Back from the game - Palace

[howser]

Back up in the wilds of the North after the expedition over the weekend, and have to say I am slightly confused, I understood with the various pre match interviews that we were going to go for it ? but during the game , in particular the second half, was unsure who the home team were as we just sat back and invited Palace on to us, it looked more like an attack verses defense training routine.

All eleven players constantly defending corners and free kicks never being able to clear the ball as we had nobody to clear it to ? dumbfounded by the tactitcs ? yes we could have payed for a replay but with our away record worse than abysmal I couldn't see what we were trying to achieve ?

The players worked their backsides off and no blame for the defeat can be put at them, Al Habsi as said many times was superb, Cooper is no doubt going to be a top defender, yes he made an error, but with most players looking to fall over at any given opportunity to "cheat" he just got caught out with a bit of naivity. While Mike Dean has taken the brunt of insults over the award of the spot kicks, I thought it was the lino that gave the pen, I might be wrong but thats how I saw it.

Generally though very disappointed with the way we played the most important game of the season, we had the chance to go back to wembley again, but sadly gave the game away, tactics what tactics ???

[RoyalBlue]

Not only that, for better or worse, football is at a point where you can always tell whether a player is in the wrong by their reaction. Cooper accepts Dean's decision without quibble. .

I have only just managed to bring myself to watch that penalty decision and three things seem clear to me:

1) Cooper doesn't accept Dean's decision without quibble, he definitely questions it twice with his body language. Perhaps the reason he didn't protest more vehemently was that he was hoping not to get a second yellow card. However, that was in vain as the useless 'friend of the PL' Jasper Carrott/Dean sent him off anyway.

2) That was never a penalty in a million years - a blatant dive from the Palace cheat.

3) The fact that Pardew didn't condemn his player, having been so vocal the week before when the boot was on the other foot, proves that he is the complete C**T we always thought he was.

Hope Palace get humiliated in the semis and relegated after that.

[RoyalJames101]

Though we were unlucky to lose in such fashion with the penalty - Palace deserved to go through.

We could have quite easily have been 2/3-0 down by HT and it could have been game over.

Al-Habsi - 9. Played very well, a few camera saves but every keep makes them
Gunter - 7. Made some good blocks and was rarely beaten down that side.
McShane - 7. Struggled in the air against Adebayor but can't fault his commitment.
Cooper - 5. Struggled against the pace of Palace's attack. Unlucky with the penalty but inexperience cost him. Suspension will help him.
Obita - 6. Looked alright defensively but struggled to get forward. Passing was well off.
Quinn - 8. Didn't put a foot wrong, neat passing and works his b*llocks off. Love him.
Norwood - 5. Very poor, set pieces and passing radar was well off.
Hector - 6. Looked OK but made it difficult for himself with the yellow card. Distribution has improved massively in the last few games.
John - 6. Largely anonymous. Should have pulled back for Quinn in the first half and should have scored the header.
Robson-Kanu - 6. Wasn't at his recent level, didn't get the ball out to him enough. Looked like he had the beating of Souare every time.
Cox - Did a very good job IMO, held the ball up well and some nice flicks. Wouldn't mind seeing him get some more game time.

[Vision]

Tactically we played the game the same as the umpteen premier league teams who have sussed out Palace in the last few months.

They're a counter attacking that rely on you committing numbers forward and then exploiting the space left. If you deny them that space then they're left with nothing but long range efforts and set pieces. And however some people want to rewrite Friday night as a massacre , long range efforts and set pieces were pretty much all they had.

If John had put away one of the three very good opportunities he had it could have been very different.

I know it's frustrating for some that "we didn't give it a proper go" but to suggest we didn't have a tactical game plan is daft. They've got better players than us but if more of ours had played to their ability then we could have been more effective. Sadly we had too many below par performers to compensate for the fact that they're a better side.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

We did have a tactical plan, but it was aimed at not losing, not at winning. We had every man back and so they could just keep coming back at us.

Also, to suggest they only had long shots is, I would suggest, to underestimate just how fluently their front three could waltz through our midfield and pull the defence around in every direction.

[Vision]

We did have a tactical plan, but it was aimed at not losing, not at winning. We had every man back and so they could just keep coming back at us.

