Crystal Palace (H) | Post Match Thread

[Sk@mcfc]

I like this new tactic of going 2-0 down in every game, it gives us a challenge instead of just winning easy.
That Haaland bloke will never fit into our system, mark my words.
Pep hopeless at substitutions.
Well done mentality monsters, brilliant 45.

Yes especially stones complete different player after going 2 down

 

[RobinHood]

Sell Bernie, I riot.

I don't predict one.

 

[Sir peace frog]

Thanks for the palace goals, dickhead haha

 

[jimharri]

It'll be on YT any time soon. Two videos of his goals have already been blocked by the PL, presumably on copyright grounds.

 

[Sk@mcfc]

Thought alverez was quality tbf as for Bernardo and Haaland second half wow

 

[Inca Roads Bert]

BERNARDOOO!!!

Man of the Match.

 

[Tony - MCFC]

Exceptional comeback. Bernardo immense and Haaland is another level.

 

[McfcBibby]

Very much a tale of two halves. Average at best first half. Bernie grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and Haaland just being Haaland in the second

Special mention for Julian too. Thought he was great when he came on

 

[mac]

We beat a very resilient team in Palace. They have already took points off the dippers so in the end we were worthy winners. It's going to be a strange season but when all the games come thick and fast I reckon you will see a different side to us. We know how to play 2 games a week months on end.

 

[Berts Neck]

Not to have a go at him, but the problem was Mahrez absolutely killed our forward momentum most of the time he received the ball in the first half.

Compare to the second half, when we were using the exact same tactic of switching play to the right wing with cross-field passes, only this time Bernie was on the end of them, and you see a stark difference in outcomes.

Bernie, even when he had to take one more touch than Mahrez (which is itself rare) to control the ball, was immediately attacking their isolated fullback, causing a midfielder to come over to contain, leaving a huge amount of space for Kev and Rodri to take up just outside the box.

And, once more, rather than using that action as a decoy, half the time Bernie actually tried (and often succeeded) in beating the full back to get himself in the box, forcing a CB to come over to stop the easy low cross across the keeper, creating even more space for all of our attackers, and even our defenders at times (Alvarez, Stones, Haaland, goal). That in contrast to Mahrez constantly stopping, cutting back on his left, looking up, ignoring the overlap, not seeing any good passes because all of our players are then trying to get back onside, before finally passing over it to Rodri or back to one of our CBs at the halfway line.

And you could tell Riyad knew exactly why he was coming off as he walked to touch. He knew he was ineffective today. Then he watched from the bench how he should have been playing as Bernie helped completely turn the match around in his role.

Mahrez is not sh*te as some were undoubtedly claiming in the match thread (I was thankfully not in attendence today as I was watching the match on my phone as we celebrate my little lad’s first birthday). But he was certainly in ‘FFS’ mode, which he needs to stamp out if he wants to continue to start.

In all fairness he has not played much this season..just saying.