Crystal Palace PL (H) Post match thread

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

But still preferable to the players playing a superb game and demolishing the opposition only to be greeted by a half empty stadium at the final whistle.

Well, that's not much of a choice, is it?
I have left the stadium early once, and once only. I had a plane to catch, and it was going to be tight if I didn't. I've always been puzzled about people leaving early. To some extent, if you've absolutely got to catch the tram, and you're going in the direction of Ashton, I can kind of understand it. It can take you easily an hour, if you walk from anywhere other than the Family Stand, you queue for ages, you cannot get on to two or three trams in succession. Then it's an incredibly slow ride out to Ashton, because the line goes over loads of roads. I've done it, and it takes an hour and then some. But can that really account for the hundreds who leave?
This is, hands down, the best football anyone alive has ever seen from this club. And has been for years. Yesterday notwithstanding. Very odd.
Anyway, people gonna boo, they're gonna boo. People gonna leave early, they're gonna leave early. I know what I think…

 

[Fordyboy46]

My concern has been his ack of pace, that wont change because he goes to centre back

We'll never get to know that mate

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Pep got the personnel for his visionary system bang on last year, it was a perfect alignment and culmination of skills, intellect, ages and experience. He himself even resisted his tinkering ways. This season it's all a million miles off.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

My concern has been his ack of pace, that wont change because he goes to centre back

It's not quite as critical, it seems to me . I've never played in either position, so I'm only going on what I observe. Wingers tend to be speedy.
I'm not that fascinated by Micah's ruminations, by and large, but he knows his trade, and he made some interesting comments on the Beeb about the differences between playing full back and playing in a central position. He was specifically talking about the difficulties of what Pep demands of players. Made a lot of sense.

 

[uwerosler28]

Why did we go up against a thread bare team with a centr back on left wing back, a centre mid at right wing back a right back at attacking mid and a left winger as one of 3 centre mid. Bizzare formation when the basics would have done the job. Looked to me that he was trialling a set up the both Doku and Grealish can play in.

 

[DTKOAG]

Pep's hanging out Gvardiol to dry playing him each time at LB.
Be thankful as another 10 mins we would of lost that game.

 

[herrock]

The big difference for me , is that last season we always seemed able to see out games by keeping the ball, sometimes for the majority of injury time. Now we play a poor pass or get caught in posession. Very frustrating because apart from Villa, we have been miles the better team.

 

[Norman kneejerk]

He could start by not making the same mistakes every week himself. Walker up high is a disaster. Alvarez is on empty. Why play stones midweek when today we could have lined up with akanji dias stones ake. Our proven best 4. Also helps sort out the midfield.

stones and the box midfield was a revelation last season. We havent played it once since, i know stones has been out but hes also been in for a few games this season.

Yes almost as if people are finishing up with the job they are least suited too e.g Walker in final third, strength is mopping up breaks, Rico getting out muscled, strength little link ups with quick players, Rodri too far up the pitch , slow at getting back, Akanji very comfy coming out with the ball in a 3 not great as a heavy duty defender, Dias needs a settled partner, front 3 or 4 who instinctively want to score not just lay it off.
Need something that plays to everyone's strengths like last year.

 

[Bluemoon has risen]

I'm more fuming about it now I've had more time to think about it, than I was straight after the game yesterday.

We're 5pts down on this stage last season and we keep throwing away stupid fucking leads with ease. We literally should be sat here 8pts better off (wins against Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Palace) but we've given games away in stupid and spectacular fashion by complacency and defending like idiots. Yesterday was just a joke in the last 20 minutes. No game management, no subs, basic errors from experienced players.

When we come back from Saudi we simply have to go on a winning run. Pep needs to find his best team and stop experimenting. We have 2 perfectly good midfielders in Nunes and Kovacic, please stop playing Lewis in midfield. At the back, let's go with what worked so well last season - Akanji, Dias, Stones and Ake. A solid base to build from. I understand why he tinkers every year but it isn't working now and we don't have as much room for error anymore. The rest in front can sort themselves out. We have enough there to score goals, that's not been a problem this season.

We're beating ourselves, which is so frustrating. The only positive at the moment is Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa are catchable. In previous seasons they probably wouldn't be.

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

The big difference for me , is that last season we always seemed able to see out games by keeping the ball, sometimes for the majority of injury time. Now we play a poor pass or get caught in posession. Very frustrating because apart from Villa, we have been miles the better team.

Because of Phil going into Phil Frauden mode and giving the ball away needlessly.

We need a midfielder who can play TWENTY THOUSAND MILLION cushioned easily controllable passes like Gundo and David did for the first seven years of Pep.