Also, to suggest they only had long shots is, I would suggest, to underestimate just how fluently their front three could waltz through our midfield and pull the defence around in every direction.

And I'd suggest they didn't create a better chance than the header Ola John had, for all their fluent inter passing.

They have better players but you hope on the day yours can raise their game. Too many of ours went the other way I'm afraid. Simple as that.

[handbags_harris]

And however some people want to rewrite Friday night as a massacre , long range efforts and set pieces were pretty much all they had.

Agree with all of you last point except the quoted part. I'm not sure who's rewriting history here as I remember Ali al-Habsi being exposed on plenty of occasions, particularly in the first half. From memory:-

* Adebayor one-on-one after being played through on the inside left channel.
* Bolasie one-on-one after dummying Cooper out of the game before firing straight at an exposed al-Habsi, and Ledley's follow up over the bar with the goal gaping.
* Bolasie putting two efforts from within the penalty area into the side netting.

They also created a couple of (more difficult) opportunities from set plays.

Second half, granted they didn't have as many open play opportunities but regardless of how you create them a chance is a chance and the goal still counts as one. And they had more than us - the Cabaye free kick (which almost certainly would have been an open play opportunity had Cooper not brought Zaha down), the headers off the line, the goal.

Argue the toss all you like, but they created numerous very presentable chances from both open and set play, particularly in the first half. Nobody can argue that we probably should have been out of the game by the time the penalty was given.

[RG7Fan]

Absolutely typical - Palace v Watford in the Semis ... what could have been

[tidus_mi2]

I'll be cheering on Watford then.

[stealthpapes]

Suggest people have a gander at Handbags posts - even if you disagree, they're a level better than most professional analysts.

[CountryRoyal]

I'll be cheering on Watford then.

A rare +1

[leon]

Suggest people have a gander at Handbags posts - even if you disagree, they're a level better than most professional analysts.

Agreed. Always been a fan of Handbags. Him and Vision show up the dross on here.

[Victor Meldrew]

I appreciate points made by both handbags and vision but side with handbags.
This was a one-off chance of winning with our dire away record meaning that a replay would most likely be pointless.
It seems as though vision sees it that we were right to play defensively and hope to hit them on the break and although that is often our game plan Palace play the same way but better.

I suggested last week that our best chance was to get at their full-backs who are not very good just as Palace's approach might also be the same as IMHO neither of our full backs are very good defensively.
Unfortunately Kanu was back to his old self , especially in the first half, and it was left to John to take defenders on.
The tactic of whacking the ball up to Cox was a waste of time not least because nobody was near enough to take advantage of the rare occasions when he was able to do anything with the ball on the ground or in the air.

I accept that I am biased about Kanu and would never have him in my side so would have started with the much pacier McCleary in the hope that the big game would bring out what has been lacking for some time.
I also would have played Deniss for his greater pace than Cox and told our players not to go long-there really was no point in doing that because it meant giving the ball away time and again so if we were going to play on the break let us have quick players in the 3 attacking positions.

That leads me to my biggest grouse about this team and in particular Friday night.
Whether it is a goal-kick , a throw-in or a pass we just give the ball away far too cheaply and seem to have learned nothing from playing at the higher level where ball retention is so important because you are so much more likely to be punished when it is lost.

This Palace side are not an Arsenal or a City who have the class to take you to the cleaners with possession-it is a side that have not won a league game this year so surely, as handbags said, we should have been taking the game to them from the off but regrettably sat back and waited for things to happen rather than trying to make things happen.

If we had still been a 3rd division side we would perhaps been up-and-at-'em but we are stuck in this horrible phase (like a lot of Championship sides plus West Brom, Sunderland and until this season Stoke) where you defend and hope for things to happen when the ball reaches the other half by picking up pieces and (as they say) winning ugly.
It will be interesting to see, when Brian gets HIS team in if we continue to go long or try to play progressive football through midfield-Watford and Bournemouth have shown that you can get promoted and hold your own by playing that way.

I wouldn't fault the players individually on Friday who all gave effort however it was a game we were never going to win with the set-up and tactics used but for effort alone deserved a replay.
We move on and with nothing to play for this season I hope Brian will blood some of the youngsters, otherwise it's going to be a dull old end to the season, and try to develop a pattern of play not based on hit-and-hope but on better use of the ball.

