Time spent in funderland
Well the traditional Weekday night game in Sunderland (why do palace end up playing evening games in Sunderland season after season?) has arrived and to be fair it was a very entertaining game.
We got our wish with bolasie starting and mutch taking on the number 10 role, adebayour dropped to the bench.
The game started very well. Both teams looked sharp and intending to play football. Palace were putting a lot of early pressure on the ball, pushing forward into their half, zaha especially was looking full of tricks. Palace did still look vulnerable on the break and the midfield seemed to be bypassed a lot. It was also refreshing to see the players kicking off more. For example zaha was fouled in the middle of park and immediately cabaye was in the Sunderland mans face, the rest of the team flying in, handbags swinging. GOOD I say. People may criticise players for doing this, me amongst them, but when you watch referees allow your team to get 10 shades kicked out of them then if it takes the players doing this to get some protection then so be it. Pardew must surely have said to start doing this as we have been the exact opposite all season.
The first real chance of the match came with a beautiful balled switched from deep from wickham coming deep for the ball. Bolasie received it and fed mutch who broke into the area but can only find side netting from the edge of the six yard box, left hand side.
There was then a penalty appeal for a challenge, nothing really in it, but again GOOD make the referee consider it. There is definitely that feeling that if you appeal for 5 half hearted penalties you will get one, but if you only appeal for 1 dead cert the referee won't give it. It's a case of wearing down the referee. Again it's that change in attitude towards the game.
It was interesting to see the respect given to zaha. He would pick the ball up in our own half near the centre circle and immediately be surrounded by 3 if not 4 red and white players. It was like they were erecting a wall in front of him every time he got it so he would have to go backwards with the ball.
Quick note from the gameplay about henesseys distribution. He always looks for the quick release which would be great, but at this point we had already seen a series of long throws going astray or kicks all the way to their keeper. In the same vein when we were pressurised into passing it all the way back to the keeper he would just hoof it, whereas Sunderland would still be able to pass it out of their defence. This seemed to improve in the second half with henessey taking a breath before doing anything, word in the ear perhaps.
The second great chance of the game fell to palace as well. Cabaye put in a corner and the ever dangerous Dann got a stopping header to it, forcing the keeper into a great save. The game was starting to become end to end and Defoe had a great chance at the other end but swung and missed, well clipped the ball, the moment gone.
Watching the play we alerted struggling to move the ball about, sitting deep and often resorting to the long ball whilst Sunderland were moving the ball nicely and able to get to the edge of our box on a regular basis. We need to figure out why this is the case and fix it fast. With that in mind Defoe picked up the ball on the edge of the box and after drawing in 3 players laid it off to N'doye who places a short into the corner of the goal BUT takes a big deflection of Dann which sounds agonisingly just past the feet of henessey for the first goal of the game. Sucker punch. But you can't say with the balance of play that it was not deserved.
The game continued and Defoe continued to get half chances in and around the box. You can't let a player with his finishing ability keep having these niggly chances. Luckily he kept firing down the keepers throat. Palace just seemed to be lacking any guile in the team. The ball coming back to keeper for the long ball again and again and then inviting them back onto us.
With that an interesting and frustrating first half came to a close.
The second half started very brightly. 22 seconds in and zaha puts in a Glasshouse great cross for wickham but he seems to jump too early and puts the header over the bar, well over. I have to say again that zaha was seeing no protection. The rules seem to be different for him. The referee allows him to be shoved over by a Sunderland defender, he gets up and does the same back and that's a free kick. Double standards. I just don't understand it. It doesn't seem to happen to bolasie so what has been said about wilf to create this curcumstance?
It has to be noted again that Defoe is like an eel in the box, how we could do with a player like this, he is the kind of player gayle should be looking to become. Quick and agile on the ball, hard to shake off it and able to fashion chances with his quick feet. A great foil to a player like wickham I would say...
Then came a crystallising moment in my eyes. Cabaye - who has been out of sorts for weeks - lost the ball in midfield and got up to moan at the ref and then trudged back towards out defence as 3 Sunderland players ran past him. He looked a broken man. Bereft of confidence, desire, will, I seriously think the time has come for him to take some bench time. He is not the player he once was and needs to rediscover the form of the early season. His strength was the defensive prowess, his interception and tackles and now he is just awol. I feel that the passage of play through the middle of the park with ease was mainly due to him (Jedi is also off the pace too sadly).
