Well. How to balance the resurgent feelings of positivity with the reality of the situation.
It's all so typically palace. The should have been our best season ever. We should have been pushing alongside the likes of West Ham and Leicester against the establishment of the big six (ish) clubs. Instead we have embarked on a slide equalled only in stature by the survival from relegation by Leicester last year. Just the wrong way round.
Let's get to the game. Pardew said we would go toe to toe with Leicester and he wasn't wrong. We lined up the same way we always have been doing recently, virtual best 11 save wickham, potentially swapping puncheon for Jedi or Ledley, which, given the attacking prowess of both those players would be welcome. Sadly puncheon only made the bench and didn't make an appearance, wickham back after international break.
With the games opening exchanges it was a tight affair with Leicester shading it. The biggest thing I noticed was simply how destructive their game plan was. Hustling and bustling to the ball, never letting palace settling into a rhythm even if meant giving away a free kick, nothing cynical but enough to stop them finding a rhythm. Then when palace do manufacture a breakaway the sheer numbers that work hard to flood back are unreal, something in all honesty palace lack completely. Here is the first, biggest difference in the two teams.
The second is the speed of their breaks. Palace are often described as a great counter attacking team but our players take two touches or want to go and beat a man. Leicester do it by one touch football and through this a great chance is created for mahrez who, one on one, is denied by a good save from henessey which is cleared away by Dann.
Then a third difference that comes courtesy of the commentary. When palace pass the ball the players react to the pass, whereas Leicester players are reacting and then the player passes the ball to them. So we are knocking the ball down the line and once hit zaha is off running to it. The other way round vardy starts running and the pass then goes to find him. It's a fundamental difference and very true once you start looking. Our defenders are hitting these long hopeful balls that don't come to anything but the opposite way round the balls seem to be finding a man.
Then came a key part of the match. Two chances for palace. One cross beautifully flighted and as it heads towards the far post ledley is under it but falls over trying to rejig his run. Otherwise it was an easy header in. Instead it fells awkwardly to zaha who messes up. The second I watched in disbelief. The cross comes over, bolasie heads it back across and Ledley stands there dumbfounded as to what he was supposed to do, clearly showing that he is not an attacking force. He should have received the ball and scored, you have to watch it to truly understand it.
What followed that bit of play, with palace clearly on top, was a goal. For Leicester. Ball comes over, vardy smashes a cross shot into the box and mahrez puts it away. Frustration and whilst not the end of the half may have well of been.
The second half came with two changes, sako on for adebayour - who had done pretty much nothing - and Kelly on for soare. He had picked up a booking and was looking dodgy the whole first half. Refreshing to see changes straight away but once again it brings to mind the question that he just doesn't start with the right team. There was also a distinct change in the way we were playing with the defence sitting much deeper.
Bolasie was now playing up front which was kind of working and kind of not. He was proving to be a far better outlet for the pass out, holding the ball up or breaking forward but he was also drifting into the winger role too much.
This leads me into my fourth difference. Leicester have a striker. Who is capable of running the channels but also of getting into positions that are dangerous, also wingers who are able to do the same. We do not have this. God we need a striker. Selfish, demanding of the ball. Courtesy of the bbc stats we crossed the ball 31 times. 31. Read that out loud to yourself. How many chances did that create? 5. That's not goal scoring chances, just where something came of it that was not just cleared. So 26 times the defence just headed clear or it flew over harmlessly. I would love to see the opposite stat for Leicester as they scored from one and really didn't send many in. If I were Pardew I would be demanding The wingers got into the box all the time, that one of the midfielders did the same and the same of whoever is sodding upfront for the game. Then once they understand that spend a good week teaching said wingers how to cross the ball too.
And that was the story of the second half. Palace dominated possession, put in repeated crosses, corner after corner but all were easily dealt with hitting the first man or having no one on the end of them. Leicester always posed a threat on the break but with Kelly being on the pitch it made us more resilient and delenay was an absolute monster all half. Nothing was getting past him. He had the biggest chance of the half too in stoppage time with a beautiful chest down from a corner and the volley smashing off the top of the bar. But sadly with all the endeavour getting the ball to the final third we just didn't fashion anything really worthwhile. With that note the game ended 0-1, the run continues.
So let's talk about the game. We were not bad, I think we were the better team even though the radio immediately said Leicester deserved the win. I guess I could see that from a purely chance created fashion even if we had more possession, more shots, more corners, were fouled more, played the game in their half. God reading that I don't know how we didn't win, oh wait I do. We didn't have a striker on the pitch. The same issue, repeated time and again. God I wish we hadn't sold Murray, even if he was just on the bench to come on he would do a great job. He isn't even freaking playing for Bournemouth!!!
