compete with the higher budgets what is he meant to do?

Replacing him is not guarantee of success, and will just lead to instability and player turnover.

[Sheriff Fatman]

More than half the division has had parachute payments in the recent past, several big overseas owners have come into the division looking to get their teams up, quick (most doomed to disappointment, as its just a numbers game, not everyone can pass through the funnell to the Premiership) if you are Barnsley or the like its a struggle

Not sure what else Keith Hill is expected to do. He's bought well, spots talent, keeps the team competitive. Without a lot of further investment to compete with the higher budgets what is he meant to do?

Replacing him is not guarantee of success, and will just lead to instability and player turnover.

Couldn't agree more with this, but a wider base is now starting to quote stats - 8 wins in 2012, none in the last 9 games.

Memories are proving very short to when we ripped Birmingham apart a few weeks ago and were playing some of the best football I've seen for a while, albeit struggling to score many goals.

A big problem for him is that fans are clamouring for Sir Bobby of Hassell to be picked now and his refusal to pick him (justified IMO, as he's not been effective this season when selected), but more importantly his failure to bring in the commanding centre back we desperately need (baffling, and deserving of criticism) are also factors.  I have to hope that the Board hold their nerve, but it will get more much
difficult from here on in.

Good time for you to be playing us next week.