Crystal Palace PL (H) Post match thread

[jollylescott]

Personally I would drop Walker and Gvardiol and play Akanji, Stones, Ruben and Ake as the back 4. That worked for us last season.

We have a fundamental problem with our midfield. The loss of Gundo, Kev’s absence, and the purchases for replacements who are far inferior, has really hurt us. Also I don’t like Bernie isolated on the right wing, as he is one player that can give us control in the middle. So I think he needs to be shifted back to the middle.

My other thoughts are that we are desperately missing the incisive play of Doku, and Alvarez needs a rest for a few games. He looks to be running on empty.

Finally, Pep needs to be far more on top of subs. Whether he was thinking about the prize money for the club world challenge, who knows. But in my opinion it was negligent not to make any subs in the final 20 minutes.

 

[Phoenix900000]

Don't be sorry. If you're not fuming after that then you're on some fucking lovely drugs.

Well a good drink helps :)

 

[Beanhead]

And logic comes from the current team and current form. We've just about beat a team certain for relegation in our last 5 games.
Pointless comparing the team from 7 years ago against todays , that team like the subsequent ones, had leaders out on the pitch, sadly lacking that at the moment

That is the word though.. form. Our form is bad but it will improve. Worst case scenario we are 6 points off the top with over half the season to play. 6 weeks ago we were top. Things change quickly.

 

[madloaf]

We really do miss Gundogan don't we.

A 'proper' footballer.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

They are shit though. They and arsenal won’t hold on and we are playing like booty juice and only at max down 6 points. Just need to sort it out. Last year we were down by way more to arsenal late and managed to prevail. I’m not panicking just very disappointed in this teams lack of composure

The problem as I see it is that yes, they are not amazing, but we look nothing like a team that can win 18 in a row again. Maybe KDB and Haaland coming back will change that, but at the moment, I can't see us doing it because of us, not because of our opponents. At the moment, I can see the winning team getting something like 82 points and us still not managing to beat them.

Maybe I'm making the cardinal sin of writing off City, but it just feels different to me this time.

 

[Blue_Rossy]

Treble winners and won prem back to back and 3 times on bounce! Can't really complain tbh.
It ain't over by a long shot. Feels like a loss but still plenty to play and KDB to come back.

Makes it all interesting :) chin up blues we've had it good past few seasons! Let's get behind the boys and pep!

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

We really do miss Gundogan don't we.

That said, we were shite this time last year with him in the team so who knows.

 

[paulsimpson]

That result could cost us the league, a massive two points dropped. Palace were shite, should have been 5-0.

Didn't seem to be any urgency in our play, been like this since October.

Palace were poor. We have to want it more.. plus having this World Club Cup is causing a little bit of a distraction in my view. Of course we want to do well in it and that is in the players' minds as well. I remember a terrible frustrating game with Brentford before the World Cup last year and some thought the whole world was caving in but it wasn't really. We really picked it up after the World Cup. I think we will do better after Christmas.

 

[Fallingbostel Blue]

We are boring, slow, complacent and predictable. Pep is fucking about! why the fuck Stones Didn’t come on beggars belief. Alvarez and Foden just occupied each others space all day. Poor performance on and off the pitch. No change in system or personnel is just negligent on Peps behalf.

 

[JewelZee]

Okay. Jack is doing everything he is supposed to be doing. So where is it going wrong then?

Are you watching Walker maybe? Jesus Christ...

 

[Big Yaya Wilko 12]

A disgrace.

Foden’s decision to swipe in the box is frighteningly poor.

Walker and Dias have been unbelievably bad.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Pep has to take the blame for that - when the game is going wrong it's time for subs. Nope - not Pep. It does my head in.

More points thrown away. I think the fat lady is warming up wrt our seasons chances.

 

[SamTheGuru]

Jack is stepping up. He's scoring goals. I don't know how much more you want him to step up. He very rarely makes bad decisions. He's scoring goals that should win us games and the defence is letting him down. Yes, the team is not stepping up as a whole I agree.

Okay. Let's look at this objectively because I really want to put this Jack thing to bed. Do you think any of our European competitors are wanting to hunt him down?

 

[madloaf]

Well a good drink helps :)

Wayyy ahead of you my good man!

 

[Beanhead]

if we get Haaland and Kev on the pitch together for a decent amount of time we will be ok.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

You won't see worse at this level. Mind you, the bloke on the right was close. Walker is finished, I think.

He was hideous too. Another 2.5 seasons too! My god what have we done signing him for 3 years. So slow today and that challenge was just ridiculous.

 

[warringtonblue]

That is the word though.. form. Our form is bad but it will improve. Worst case scenario we are 6 points off the top with over half the season to play. 6 weeks ago we were top. Things change quickly.

I hope youre right but i just dont see it in this current team. We have no players who take responsibilty and step up when it gets hard, like Gundo has in the past

 

[vmsuhail]

We really do miss Gundogan don't we.

I doubt it's just that. The defence is average and that is not down to Gundogan. The number of poor touches Foden and Bernardo are having is unseen before.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Pep
We have bent over to accommodate Walker was I the only one who want him to go as his time was up?
Pep allowed the CHs to play 30yards from Palace’s goal, passing the ball between them Dias, Ake and Walker who were the top in numbers, they are least creative in the squad. Today they spent the game passing the ball along the line to each other consequently our creative players are isolated this has been happening a lot this season but this match illustration it more than ever other It was developing in the first half and I thought Pep would make a change unfortunately he didn’t The space behind out back line over a 100 yards gave Palace exactly what they wanted Gvardiol is not a fullback and certainly not one that can overlap his experiment of Jack playing in the middle wasn’t working Pep is so fucking stubborn it’s alarming and costly for us this season The speed of the play slow slow slow

I agree totally, Josko could play those line splitting passes from defence but for some reason we insist on making him hug the left touchline like he is some sort of tricky winger.

 

[SamTheGuru]

Are you watching Walker maybe? Jesus Christ...

I think you missed my initial post and are impulsively commenting on something.