Let's look at the players quickly.
Henessey was good, did everything well, no chance for the goal.
Ward, decent enough, needs better distribution.
Soare looked shaky defensively and whilst loves getting forward has zero final ball and contributed a lot to the crosses failed stat. Off at half time for
Kelly - solid, did his job well and passed well too just not in the same areas of the pitch soare was getting too.
Dann decent enough, again needs to calm the long balls down although he did spread a couple of beauty's.
Delaney. A rock. He was immense second half. Facing up to the pace of their forwards and never letting them past, either putting it out for a corner or clearing completely. Like a wall. Then almost scored to top it all off.
Jedinak was good, every game he looks a bit better and closer to the player he was. Kept trying to get into the box but that's not really his game, but you can see that leading by example spirit you would expect of the captain.
Cabaye - shut down a lot but the ball moved through him a lot, done well too. It's just sad that he isn't in a position to do more damage. We still need that creative player we all hoped he would be.
Ledley, decent enough but was clueless when getting forward!
Zaha largely anonymous, when he did get the ball you could see him coming really deep then trying to beat a man in our own half, pointless and born of frustration. Had some good moments still going forward I just want to see him in the box more, gambling more.
Bolasie, easily our best player going forward, full of tricks again and when moved to striker was a threat, just lacking direction at times and isn't the gambler in the box we need.
Adebayour - looked disinterested and was poor. Touch not there and the glimpses of link up play between the forward three was not there like the week before. Subbed at halftime for
Sako - came on to cover the wing where bolasie was and was good, he shouldn't be trying to beat players but his balls into the box were dangerous and just dying for a striker. Had a strong shot saved too.
Gayle came on for Ledley after 78 minutes and I don't think touched the ball. Give him longer on the pitch or ship him out.
We didn't play badly but the same problems are there and without the set piece goals we were scoring earlier in the season we will continue in this vein. Wickham best come back soon and get Murray back to coach him. We don't have a nice run in and we have to HAVE TO beat Norwich for starters and also Newcastle or we are, simply put, ****ed.
FFS COYP, please? With a cherry on top.
It's all so typically palace. The should have been our best season ever. We should have been pushing alongside the likes of West Ham and Leicester against the establishment of the big six (ish) clubs. Instead we have embarked on a slide equalled only in stature by the survival from relegation by Leicester last year. Just the wrong way round.
Let's get to the game. Pardew said we would go toe to toe with Leicester and he wasn't wrong. We lined up the same way we always have been doing recently, virtual best 11 save wickham, potentially swapping puncheon for Jedi or Ledley, which, given the attacking prowess of both those players would be welcome. Sadly puncheon only made the bench and didn't make an appearance, wickham back after international break.
With the games opening exchanges it was a tight affair with Leicester shading it. The biggest thing I noticed was simply how destructive their game plan was. Hustling and bustling to the ball, never letting palace settling into a rhythm even if meant giving away a free kick, nothing cynical but enough to stop them finding a rhythm. Then when palace do manufacture a breakaway the sheer numbers that work hard to flood back are unreal, something in all honesty palace lack completely. Here is the first, biggest difference in the two teams.
The second is the speed of their breaks. Palace are often described as a great counter attacking team but our players take two touches or want to go and beat a man. Leicester do it by one touch football and through this a great chance is created for mahrez who, one on one, is denied by a good save from henessey which is cleared away by Dann.
Then a third difference that comes courtesy of the commentary. When palace pass the ball the players react to the pass, whereas Leicester players are reacting and then the player passes the ball to them. So we are knocking the ball down the line and once hit zaha is off running to it. The other way round vardy starts running and the pass then goes to find him. It's a fundamental difference and very true once you start looking. Our defenders are hitting these long hopeful balls that don't come to anything but the opposite way round the balls seem to be finding a man.
Then came a key part of the match. Two chances for palace. One cross beautifully flighted and as it heads towards the far post ledley is under it but falls over trying to rejig his run. Otherwise it was an easy header in. Instead it fells awkwardly to zaha who messes up. The second I watched in disbelief. The cross comes over, bolasie heads it back across and Ledley stands there dumbfounded as to what he was supposed to do, clearly showing that he is not an attacking force. He should have received the ball and scored, you have to watch it to truly understand it.
