Crystal Palace FC Thread + Championship Chat

[Ant040689]

Been quiet for a while now because I haven't quite been sure what to make of Palace recently.

We were on that amazing run and two big events happened. We had our first loss in ages after we catch Leeds on the up and we get caught out. And Zaha gets the call up for England with all the attention that brings with it.

The loss to Leeds is fair enough as that was deserved, but Zaha hasn't been the same since the England cap and there are rumours it is because he has his mind set on the prem. It is interesting as he really doesn't look like the same devastating player. He is getting man marked ferociously, with 2 and 3 on him at a time and so on and this doesn't help, but he just doesn't look like he is at the races mentally completely as he was pre England call up.

Don't get me wrong his performances since the call up have been good and any team would still be very happy with it, but it hasn't been blistering and there have been some deluded factions in the crowd having a go at him for holding onto the ball for too long or making occasional mistakes and it takes a lot for me not to turn around and have a go, it's crazy what some fans are thinking.

I think it will be interesting to see how he plays on Saturday in front of the cameras. If it is his blistering self that returns, even though Huddersfield's defense is pretty shocking, I think it will show that he is very keen to make a great account of himself to all the onlookers, which may add weight to up until now he hasn't been going 100%.

I think we will trounce Huddersfield and I think 3.8 which is currently going for Palace away to Cardiff is a great price. Definitely, considering we have our full strength squad back and mainly Jedinek in the centre of midfield that wins everything in the air and in tackles. The 1.8 which has now gone on the Palace home win I thought was a steal too, and am on it confidently.

If we get through the next two games with 6 points I think my belief is back for us to get automatically promoted. Considering, our last two games, we were quite unlucky not to get 6 points, there is definitely that edge lacking in our displays that we had before the Zaha England call up.

Would also like to mention that Yannick Bloassie on the other wing for us is outclassing Zaha at the moment, in his last 4 games he has been unplayable, and don't take that as me being overly excited, he has been top drawer.

We need to start dominating games again. With perhaps some signings in the January transfer window, I think we could get there, and maybe when that passes and we hold onto the services of Zaha, he will start improving to get us up knowing he's going no where for the time being. I think this league is ridiculously wide open at the top and it is just there for the taking for a team to take it by the balls and start dominating.

I don't think Palace will be around the top 4 as nicely as we are now next season at the same time of year, so I really do think we need to go gung ho for the top two spots now and I am praying for our domination to start again. Way too many draws recently for my liking. Lets start killing it again.

So ungrateful. We're second and I am complaining which is a joke. We have lost one in 19 games, but I would love it if we start converting those draws into wins.

[The Camel]

Ant reAd that quote from you. Harley was terrible from his debut on. Yeah he scored a great free kick but was hopeless otherwise.

CMS is not a good footballer imo and I don't get where the idea he is fast comes from. He has a very weird run which makes it look like he is fast but ill take Buckley or LuaLua thanks. He does have without a doubt the best work rate on the pitch it's incredible and an inspiration to the other players as well as the fans.

Seen lots of football in my time.

Can't remember a player who works as hard as CMS.

Shane Long?

Not close.

I should have said "forward" who works as hard.

Obviously some midfielders are ridiculously hard working

[Ant040689]

Anyone see the Delaney sending off? I don't think he was the last man and therefore should have only got the yellow. What a soft soft goal to concede for their equaliser too, so upsetting.

[The Camel]

Anyone see the Delaney sending off? I don't think he was the last man and therefore should have only got the yellow. What a soft soft goal to concede for their equaliser too, so upsetting.

Ref said it was for dangerous play not a professional foul.

Looking at the pictures, it was a pretty awful challenge.

The Huddersfield red was a complete joke.

[Ant040689]

Anyone see the Delaney sending off? I don't think he was the last man and therefore should have only got the yellow. What a soft soft goal to concede for their equaliser too, so upsetting.

Ref said it was for dangerous play not a professional foul.

Looking at the pictures, it was a pretty awful challenge.

The Huddersfield red was a complete joke.

Their red wasnt even a foul the player got the ball.

Wow didn't know ours was for dangerous play, definitely not a red then in my book, it was more of a ridiculous body check than anything that deserved a yellow but nothing too malicious. Would need to see a real time replay if you get the chance to get the idea.

1 loss in 20 but our likeness for draws recently is upsetting when I have dreams of automatic promotion. All our last three draws have been promising despite not winning, so I am holding out on hope.

Going to Wales on boxing day to watch us against Cardiff, a win there and at Notts Forest on Sat would be all I want for xmas.

[RickBFA]

Funny league the Championship. Anyone can be anyone.

Peterboro beat Bolton, Barnsley beat Millwall and Wednesday beat Charlton.

Got a feeling one of the mid table teams will get dragged into the relegation dog fight.

Yesterday was the best Wednesday have played for a couple of months. After the embarassing display at Barnsley (even though we won) it was like a different team.

Might be something to do with Stuart Gray coming in as coach - looks a good move to me.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Funny league the Championship. Anyone can be anyone.

Peterboro beat Bolton, Barnsley beat Millwall and Wednesday beat Charlton.

