Crystal Palace PL (H) Post match thread

In the last few games, the player's energy and concentration levels appear to drop off massively with 10-15 mins to go. Last season we were pressing hard even into injury time even without subs, WTF! Maybe we are now seeing the cost of winning the treble last season, a very weary team. Fuck it at least we won the treble, hopefully, we can find our winning form soon and fuck up the red cartel.
 
You know, it's not the losses I'm critical of. Villa are playing well, and they were well worth their three points. Furthermore, they'll bother more than one this season. Wolves was just one of those weirdo losses that we get every season. There's always one, and I'll give the lads leeway on that. Arsenal was a scuzzy defeat from a jammy deflected goal, which we absolutely did not deserve.
No, it's these draws from leading positions, and very late on. That's something quite new, and you actually have to go back to Pellegrini's last season to see that phenomenon happening this regularly.
It is doing my head in.
Obviously the season's not over, unless something very funny is happening with the calendar. But today has dented my confidence that we will be champions come May more than any other match. The weird thing is that it actually seems to do us good to go behind (as with Luton, as with Leipzig). Even the other night, against Red Star, we're absolutely cruising for nearly all the game, and suddenly it becomes Keystone Cops time.
Suppose I'll see it differently tomorrow. Better sign off from here, for my sanity.
Yeah in seasons before we've seen this and in seasons to follow but we've manged to win by either completely dominating or, like last season, sorting the defence out.

These teams will do nothing all game other than pack the defence but if there's only 1 goal in it they then go all out. Difference is they have nothing to lose whereas we do. You can't go punch for punch with a team that has nothing to lose for the last 10 mins of a game. Work out how to deal with that and you're back at the level we need to be at.
 
The only PL game in January is Newcastle away. Given we will have played a game less than the others, I doubt we'll see an improvement in the table by end of January.

Fair enough. I just noticed that. Still not worried.
 
I think those who are saying the manager is complacent have not been watching the last few years - if you had been in the changing room after the Villa performance you would have seen - I believe from an insider he tore into some of them.

Problem is with Gundo, Kev and even going back to Ferna & Merlin we had senior guys in the middle who knew when to close a game down but also knew how to finish teams off. It's no coincidence without that we have Walker and Ruben largely responsible for playing out and setting the tempo. Today if we had either Kev or Gundo in the team when they got the first goal both would have dropped deeper to get the ball and control the play. Rodri cannot do that on his own all game. Rico is a bit green and despite having a great 65 mins disappeared after they made subs and got back into the match. The only thing I couldn't fathom was why we did not make a change at 75 mins when it was clear they were coming into it. Says a lot about Kova and Phillips (what Pep really thinks about them) Stones getting ready to come on at 91 mins is a bit odd to me but I don't earn the big bucks.

Overall this match like several others (apart from Villa) should have been put to bed and we are now rueing a silly error that cost another 2 points. With either Kev or a Gundo type we would have won 3 of the 4 draws no doubt about it.

Still- I'm raging but trying not to over react which some appear to be doing on this thread.
So, why didn’t he bring on Stones on at 2-1, sorry that doesn’t wash.
 
6 weeks ago no one could see our resent results. We could quite feasibly win our next 6 and be top again. We are the only team in the league that anyone with any sense wouldn’t bet against. In fact we could win 12 on the bounce. One good performance and we could easily start to dominate. Just be thankful that we are having this period now. Plenty of time to fix it. I am not worried. I think by the end of January we will be much closer to the top points wise.

You’re right about the betting - we’re still favourites.
It seems people who are willing to back their judgment with hard cash have more faith in us than our own fans do.
Mind you, after 50+ years of support I can’t have a go at the pessimists ;-)
 
Go to say this team ain’t winning the title in fact be lucky to get champions league if we carry on . Gutless
In fairness said to the perfumed Ayatollah we might have to win champs league again as the top 4 is looking harder at the moment.
I believe we have the ability but getting bummed by balls over the top against a back four who are all respected internationals is piss poor.
 

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