What followed that bit of play, with palace clearly on top, was a goal. For Leicester. Ball comes over, vardy smashes a cross shot into the box and mahrez puts it away. Frustration and whilst not the end of the half may have well of been.
The second half came with two changes, sako on for adebayour - who had done pretty much nothing - and Kelly on for soare. He had picked up a booking and was looking dodgy the whole first half. Refreshing to see changes straight away but once again it brings to mind the question that he just doesn't start with the right team. There was also a distinct change in the way we were playing with the defence sitting much deeper.
Bolasie was now playing up front which was kind of working and kind of not. He was proving to be a far better outlet for the pass out, holding the ball up or breaking forward but he was also drifting into the winger role too much.
This leads me into my fourth difference. Leicester have a striker. Who is capable of running the channels but also of getting into positions that are dangerous, also wingers who are able to do the same. We do not have this. God we need a striker. Selfish, demanding of the ball. Courtesy of the bbc stats we crossed the ball 31 times. 31. Read that out loud to yourself. How many chances did that create? 5. That's not goal scoring chances, just where something came of it that was not just cleared. So 26 times the defence just headed clear or it flew over harmlessly. I would love to see the opposite stat for Leicester as they scored from one and really didn't send many in. If I were Pardew I would be demanding The wingers got into the box all the time, that one of the midfielders did the same and the same of whoever is sodding upfront for the game. Then once they understand that spend a good week teaching said wingers how to cross the ball too.
And that was the story of the second half. Palace dominated possession, put in repeated crosses, corner after corner but all were easily dealt with hitting the first man or having no one on the end of them. Leicester always posed a threat on the break but with Kelly being on the pitch it made us more resilient and delenay was an absolute monster all half. Nothing was getting past him. He had the biggest chance of the half too in stoppage time with a beautiful chest down from a corner and the volley smashing off the top of the bar. But sadly with all the endeavour getting the ball to the final third we just didn't fashion anything really worthwhile. With that note the game ended 0-1, the run continues.
So let's talk about the game. We were not bad, I think we were the better team even though the radio immediately said Leicester deserved the win. I guess I could see that from a purely chance created fashion even if we had more possession, more shots, more corners, were fouled more, played the game in their half. God reading that I don't know how we didn't win, oh wait I do. We didn't have a striker on the pitch. The same issue, repeated time and again. God I wish we hadn't sold Murray, even if he was just on the bench to come on he would do a great job. He isn't even freaking playing for Bournemouth!!!
Let's look at the players quickly.
Henessey was good, did everything well, no chance for the goal.
Ward, decent enough, needs better distribution.
Soare looked shaky defensively and whilst loves getting forward has zero final ball and contributed a lot to the crosses failed stat. Off at half time for
Kelly - solid, did his job well and passed well too just not in the same areas of the pitch soare was getting too.
Dann decent enough, again needs to calm the long balls down although he did spread a couple of beauty's.
Delaney. A rock. He was immense second half. Facing up to the pace of their forwards and never letting them past, either putting it out for a corner or clearing completely. Like a wall. Then almost scored to top it all off.
Jedinak was good, every game he looks a bit better and closer to the player he was. Kept trying to get into the box but that's not really his game, but you can see that leading by example spirit you would expect of the captain.
Cabaye - shut down a lot but the ball moved through him a lot, done well too. It's just sad that he isn't in a position to do more damage. We still need that creative player we all hoped he would be.
Ledley, decent enough but was clueless when getting forward!
Zaha largely anonymous, when he did get the ball you could see him coming really deep then trying to beat a man in our own half, pointless and born of frustration. Had some good moments still going forward I just want to see him in the box more, gambling more.
Bolasie, easily our best player going forward, full of tricks again and when moved to striker was a threat, just lacking direction at times and isn't the gambler in the box we need.
Adebayour - looked disinterested and was poor. Touch not there and the glimpses of link up play between the forward three was not there like the week before. Subbed at halftime for
Sako - came on to cover the wing where bolasie was and was good, he shouldn't be trying to beat players but his balls into the box were dangerous and just dying for a striker. Had a strong shot saved too.
Gayle came on for Ledley after 78 minutes and I don't think touched the ball. Give him longer on the pitch or ship him out.
We didn't play badly but the same problems are there and without the set piece goals we were scoring earlier in the season we will continue in this vein. Wickham best come back soon and get Murray back to coach him. We don't have a nice run in and we have to HAVE TO beat Norwich for starters and also Newcastle or we are, simply put, ****ed.
FFS COYP, please? With a cherry on top.
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