Crystal Palace FC Thread + Championship Chat

[anthonyl]

Another precious point away at Cardiff.

Listening to the commentary, we showed no ambition until going a goal down and then somehow snatched an equaliser deep into injury time.

[Grits teeth] Great win for Wednesday too at Millwall, although provided it's not at our expense, I'd like them to stay up (plus have Donny and Sheff Utd come up too).  Probably need one more win to be sure but they've surely pulled themselves clear of it now.  Interesting to see them above Leeds in the table though.

Great bonus point for you.

Can't see Huddersfield getting more than 5 points to overhaul Leeds. So probably just one spot they could fill, but only need one victory or three draws IMO. Two winnable games for Leeds next...really need them to be safe by the time we play them!

[Ant040689]

Another precious point away at Cardiff.

Listening to the commentary, we showed no ambition until going a goal down and then somehow snatched an equaliser deep into injury time.

[Grits teeth] Great win for Wednesday too at Millwall, although provided it's not at our expense, I'd like them to stay up (plus have Donny and Sheff Utd come up too).  Probably need one more win to be sure but they've surely pulled themselves clear of it now.  Interesting to see them above Leeds in the table though.

Great bonus point for you.

Can't see Huddersfield getting more than 5 points to overhaul Leeds. So probably just one spot they could fill, but only need one victory or three draws IMO. Two winnable games for Leeds next...really need them to be safe by the time we play them!

Any chance, you feel, with 5 games to go that Palace could somehow go 10 points clear of Brighton? Obv the difference would be you would have to lose two where we would win both, then have identical records, or however which way you want to work it out? From our end I have given up on a comeback, but I guess you never know. Was wondering what your thoughts were on a Brighton capitulation?

[Ant040689]

Another precious point away at Cardiff.

Listening to the commentary, we showed no ambition until going a goal down and then somehow snatched an equaliser deep into injury time.

[Grits teeth] Great win for Wednesday too at Millwall, although provided it's not at our expense, I'd like them to stay up (plus have Donny and Sheff Utd come up too).  Probably need one more win to be sure but they've surely pulled themselves clear of it now.  Interesting to see them above Leeds in the table though.

Barnsley are my second team for this season. I really like how Flitcroft takes interviews and what he says, along with how you are set up, nearly to be eeking every last drop out of your sides potential. If you went down, despite this gargantuan effort, I think it would be criminal to sack Flitcroft, but wonder what you think?

Did not know there were any fixtures on for tonight. It is just truly incredible what is going on at the bottom at the moment. What is the cut off point for those under threat of relegation? Does it end with Birmingham at 53 points and Charlton with 54 points being most probs safe?

[Sheriff Fatman]

Barnsley are my second team for this season. I really like how Flitcroft takes interviews and what he says, along with how you are set up, nearly to be eeking every last drop out of your sides potential. If you went down, despite this gargantuan effort, I think it would be criminal to sack Flitcroft, but wonder what you think?

Did not know there were any fixtures on for tonight. It is just truly incredible what is going on at the bottom at the moment. What is the cut off point for those under threat of relegation? Does it end with Birmingham at 53 points and Charlton with 54 points being most probs safe?

Flitcroft won't get sacked but there's a chance he might choose to go elsewhere.  His contract only runs to the end of the season and I believe they've agreed not to discuss a new one until it ends, but he's already done enough to ensure he's on plenty of club's shortlists going forward.

Yesterday's games were the games in hand caused by the FA Cup runs, so not in the original schedule.

[RickBFA]

Saw Wednesday play Blackburn on saturday.

Two shocking defensive displays. We were lucky to win but seem to be grinding out results.

I've got mixed feelings about Blackburn's chancing of staying up.

Going forward they have some quality players and look a threat but confidence is shot and their defence is awful. Rhodes is a very good player, has the knack of drifting off the shoulder of a centre half and creating space for himself.

Blackburn could easily capitulate with an inexperienced manager going through some of the most testing times in that clubs recent history. I couldn't judge it properly myself though and have no real idea who is going down aside from Bristol City.

You are Wednesday RickBFA? What do you think of your chances of staying up? What will need to go right/wrong etc?

Yep I'm a season ticket holder at Hillsborough.

Strange old season, somehow we've got results in the last 3 months (in fact if you look at the form over 3 months Wednesday are up there) but in all honesty the football is poor and I think we have got a little lucky. The gulf in class between us and the top 6 is still pretty wide.

Given the last 15 years for us, consolidating in the Championship is a result. Hopefully we can build over the next year or two and start competing again.

BTW, I really hope Barnsley stay up - good to have local derbies.

[anthonyl]

Saw Wednesday play Blackburn on saturday.

Two shocking defensive displays. We were lucky to win but seem to be grinding out results.

I've got mixed feelings about Blackburn's chancing of staying up.

Going forward they have some quality players and look a threat but confidence is shot and their defence is awful. Rhodes is a very good player, has the knack of drifting off the shoulder of a centre half and creating space for himself.

Blackburn could easily capitulate with an inexperienced manager going through some of the most testing times in that clubs recent history. I couldn't judge it properly myself though and have no real idea who is going down aside from Bristol City.