Moving on a palace breakaway sees a deep bolasie ball just land away from palace heads. Suddenly the passes are being strung together, suddenly we are looking more threatening again. A good move sees bolasie lay off the ball from the d of their box just inside to wickham was cuts back onto his right foot and blasts a cracker into the right corner of the goal, albeit with a slight deflection, but a belter nethertheless. Game on! Also good to see him celebrate, nothing held back for his former employers.
Suddenly we are a different team. We are all over them. Moving the ball quickly and effectively. Zaha picks up the ball deep in the right back position but fires a ball down the wing for wickham to run onto. The ball is great, straight and perfectly weighted. Wickham is isolated but is able to see off 2 defenders and win the corner. Cabaye whips in a good ball which lands on none other than Scott danns head who doesn't go for goal, no he lays the ball back to wickham who absolutely belts the ball home, I mean Jesus he hits it hard. If a player had blocked it I think it would have gone straight through then. On the replays you just see the net bulge and the ball appears after it moves so fast once it leaves his boot.
Shortly after another chance sees their keeper jump on a loose ball and wickham just pulls out in time mid swing, only kicking him gently and not kicking his head clean off his shoulders.
At this point cabaye is taken off for Ledley, good thing in my eyes.
The game is starting to become tense at this point and the referee makes another questionable judgement. Delaney wins the balls, taken out in the process but the ball is quickly moved forward and zaha is 1 on 1 with a defender, even though still in our own half we know his pace and skill, but the referee seeing this pulls back play for the free kick. the boy can't catch a break.
Bolasie withdrawn for sako. Questionable really as we needed to defend the lead.
The next attack we had you could really see zaha becoming exhausted. We broke through, 2 on 2 but wilf slows down and a player dispossesses him from behind, how often do we see that? That boy has run himself into the ground today and the last couple of months. I hope he isn't carrying an injury.
Bay bay on for wickham, what a shift he has put in.
Another great chance is carved out, but zaha who is open sets off on his run a smidge too early, the Sunderland very high line just about doing its job. Such a shame.
The feeling at this point is that Sunderland are doing us a favour. They are attacking but their final balls are poor, finding defenders or crosses that simply fly behind the goal posing no threat at all. I was sat thinking this is great for my nerves. Then from nothing, borini is allowed some space from a cross in position but fires in a shot that beats henessey to equalise in the 88th minute. Heartbreak. Not sure whose at fault, the defence for not closin down? Keeper for being beaten from that position? I know for sure I have said before though if you keep limiting a team to chances to shoot from long range these guys are talented players and eventually one will fly in to the top corner, take a deflection or be a Worldy. And here it is again. How many goals like this do we seem to concede?
The game didn't Peeter out with both teams going for the win but nothing of note happened and the game ended 2-2, not great for either team really.
Performance wise was better but our midfield still looked unbalanced and out of sorts, cabaye especially I expect more of. I have come to except that Jedi is just out of touch with the game now even though he made some important challenges he was also bypassed too many times and doesn't offer the same kind of package that MacArthur was before his injury. Ledley looked decent when he came on and was better with the ball, but for the next match I am not sure where I would look for a solution - youth?
Defence looked decent enough and were beaten by a deflected shot and a wonder goal. But I stand by the fact we cannot keep letting them have pots shots and also too often 3 players are sucked into the ball leaving their attack with options too.
Henessey looked better, no spills, he came out to claim the ball a lot more and with certainty apart from one deceiving ball that must have caught the wind and went well out for a goal kick. I think much better and positive.
Zaha and bolasie were both good although heavily marked, definitely providing the focus for game plan to stifle them. Mutch was good through the middle, breaking into box, providing something different. We just need someone in centre mid who can provide a different outlet, as if they shut out the wings we start to struggle.
Wickham up front looked a monster. His play all round was great. Hold up play solid, movement very good, took his goals very well, winning corners too. His strength is evident and needs using more. His confidence must be sky high with 4 in 2 games. More please mr wickham!
It was not a bad performance and was almost ideal with a win, but suddenly I don't feel so down. Bring on Sunday! Be interesting to watch and hopefully we can continue to be the bogey team of merseyside.....
