Crystal Palace (A) | Post Match Thread

[eyalluvitt]

Hard to pick fault with a majority of the performance last night. Reduced Palace to one shot on target and minimised the counter threat well. Certainly avoided the mistakes of the game from October by constantly working them and not playing into the traps they leave. They want you to play into those central areas and try risky passes early etc so they can nick the ball and run off up the other end.

Pitch was a dried out & scruffy mess with the ball bouncing around. Usual ridiculous 30-40 seconds stoppage each time the ball went out and any concerted pressure ended up with one of their players 'injured' for 2-3 minutes. We did well to stay focussed and create the chances we did.

However, the finishing was a big disappointment. We've created 3-4 absolute golden chances which have to be scored - this will be the difference between 1st/2nd & any other trophies we remain in.

Compared to Southampton, Spurs & Everton maybe, I felt the performance was there.


I'd suggest reviewing the PL fixtures played by City & Liverpool since the start of January. Hard to imagine a team playing a softer run of games given opponent's placing & form.

There's a long way to go and the margins are fine.

Yes, they seem to play Watford, Norwich, Leeds and Burnley on repeat

 

[East Level 2]

Are the City fans who claim Liverpool will drop points related to the dippers who kept saying "City will drop points" when we won the last 14 (?) games three seasons ago?
Liverpool would have beaten Palace comfortably last night, but that doesn't mean we can't go on a long winning run including beating them at our place.

 

[decmancity]

All teams match up differently to each other. Palace are just one of those teams with one of those coaches who we’ve find difficult to beat this season.

It’s just one of those things. It’s why no team has ever achieved 114 points, it’s why one team has only ever achieved 100 points, it’s why the Prem is the best league in the world.

They might be bottom half but Palace are a better side than Sporting who we played in the Ro16 of the CL, and that’s supposed to be the premier competition in this sport.

So we found them difficult to beat first time round. Then it's getting towards 90mins the second time round and still nothing changes.

What relevance is Sporting?

No excuses from Pep to not try and change that game. You don't leave Sterling and Jesus on the bench when you need something to happen. Sterling and Jesus frustrate the life out of us all but a much better chance they bundle one in and have it bounce off their arse and take all 3 points then anyone else.

Palace players were out on their feet towards the end and still we persisted with passing it around Infront of them.

 

[Coatigan]

I expect Liverpool to win at Arsenal but our team has been down this road before.

Has it though? I don't think it has.

We have either chased from a fair bit behind, to edge forward and see it out (three times)

Or we have raced ahead and watched others collapse and their challenge fall apart (two times).

We have not really ever been in the position of being seemingly comfortably in front so long to gradually lose momentum while someone closes down incrementally. Completely different dynamic, and it will test the team, 100%. Particularly the game agains them at ours.

Bring it on.

 

[Vester]

But what would plan b consist of. Knocking it long for a knock down or such sort. Plan A was working ok. We carved out very good chances against a stubborn side.
we are a technical side and lobbing it up top rarely works. Keep moving the defence about. Keep probing and continue stretching there back line works for us.
Listen I’m just as frustrated we didn’t win of course I am but today seems very knee jerk. I still think there will be twists and turns to come and we need to keep the faith. God wills it as is often said on this fine platform.

I would say the problem in the second half yesterday was that we didnt do any of the things you mentioned. Our attackers didnt move, stretching the defense out. They were standing still, just like Palace whole team in their own penalty box. The whole second half was basically our defenders passing the ball between them for 5 minutes before crossing it in for an easy clearance by the Palace defense, followed by a fake injury, and than we started over with the same thing again. We only had 4 attempts to score (compared to 14 in the first half) and none on goal in the entire second half. For me, its hard to argue our plan was working at all. Looked more like Palace plan was the one who was working.

With that said, I think Pep is the best manager in the world and we are so lucky to have him. That doesnt mean he is flawless, no one is. Yesterday we seemed to lack ideas, at least to me. I'm a big fan of Pep, but there's a difference between being a fan and being a fanatic.

 

[Coatigan]

Not that this will change anyones mind but…

City have scored 68 goals and were expected to score 69 from the positions we shot from.

Liverpool have scored 73 goals and were expected to score 74 from the positions they shot from.

Both teams have exactly the same level of being “clinical”

Yesterday is just fresh in the mind.

Expected by who? I don't really get that stat.

Yesterday I could have expected 3 from the chances created, we scored 0.

There have been games I could have expected 6, we scored 2, and I expected 0, we scored 1.

Not sure it can be argued we are clinical. Don't watch Liverpool enough to compare.

 

[Vester]

Expected by who? I don't really get that stat.

Yesterday I could have expected 3 from the chances created, we scored 0.

There have been games I could have expected 6, we scored 2, and I expected 0, we scored 1.

Not sure it can be argued we are clinical. Don't watch Liverpool enough to compare.

Agree with this. xG is a stat with many flaws and uncertainties that can/should be used as an indication, not an absolute fact.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

But what would plan b consist of. Knocking it long for a knock down or such sort. Plan A was working ok. We carved out very good chances against a stubborn side.
we are a technical side and lobbing it up top rarely works. Keep moving the defence about. Keep probing and continue stretching there back line works for us.
Listen I’m just as frustrated we didn’t win of course I am but today seems very knee jerk. I still think there will be twists and turns to come and we need to keep the faith. God wills it as is often said on this fine platform.

You're wasting your time with these people, Bobby. Let them rant and rave and talk bullshit for the next few hours. It happens every time we drop points because a high percentage of football fans don't know anything about football.

 

[Del_Bosque]

The thought of Salah running at Laporte after what I saw last night, deary me

 

[train man]

Well, frustrating, and I did wonder why no subs, especially as I thought we looked a bit leggy last 15mins. That said, I just watched the 8min highlights on club site and how the hell did we not score? Didn't see some of those chances so clearly from the arthur wait, old eyes and a long afternoon build up to the game.
Long way to go yet...