You are Wednesday RickBFA? What do you think of your chances of staying up? What will need to go right/wrong etc?

Yep I'm a season ticket holder at Hillsborough.

Strange old season, somehow we've got results in the last 3 months (in fact if you look at the form over 3 months Wednesday are up there) but in all honesty the football is poor and I think we have got a little lucky. The gulf in class between us and the top 6 is still pretty wide.

Given the last 15 years for us, consolidating in the Championship is a result. Hopefully we can build over the next year or two and start competing again.

BTW, I really hope Barnsley stay up - good to have local derbies.

I said on here after we beat you 3-0 you'd be fine as attack is decent. You need four new defenders.

All top 7 sides are built on a pretty decent back line except for Watford!

[Ant040689]

Saw Wednesday play Blackburn on saturday.

Two shocking defensive displays. We were lucky to win but seem to be grinding out results.

I've got mixed feelings about Blackburn's chancing of staying up.

Going forward they have some quality players and look a threat but confidence is shot and their defence is awful. Rhodes is a very good player, has the knack of drifting off the shoulder of a centre half and creating space for himself.

Blackburn could easily capitulate with an inexperienced manager going through some of the most testing times in that clubs recent history. I couldn't judge it properly myself though and have no real idea who is going down aside from Bristol City.

You are Wednesday RickBFA? What do you think of your chances of staying up? What will need to go right/wrong etc?

Yep I'm a season ticket holder at Hillsborough.

Strange old season, somehow we've got results in the last 3 months (in fact if you look at the form over 3 months Wednesday are up there) but in all honesty the football is poor and I think we have got a little lucky. The gulf in class between us and the top 6 is still pretty wide.

Given the last 15 years for us, consolidating in the Championship is a result. Hopefully we can build over the next year or two and start competing again.

BTW, I really hope Barnsley stay up - good to have local derbies.

I said on here after we beat you 3-0 you'd be fine as attack is decent. You need four new defenders.

All top 7 sides are built on a pretty decent back line except for Watford!

Whoops pretty generic statement there. Palace have a good backline? If Blake could maintain fitness and apparently he is dealing with a lot of off the field issues that is stopping him from getting there, I think he would be a great centre back and partner Delaney, to make a solid cb partnership. Then Parr at lb would be good, and with Joel Ward having more match practice, as he was as shaky as anything against Barnsley in the first half, it could genuinely be a good to OK backline, with him at RB. 

At the moment Moxey, Richards, and Ramage are getting a look in as we need them, but add any one of those in and there is a weakness on show. At times against Barnsley Ramage's clearences and general play at the back was a little farcical, but I know I have a bias with him so I am not to be trusted. If we get Blake or Gabiddon truly fit and raring to go, and not playing at 75% then our backline is, and I would go as far to say, good. I rate that from how I have seen them against opposition teams strike forces week in and week out, rather than in comparison to seeing much of other back lines. Didn't need to see much of Leicester to see Morgan is one of the best in the league and is at a gulf in class higher than anything we have. Annoyed to hear too that our old player Hudson is turning it on for Cardiff too.

Cheers for the lowdown RickBFA.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Not immediately relevant to the Championship but will be of interest to some on here.

Rumours circulating that Special Agent Wilson has left Sheffield United.

Bizarre timing if so, and I'm not convinced it helps them get over the line from here, even taking into account the poor recent form.

[redsimon]

Not immediately relevant to the Championship but will be of interest to some on here.

Rumours circulating that Special Agent Wilson has left Sheffield United.

Bizarre timing if so, and I'm not convinced it helps them get over the line from here, even taking into account the poor recent form.

Warnock in to rescue promotion bid?

[Sheriff Fatman]

No, they've gone with Chris 'Elbows' Morgan for the rest of the season.

It's a weird one for the outside perspective, but the underlying current of distrust of Wilson by the fans finally won over. 

There was simply too big a core of support who never accepted him and would look for any excuse to shout for his head.  6 games without a win with potential consequences for automatic promotion vs playoffs proved to be the tipping point.

[luther101]

Gawd 'elp us     ....     Chompyboro away on Saturday.

Always had a soft spot for Pedrobro (usually between our centrebacks) - I just hope they start the push for survival after the Orns have binked the points over the weekend.

Mr Wheldon ought to take his camera on Saturday, to record what a crowd looks like at Lundun Road    ....

[Chompy]

3,000 Hornets coming down, most of them on loan probably.

We do better against the stronger teams and any result is possible. Literally any result.

[Ant040689]

3,000 Hornets coming down, most of them on loan probably.

[luther101]

3,000 Hornets coming down, most of them on loan probably.

We do better against the stronger teams and any result is possible. Literally any result.

Talking of loans - the Pozzos sure know how to work the system;

http://blogs.thescore.com/counterattack/2013/04/08/bandini-udinese-hope-to-provide-a-model-for-serie-a-in-stadio-fruli-revolution/

€ 8.8m profit last year, and they're renting the stadium on a 99 year lease for € 45k pa off the local don council        .....      a shade better business than the Godiva's deal with the Ricoh!

[luther101]

Brian McDermott in at Leeds     ....      good young manager, for a bad old club?