Got a feeling one of the mid table teams will get dragged into the relegation dog fight.

Yesterday was the best Wednesday have played for a couple of months. After the embarassing display at Barnsley (even though we won) it was like a different team.

Might be something to do with Stuart Gray coming in as coach - looks a good move to me.

Huge win for us at Millwall, and the winning goal came from an ex-Owl too!

Trevor Kettle has to be the most incompetent, egocentric referee currently active in the game and he delivered yet again yesterday.  Millwall got a ridiculously soft penalty (which they missed) and then had a player sent off by the idiot for doing nothing much wrong in the eyes of everyone (including the non-impartial Barnsley player commentary team, and David Perkins who was the player fouled).

Hopefully, that's the last we'll see of his incompetence this season - we've suffered two games from him already, even though this one did work out in our favour.  Quite why the Football Authorities continue to believe he's fit to referee is beyond me!

[RickBFA]

Funny league the Championship. Anyone can be anyone.

Peterboro beat Bolton, Barnsley beat Millwall and Wednesday beat Charlton.

Got a feeling one of the mid table teams will get dragged into the relegation dog fight.

Yesterday was the best Wednesday have played for a couple of months. After the embarassing display at Barnsley (even though we won) it was like a different team.

Might be something to do with Stuart Gray coming in as coach - looks a good move to me.

Huge win for us at Millwall, and the winning goal came from an ex-Owl too!

Trevor Kettle has to be the most incompetent, egocentric referee currently active in the game and he delivered yet again yesterday.  Millwall got a ridiculously soft penalty (which they missed) and then had a player sent off by the idiot for doing nothing much wrong in the eyes of everyone (including the non-impartial Barnsley player commentary team, and David Perkins who was the player fouled).

Hopefully, that's the last we'll see of his incompetence this season - we've suffered two games from him already, even though this one did work out in our favour.  Quite why the Football Authorities continue to believe he's fit to referee is beyond me!

Yes Kettle has a reputation for being a clown.

I like Hill and have a feeling you will stay up. A motivated Tudgay is a good player.

You were very unlucky against us.

[aaron1867]

Palace don't seem like anywhere near the machine they was under Freedman. They wasn't at all impressive yesterday either. No chance of top two with Holloway.

As for Wednesday sohded as if we was comfortable, missed the match this week as been uber busy, but looking at stats, looked like most comfortable we have been for a long time.

[anthonyl]

Anyone see the Delaney sending off? I don't think he was the last man and therefore should have only got the yellow. What a soft soft goal to concede for their equaliser too, so upsetting.

Ref said it was for dangerous play not a professional foul.

Looking at the pictures, it was a pretty awful challenge.

The Huddersfield red was a complete joke.

Their red wasnt even a foul the player got the ball.

Wow didn't know ours was for dangerous play, definitely not a red then in my book, it was more of a ridiculous body check than anything that deserved a yellow but nothing too malicious. Would need to see a real time replay if you get the chance to get the idea.

1 loss in 20 but our likeness for draws recently is upsetting when I have dreams of automatic promotion. All our last three draws have been promising despite not winning, so I am holding out on hope.

Going to Wales on boxing day to watch us against Cardiff, a win there and at Notts Forest on Sat would be all I want for xmas.

Haha delaneys was a shocking tackle.

One of the worst tackles you'll see all season in the champ.

beckford is so lazy!

[Chompy]

Peterborough United can confirm Dwight Gayle will sign a four and a half year contract at London Road.

Peterborough United can today (Christmas Eve) confirm that the club have concluded its negotiations with Dagenham & Redbridge and will be signing striker Dwight Gayle on a permanent basis upon the opening of the January Transfer Window with the front man penning a four and a half year contract.

A transfer fee of £500,000 has been agreed, which could rise to £750,000 in add-ons with Gayle officially becoming a Peterborough United player on 2nd January. Gayle has scored five goals in six appearances since joining on-loan from the Daggers.

A splendid piece of business imo

[Ant040689]

Yeh maybe sour grapes on my part with the Delaney tackle but I thought the ref could have just booked him as it was early on and it wasn't malicious, just really awkward.

Aaron, yeh we have tailed off but I think we haven't been too far off the pace with one loss in 20 and in our last three we have drawn in unlucky circumstances. Remember you were watching Palace yesterday for nearly the whole game with 10 men. I think with 11 we would have won by 3 goals.

If Zaha goes in January I am sure I owe you £100 btw, would be shocked if he goes for over £19m, just think it will be a void bet though.

[Matt.NFFC.]

Great win for us today against Leeds.  I didn't see that one coming to be honest.

Against Palace next and it will be a different story.

Palace win for me.

[rfgqqabc]

Great win for us today against Leeds.  I didn't see that one coming to be honest.

Against Palace next and it will be a different story.

Palace win for me.

How are you finding Billy Sharpe? My general thoughts always been he'll be a great championship player, but just a touch short of technical ability of outstanding pace/power to make it in the Prem. See much of Coppinger?

How are you finding SOD's erm, interesting press conferences, well, if you can hear them ^.^

[Sheriff Fatman]

Well, today went about as badly as it could have done.  Hello, League One.