COYP.
Well the traditional Weekday night game in Sunderland (why do palace end up playing evening games in Sunderland season after season?) has arrived and to be fair it was a very entertaining game.
We got our wish with bolasie starting and mutch taking on the number 10 role, adebayour dropped to the bench.
The game started very well. Both teams looked sharp and intending to play football. Palace were putting a lot of early pressure on the ball, pushing forward into their half, zaha especially was looking full of tricks. Palace did still look vulnerable on the break and the midfield seemed to be bypassed a lot. It was also refreshing to see the players kicking off more. For example zaha was fouled in the middle of park and immediately cabaye was in the Sunderland mans face, the rest of the team flying in, handbags swinging. GOOD I say. People may criticise players for doing this, me amongst them, but when you watch referees allow your team to get 10 shades kicked out of them then if it takes the players doing this to get some protection then so be it. Pardew must surely have said to start doing this as we have been the exact opposite all season.
The first real chance of the match came with a beautiful balled switched from deep from wickham coming deep for the ball. Bolasie received it and fed mutch who broke into the area but can only find side netting from the edge of the six yard box, left hand side.
There was then a penalty appeal for a challenge, nothing really in it, but again GOOD make the referee consider it. There is definitely that feeling that if you appeal for 5 half hearted penalties you will get one, but if you only appeal for 1 dead cert the referee won't give it. It's a case of wearing down the referee. Again it's that change in attitude towards the game.
It was interesting to see the respect given to zaha. He would pick the ball up in our own half near the centre circle and immediately be surrounded by 3 if not 4 red and white players. It was like they were erecting a wall in front of him every time he got it so he would have to go backwards with the ball.
Quick note from the gameplay about henesseys distribution. He always looks for the quick release which would be great, but at this point we had already seen a series of long throws going astray or kicks all the way to their keeper. In the same vein when we were pressurised into passing it all the way back to the keeper he would just hoof it, whereas Sunderland would still be able to pass it out of their defence. This seemed to improve in the second half with henessey taking a breath before doing anything, word in the ear perhaps.
The second great chance of the game fell to palace as well. Cabaye put in a corner and the ever dangerous Dann got a stopping header to it, forcing the keeper into a great save. The game was starting to become end to end and Defoe had a great chance at the other end but swung and missed, well clipped the ball, the moment gone.
Watching the play we alerted struggling to move the ball about, sitting deep and often resorting to the long ball whilst Sunderland were moving the ball nicely and able to get to the edge of our box on a regular basis. We need to figure out why this is the case and fix it fast. With that in mind Defoe picked up the ball on the edge of the box and after drawing in 3 players laid it off to N'doye who places a short into the corner of the goal BUT takes a big deflection of Dann which sounds agonisingly just past the feet of henessey for the first goal of the game. Sucker punch. But you can't say with the balance of play that it was not deserved.
The game continued and Defoe continued to get half chances in and around the box. You can't let a player with his finishing ability keep having these niggly chances. Luckily he kept firing down the keepers throat. Palace just seemed to be lacking any guile in the team. The ball coming back to keeper for the long ball again and again and then inviting them back onto us.
With that an interesting and frustrating first half came to a close.
The second half started very brightly. 22 seconds in and zaha puts in a Glasshouse great cross for wickham but he seems to jump too early and puts the header over the bar, well over. I have to say again that zaha was seeing no protection. The rules seem to be different for him. The referee allows him to be shoved over by a Sunderland defender, he gets up and does the same back and that's a free kick. Double standards. I just don't understand it. It doesn't seem to happen to bolasie so what has been said about wilf to create this curcumstance?
It has to be noted again that Defoe is like an eel in the box, how we could do with a player like this, he is the kind of player gayle should be looking to become. Quick and agile on the ball, hard to shake off it and able to fashion chances with his quick feet. A great foil to a player like wickham I would say...
Then came a crystallising moment in my eyes. Cabaye - who has been out of sorts for weeks - lost the ball in midfield and got up to moan at the ref and then trudged back towards out defence as 3 Sunderland players ran past him. He looked a broken man. Bereft of confidence, desire, will, I seriously think the time has come for him to take some bench time. He is not the player he once was and needs to rediscover the form of the early season. His strength was the defensive prowess, his interception and tackles and now he is just awol. I feel that the passage of play through the middle of the park with ease was mainly due to him (Jedi is also off the pace too sadly).