[Clyde1998]

Absolutely typical - Palace v Watford in the Semis ... what could have been

The only issue is that we would've been without Vydra - who wouldn't be able to play against his parent club.

We could have quite easily have been 2/3-0 down by HT and it could have been game over.

We could've easily been 2-0 up ourselves though, it was just that our best chances fell to the wrong person - Ola John. The first one was deflected wide, it would've snuck into the bottom corner otherwise and for the second, he should've played in back to Quinn - who was in a much better position. I think John's decision making is probably his biggest weakness.

[Ian Royal]

Suggest people have a gander at Handbags posts - even if you disagree, they're a level better than most professional analysts.

Agreed. Always been a fan of Handbags. Him and Vision show up the dross on here.

Agreed, I don't think I've ever seen a shit post from Vision, whether I agreed or not. And Handbags isn't exactly far behind.

[Clyde1998]

This was a one-off chance of winning with our dire away record meaning that a replay would most likely be pointless.

I agree with you there. I think it would be like Bradford, last season. Their one chance of beating us was at Valley Parade, where they actually looked quite good. At our place, we were able to dominate the game; Palace probably would've been far too good for us at Selhurst Park.

Unfortunately Kanu was back to his old self , especially in the first half, and it was left to John to take defenders on.
[...]
I accept that I am biased about Kanu and would never have him in my side so would have started with the much pacier McCleary in the hope that the big game would bring out what has been lacking for some time.

It looked like HRK wasn't ready to be put back in the team following his injury. I agree that we should've started with McCleary on that wing - as he would have offered us a bit of pace, which HRK lacks and McCleary usually plays well in big games (usually scores as well).

I also would have played Deniss for his greater pace than Cox and told our players not to go long-there really was no point in doing that because it meant giving the ball away time and again so if we were going to play on the break let us have quick players in the 3 attacking positions.

Cox did well with the service that he had; Rakels starting wouldn't've made much difference, tbh. Although he should've come on much earlier than he did, we should've moved to a 4-4-2 to try and win the game with about 15 minutes to go instead of just trying to hang on.

[RG7Fan]

Absolutely typical - Palace v Watford in the Semis ... what could have been

The only issue is that we would've been without Vydra - who wouldn't be able to play against his parent club.

Thats true - but that must possibly have been the best draw we could have got - except perhaps West Ham who may have been keen to get in to the top 4 for Champions League. As ever with sport - its the 'IF ... THEN ...'

[RG7Fan]

It looked like HRK wasn't ready to be put back in the team following his injury. I agree that we should've started with McCleary on that wing - as he would have offered us a bit of pace, which HRK lacks and McCleary usually plays well in big games (usually scores as well).

I agree - he was 90% at best. Didn't seem to have the pace he has had recently - shame really. If we hadnt had a 4am return on Weds + some injuries we could easily have nicked that game. IF IF IF ... (again)

[download]

I can't but feel a little sad, that we all accept Bolaise's fall to the ground quite so readily. Leaving aside whether or not Jake impeded him, there is no way that his actions would cause any body to fall to the ground so easily.

I know its the modern game and something that we have accept and its one benefit of not being in the Premiership that we have to put with so much of what is plain and simple cheating.

Referees have the power to give yellow cards but its the rare exception that it happens. If it was a regular occurrence, I'm sure we would see less of it. The same with dissent and surrounding referees. I would love to see a top referee just go ahead and give a yellow card to a Man Utd or Chelsea when they get surrounded.

Sorry, gone off on a tangent, thank you for listening.

[marlowuk]

Handbag's analysis at the top of the previous page is spot on. To win this match we had to play at our best but we did not play very well at all. We made far too many unforced errors with passes going directly to their players and there were many examples when we failed to even challenge for a loose ball. Palace were not great also and, if we had played to our full potential, we could have won the game.

That we didn't lose by more than 2 goals is down to AAH who was superb. Norwood was poor; pumping long high balls up to our lone, short striker, Cox, was obviously a waste of time so why did we do it? The penalty was very, very soft. There was contact but it was a dive - a referees' nightmare! Of the others I thought McShane played well as did Ola John despite his two missed chances. But they deserved the victory even if, like most of us, I am gutted by the manner it was achieved.