Crystal Palace (H) Post Match Thread

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

You have to commend Palace for that performance in being disciplined and sitting in a low block in their final third. All got too predictable when he threw Mahrez on for him to keep coming back inside to work an angle on a cross none of Aguero or Jesus were going to get on the end of.

Knew we would be in for a tough afternoon when I saw the line up, all we can do now is keep winning and hope that the dippers come unstuck some where which is hard to see at the moment.

 

[tonea2003]

their double banking worked a treat to stop our wide penetration and when we are not fully focused(for whatever reason) yesterday happens

we have comeback from worse, so all to play for

 

[rnblade]

The biggest concern to me is how many attempts we need to score compared to our opponents.

[emoji108]

 

[mosssideblue]

What we lacked yesterday, apart for the injured players or ones trying to get match fitness, is the type of player Pep was after and didnt get.

That being said, Kyle Walker was poor. Gundogan is`nt Dave or Kev. John Stones isnt Fern.

The biggest concern to me is how many attempts we need to score compared to our opponents.

If we analyse attempts then there is a huge difference imo. When they got into dangerous positions, we had our nominal back line, when we did, we faced a back 9

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

People forget that Palace damn near beat us last season. Round about this time, too. Just saying.

We’ll pick ourselves up. Keep your fingers crossed for Frenkie De Jong, though. We do most definitely need the lad. Not at all sure we’ll get him, unfortunately.

 

[rnblade]

This is nonsense. We destroyed them in the CL 2nd leg and would have won handsomely but for a crooked ref. And we were the better side at Anfield this year.

Coulda , Shoulda , Woulda counts for fcuk all. Always scoring more than the opposition WILL win games.
Until we are totally ruthless and stop spunking away chances, we are going to make it even harder to retain the title.

 

[bondsman]

People forget that Palace damn near beat us last season. Round about this time, too. Just saying.

We’ll pick ourselves up. Keep your fingers crossed for Frenkie De Jong, though. We do most definitely need the lad. Not at all sure we’ll get him, unfortunately.

Him and a CF please

 

[RACHACE]

Watch the build up leading to goal 2. Very preventable and that’s not even mentioning the shit header by Silva which put it straight on a plate for him. It was a great goal but our efforts in the passage of play before it were pathetic and indirectly led to that goal.

1/3 were just rank bad defending.

I think the shit attempted header by Gundogan was worse than the actual shit header from Bernie. Looks like he closed his eyes and completely missed the ball. Defo agree with you though, it was preventable and pathetic defending.

 

[adeinchessy]

Just to give everyone a bit of perspective, City are recognised, currently, as one of the best teams in Europe, broke all records last year, still in 4 competitions this year & sit second in the league. My home team were relegated out of the football league last season after 98 years & currently sit one place above the relegation zone to the Northern Premier league. They also lost £1 million last season.

I know it's disappointing when we lose, but it happens so rarely these days maybe it hurts a bit more. It's not so bad supporting City

 

[The Preacher]

Watch the build up leading to goal 2. Very preventable and that’s not even mentioning the shit header by Silva which put it straight on a plate for him. It was a great goal but our efforts in the passage of play before it were pathetic and indirectly led to that goal.

1/3 were just rank bad defending.

Spot on!

 

[Len Rum]

I agree with all of that except the Ederson bit, there was no stopping those three goals. It more about preventing goals 1 and 3 in the first place, goal 2 is just one of those once every season sort of goals, on its own we would have still got the three points. We are not getting clean sheets anymore but it is not Ederson’s fault it is to do with the quality of chances we are conceding, it is a bit like Pep’s first season all over again.

I think Eddy was marginally at fault with his positioning for the first goal but it was fantastically hit and very accurate.

 

[Dazzle84]

Otamendi was nowhere near the team for the first few months and we looked absolutely solid. He's back in the team and we can't keep a clean sheet

 

[BLUEMATT23]

We're not entitled to win every game and we should accept defeat when it comes.
However I'm concerned about the squad currently, a lot of them look jaded and tired.
Is this the negative of Peps sides at times, ie complete overload to the extent you become physically and mentally exhausted?
A bit like running a marathon but your body gives up after 20 miles?
Or a consequence of last season where players think they have done enough but don't have the desire to 100% go again?

Take Walker for example, he looks as though he's run over a black cat and been cursed, complete different player to the extent that he's making error after error now.
Other players too don't look right like Otamendi.

Pep has a big challenge in the coming weeks but I feel some of the players are burnt out and mentally wrecked already.
This isn't a criticism of pep or the team merely an observation.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Pep got the team wrong. John Stones isn’t a midfielder, full stop... Bernardo and Gundogan aren’t strikers so why were they just stood still up front all first half? Fucking garbage from Pep and the pair of them... Had someone taken the batteries out of us first half?.. Walker had the worst game I’ve seen a City player have since Mangala against Wolves in the League Cup last season that saw him out of the team for good... Some of the ridiculous diving in defending was amateur... Why the fuck did Pep take Sterling off? Stupid decision!..

Good effort by the lads second half but that was a bad day at the office for Pep and a few of the players.

Time for Danilo to have a run in the side. Walker has been poor for a good while now and yesterday was the nail in his starting coffin for a bit, abomination of a performance.

 

[come-on-barney]

Stop tinkering and playing players out of position. You can argue rotation saves players energy, but on the other side you can argue you lose all rhythm and momentum. The defence is a case in point.

 

[Roachy]

Watch the build up leading to goal 2. Very preventable and that’s not even mentioning the shit header by Silva which put it straight on a plate for him. It was a great goal but our efforts in the passage of play before it were pathetic and indirectly led to that goal.

1/3 were just rank bad defending.

Glad you mentioned that because it's what I said to the bloke next to me. That was diabolical for their 2nd.

 

[dela]

On the train home from yesterday's game I was Sat next to Palace fan. His joy and supprise at his team winning, made me think back to the 2007 season. We didn't even score a goal at home after new year, never mind win a game. What I would have given to win just ONE game at that time.

 

[Ric]

Bad day all round. No one really played well. Stones as a DM simply doesn’t work. Need to dust ourselves off quickly as the next two games suddenly look a bit more problematic.

 

[Blue Llama]

Since Pep's discussion with Otomendi about game time we have seen few games with Laporte and Stones together. That discussion has to be behind that separation and experimenting with Stones as a DM. Pep's a great manager and coach, possibly the best there is but he is not infallible. Whilst Otomendi is under contract he has to accept he is the first choice as a replacement CB for injuries and resting the other two.Pep needs to express more forcibly to Walker his belief that Walker would be a better FB if he used his brain more when defending. Pep did this with Sergio to great effect he shouldn't be shy of giving Walker the same Hobson's choice. Delph has shown his versatility at LB but if we need a DM use him and solve the LB problem another way. We shouldn't blame the offensive players for the Palace result we should recognise that Palace defended exceptionally well and took the 3 chances that they were gifted.

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Stop tinkering and playing players out of position. You can argue rotation saves players energy, but on the other side you can argue you lose all rhythm and momentum. The defence is a case in point.

What the hell must Delph be thinking ? That’s is his preferred position and a central defender is playing there whilst he is left back???