Moving on a palace breakaway sees a deep bolasie ball just land away from palace heads. Suddenly the passes are being strung together, suddenly we are looking more threatening again. A good move sees bolasie lay off the ball from the d of their box just inside to wickham was cuts back onto his right foot and blasts a cracker into the right corner of the goal, albeit with a slight deflection, but a belter nethertheless. Game on! Also good to see him celebrate, nothing held back for his former employers.
Suddenly we are a different team. We are all over them. Moving the ball quickly and effectively. Zaha picks up the ball deep in the right back position but fires a ball down the wing for wickham to run onto. The ball is great, straight and perfectly weighted. Wickham is isolated but is able to see off 2 defenders and win the corner. Cabaye whips in a good ball which lands on none other than Scott danns head who doesn't go for goal, no he lays the ball back to wickham who absolutely belts the ball home, I mean Jesus he hits it hard. If a player had blocked it I think it would have gone straight through then. On the replays you just see the net bulge and the ball appears after it moves so fast once it leaves his boot.
Shortly after another chance sees their keeper jump on a loose ball and wickham just pulls out in time mid swing, only kicking him gently and not kicking his head clean off his shoulders.
At this point cabaye is taken off for Ledley, good thing in my eyes.
The game is starting to become tense at this point and the referee makes another questionable judgement. Delaney wins the balls, taken out in the process but the ball is quickly moved forward and zaha is 1 on 1 with a defender, even though still in our own half we know his pace and skill, but the referee seeing this pulls back play for the free kick. the boy can't catch a break.
Bolasie withdrawn for sako. Questionable really as we needed to defend the lead.
The next attack we had you could really see zaha becoming exhausted. We broke through, 2 on 2 but wilf slows down and a player dispossesses him from behind, how often do we see that? That boy has run himself into the ground today and the last couple of months. I hope he isn't carrying an injury.
Bay bay on for wickham, what a shift he has put in.
Another great chance is carved out, but zaha who is open sets off on his run a smidge too early, the Sunderland very high line just about doing its job. Such a shame.
The feeling at this point is that Sunderland are doing us a favour. They are attacking but their final balls are poor, finding defenders or crosses that simply fly behind the goal posing no threat at all. I was sat thinking this is great for my nerves. Then from nothing, borini is allowed some space from a cross in position but fires in a shot that beats henessey to equalise in the 88th minute. Heartbreak. Not sure whose at fault, the defence for not closin down? Keeper for being beaten from that position? I know for sure I have said before though if you keep limiting a team to chances to shoot from long range these guys are talented players and eventually one will fly in to the top corner, take a deflection or be a Worldy. And here it is again. How many goals like this do we seem to concede?
The game didn't Peeter out with both teams going for the win but nothing of note happened and the game ended 2-2, not great for either team really.
Performance wise was better but our midfield still looked unbalanced and out of sorts, cabaye especially I expect more of. I have come to except that Jedi is just out of touch with the game now even though he made some important challenges he was also bypassed too many times and doesn't offer the same kind of package that MacArthur was before his injury. Ledley looked decent when he came on and was better with the ball, but for the next match I am not sure where I would look for a solution - youth?
Defence looked decent enough and were beaten by a deflected shot and a wonder goal. But I stand by the fact we cannot keep letting them have pots shots and also too often 3 players are sucked into the ball leaving their attack with options too.
Henessey looked better, no spills, he came out to claim the ball a lot more and with certainty apart from one deceiving ball that must have caught the wind and went well out for a goal kick. I think much better and positive.
Zaha and bolasie were both good although heavily marked, definitely providing the focus for game plan to stifle them. Mutch was good through the middle, breaking into box, providing something different. We just need someone in centre mid who can provide a different outlet, as if they shut out the wings we start to struggle.
Wickham up front looked a monster. His play all round was great. Hold up play solid, movement very good, took his goals very well, winning corners too. His strength is evident and needs using more. His confidence must be sky high with 4 in 2 games. More please mr wickham!
It was not a bad performance and was almost ideal with a win, but suddenly I don't feel so down. Bring on Sunday! Be interesting to watch and hopefully we can continue to be the bogey team of merseyside.....
COYP.
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