Crystal Palace FC Thread + Premiership Palaver

[Ant040689]

Much shakier start for Palace, at the start of the second half.

[Ant040689]

1-1- Charlie Adam. I think Moxey gets sucked in too much, leaves Adam at the back post. Nervous here.

[Ant040689]

This is depressing. Calamity defending while trying to clear a throw. Shawcross easy chance. I think Speroni should have claimed at one point.

This is annoying mainly because we showed what we could do in the first half. And two weak bits of isolated defending let us down. I think these are things that could be ironed out. Rather than fundamental issues down the spine of the team.

I would hope it's just some jitters from our defence to be ironed out with some more experience. We have brought on Williams and Garvan for Campana and Chamakh now and I am not sure about that.

[Ant040689]

Chamakh going was was a mistake imo. No real outlet up front, with Gayle nowhere near a target man, playing up front by himself.

The draw and an equaliser would make this one fair I think.

[Ant040689]

Phillips on now. Puncheon off. Stoke deserved another just now so take back my prior statement!

[Ant040689]

Over. 2-1 loss.

On the whole, I think it was a very promising performance. It was a mistake to sub off Chamakh, as he was a very useful outlet up front and alleviated pressure where he could. However, he will be blamed for our second goal with a bit of a pathetic clearance attempt, but only before Speroni didn't show great command of his box for the second goal.

With the first they scored, gabiddon couldn't clear properly, hoofed it directly up into the air in our box, lost the battle with Crouch, inevitably, and it breaks to their right, our left back Moxey gets caught sucked in trying to provide cover, leaving Adam all alone to place in.

Two pretty isolated incidents of bad defending have cost us. I think we would have weathered the storm of what they were offering at the start of the second half after about 20 mins. Just needed to keep it simple and not make any obvious mistakes but we did.

Would be interesting to see how we would have played more into the second half if we kept the 0-1 lead. If we would have showed continued dominance as we did in the first half, or if it would have been constantly under it.

Our Chamakh goal was all of his own working. Hoof ball up to him and he embarrasses Shawcross by barging him off the ball, steps inside another defender and slots it home comfortably. A real predatory goal, and was very exciting to see. He needed to stay on the pitch the whole match.

Our first half we were closing down, passing hte ball about comfortably and really showing what we were about and it was a joy to watch.

What I haven't previously mentioned too, is that in the first 15 mins, Ward was taken down by Etherington in the box for what should have been a penalty, which we didn't get. That may have changed the face of the game.

Overall, I think Holloway doesn't know our right starting 11, nor have our players fully adapted to the style of play in the prem, but there is clear promise that we will adapt. I think it hinges personally on the eradication of silly mistakes, which aside from the two they scored from we were pretty assured. I think we need to sort our formation out too, and he is restricted in this sense by having Thomas and Bolasie both out so we cannot play with two lively wingers and keep smashing balls in. We are instead going down the middle where we can which is much more alien to us.

I am happy enough with this, I am also happy from a betting perspective because I think Palace are going to be unreasonably long odds in the various betting markets for some future games and we definitely gave a good account of ourselves here.

[The Camel]

Over. 2-1 loss.

On the whole, I think it was a very promising performance. It was a mistake to sub off Chamakh, as he was a very useful outlet up front and alleviated pressure where he could. However, he will be blamed for our second goal with a bit of a pathetic clearance attempt, but only before Speroni didn't show great command of his box for the second goal.

With the first they scored, gabiddon couldn't clear properly, hoofed it directly up into the air in our box, lost the battle with Crouch, inevitably, and it breaks to their right, our left back Moxey gets caught sucked in trying to provide cover, leaving Adam all alone to place in.

Two pretty isolated incidents of bad defending have cost us. I think we would have weathered the storm of what they were offering at the start of the second half after about 20 mins. Just needed to keep it simple and not make any obvious mistakes but we did.

Would be interesting to see how we would have played more into the second half if we kept the 0-1 lead. If we would have showed continued dominance as we did in the first half, or if it would have been constantly under it.

Our Chamakh goal was all of his own working. Hoof ball up to him and he embarrasses Shawcross by barging him off the ball, steps inside another defender and slots it home comfortably. A real predatory goal, and was very exciting to see. He needed to stay on the pitch the whole match.

Our first half we were closing down, passing hte ball about comfortably and really showing what we were about and it was a joy to watch.

What I haven't previously mentioned too, is that in the first 15 mins, Ward was taken down by Etherington in the box for what should have been a penalty, which we didn't get. That may have changed the face of the game.

Overall, I think Holloway doesn't know our right starting 11, nor have our players fully adapted to the style of play in the prem, but there is clear promise that we will adapt. I think it hinges personally on the eradication of silly mistakes, which aside from the two they scored from we were pretty assured. I think we need to sort our formation out too, and he is restricted in this sense by having Thomas and Bolasie both out so we cannot play with two lively wingers and keep smashing balls in. We are instead going down the middle where we can which is much more alien to us.

I am happy enough with this, I am also happy from a betting perspective because I think Palace are going to be unreasonably long odds in the various betting markets for some future games and we definitely gave a good account of ourselves here.

Before you rate this performance too highly, remember Stoke are one the favourites for relegation.

[Ant040689]

I am not Camel, for all my pro Palace ways I would say I am a decent enough reader of the game and perhaps the above report comes off of the back of a terrible attacking performance against Tottenham. I think anyone with Wilbs up front in the lone role though won't score, and I am happy Chamakh got a goal under his belt here.

I saw enough from the first half display, away from home, to know we will be a threat to teams, and this is with really unfit players, currently, and two key starters for us in Thomas and Bolasie, out.

Well Campana and Chamakh are most noticeably unfit, which is a shame as they were probably our best two players in the first half.

I think there will be another 5/6 games before we really settle down because there is an outrageous amount of destabilsation happening here, that hopefully will be sorted shortly. But I am very happy to see that we have it in us to be dominant in a game, because I was worried so much by our Tottenham display on that front. I think we will pose a threat, that is for sure.

Also would like to point out Gayle showed flashes of potential too that were impressive. I think it will all come together for us. Home form is crucial.

[horseplayer]

Ant

the problem is by your own admission you think it will take 5 or 6 games to settle down

Even you must agree you are not going to finish mid table so a start of hardly any points after 6 games will leave you at best second bottom at xmas.

[Ant040689]

Ant

the problem is by your own admission you think it will take 5 or 6 games to settle down

Even you must agree you are not going to finish mid table so a start of hardly any points after 6 games will leave you at best second bottom at xmas.

I have seen enough for us to beat Sunderland at home potentially. I think it will take us 5/6 games to get to our semi-optimal, whatever that is, and in the lead up to that we will still be a threat.

I think the match of the day highlights will probably only fuel the detractors of Palace, rather than highlight some great control in the first half.

I think it is going to come together is my main point. But again this may be well too early a shout.

[Ant040689]

Getting Chamakh/Campana fully fit and getting Bolasie back are so so so huge for us.

[rinswun]

I think there is a really decent chance Stoke go down this year. 7/2 looks a great shout at this point.

[Ant040689]

In the first half they were pretty dire, aside from the worldy save Speroni had to pull off. They basically took advantage of us tiring pretty hardcore in the second half, but this could easily be them turning it on in the second half and us not being able to cope after an ear bashing by Hughes.

It could be a possibility that Hughes gave them a rolicking and got Stoke playing more like themselves in the second and we just couldn't cope. If that is the case, and we are not fitter or stronger, sharpish, then we could be mauled.

Just so hopeful though. And I would be the first to admit when I think there is no hope of survival, we're not there yet, lol.

[Ant040689]

Found these worth the watch. Photoshops of Palace's Jonny Parr mid celebration after playoff win.

[anthonyl]

Wow chamakh defending for stoke goal, heads it forwards and then bottles challenge.

Reckon Sunderland will slaughter palarse.

Ant, are you annoyed that you're not making a good go at stayin up in terms of the players you are bringing in?