I have just returned disappointed from Selhurst Park with my two sons, home from University and able to attend a match for the first time in a while. I had business in Croydon in the afternoon and while the boys went to the pub I went to see my accountant. Selhurst Park was only four miles up the road from where that was so everything dovetailed nicely. The drenching rain of the day had relented by kick off but it was a bitterly cold evening in South London nevertheless.
Blues dominated the first half with a string of corners, not that that mattered since I cannot recall Blues actually capitalising on a free kick or corner since Curtis Davies’ header at Derby on the first day of the season. Despite an astonishing statistic of 74% possession to Blues in the first half our goal threat comprised of a shot from Nathan Redmond which Speroni so nearly scooped into the net as it swerved viciously at the last second, Davies toe-poked over from the resulting corner and Marlon King volleyed over early on. Palace did at least work Myhill with a Mile Jedinak’s sweetly-struck volley which the keeper saved superbly and full-back Nathaniel Clyne’s excellent run into the area was only halted by a last-ditch tackle from David Murphy. However, Blues were so much on top that I thought they would go on and win this game but as has happened too often this season Palace were allowed back into the game and started to look dangerous from their set pieces unlike us.
Jedinak came very close to scoring for Palace when his close range header from Ambrose’s free-kick was brilliantly parried by Myhill diving to his right. Blues were lucky to escape in the 69th minute when Palace skipper, McCarthy arrived at the far post to meet Ambrose’s corner but his header crashed back off the foot of the upright and the ball was scrambled away to safety. Blues were looking flaky with the aerial bombardment from crosses into the box but despite this they could have sneaked the lead as Burke turned a defender expertly and crashed a stinging shot across Speroni which the keeper parried. The ball looped up invitingly for Caldwell at the back post but the centre-half headed the follow-up over the top when better technique in keeping the ball down would surely have registered.
Inevitably, Dikgacoi gave Palace the lead when Blues failed to clear Ambrose’s corner and the ball was fed back out to Ambrose on the right who whipped in an inviting ball for the Palace midfielder to flick on over Myhill’s despairing dive.
The 4-5-1 formation was sacrificed as Wood came on to partner Zigic, in place of Redmond, a change I would have made at least twenty minutes earlier as the teenager had achieved very little against Nathaniel Clyne at full back. Wade Elliot came on late in place of N’Daw who played well but I felt Elliot would have been better suited to link up with the lone striker King at the start but having said that Blues had by far the better of the first half playing pretty but non-penetrative football.
In the second period the more direct and robust tactics of the home side proved far more effective and they were the better side from the point of view of chances created. I’m afraid to say that as the half wore on a sense of foreboding increased in those watching of a Royal Blue persuasion and the winning goal seven minutes from time was no more than we deserved. We simply didn’t do enough to win the match in the second half and as we failed to put the game to bed in the first when we were totally on top and were made to pay for our shortcomings. Chris Hughton said after the game that he felt that Blues deserved a point; I would disagree, we got exactly what we merited and that was nothing.
This game had similarities with the recent encounters at Reading and Cardiff; there is absolutely no point in outplaying the opposition for lengthy periods as we did this evening in the first half and leave the pitch at the break with nothing to show for it. The goals for the time being have dried up and we are coupling this with an inability to grind out a clean sheet.
Palace for their part are a better side that last season for sure but they are still an average Championship side and a more aggressive intent during this game may well have reversed this result. Sadly there have already been too many games like this so far this season and losing to teams like Palace is costing us any hope of securing a play off spot in my opinion. We play a far better team in the form of West Ham at home on Boxing day and a much better performance will be required if tonight’s result is not to be repeated.
The Good: I thought Boaz Myhill was outstanding tonight and but for him this defeat could have been heavier. N’Daw had a good game as did the much recently maligned Keith Fahey who did his best to keep Blues moving forward.
The Bad: Our lack of goal threat throughout. Palace defended well but our probings were far too predictable. Zigic’s performance when he came on was lamentable.
The Ugly: The Crystal Palace mascots compared to the truly magnificent spectacle of a real eagle soaring across the pitch onto the gauntleted arm of his handler at half time.
Blues: Myhill 9. Carr 7. Caldwell 6. Davies 6. Murphy 7, Redmond 6 (Wood 83 N/A). Fahey 8. N’Daw 8 (Elliot 81, N/A) Spector 7 Burke 7 King 7 (Zigic 70, 5) Not used: Doyle, Ibanez
Crystal Palace: Speroni 7, Clyne 8, McCarthy 7 Gardner 7, Parr 8, Ambrose 7 (Andrew 87, N/A) Dikgacoi 7, Jedinak 8 Scannell 7 (Ramage 90+1, N/A) Murray 7 Martin 7 (Easter 77, 6) Not used: Fitzsimmonds, Garvan.
Referee: Keith Stroud 7: Adequate enough. No real contentious decisions to make.
Bookings: Davies – Blues, Jedinak – Palace
Attendance: 12,057 (707 away fans)
I only watched the match via the internet but I agree with your comments. My only thoughts are that you are a little generous with your ratings. Were Fahey and N’Daw really worthy of 8’s? King didn’t justify a 7, it seemed the centre backs had him in their pocket all night
Thanks John. Yes I felt that Fahey and N’Daw were excellent in this game and deserve the praise given and I didn’t think it was their fault Blues failed to fire in this match. The disappointing players for me were the wide men especially Redmond who could not reproduce the outstanding game of last Thursday against Maribor but credit must go to Clyne for this. The service from out wide was mediocre which may explain King’s lack of effectiveness but he could not be faulted for effort. It is easy to defend against a lone striker when the delivery into him is rubbish so I think you are being a little harsh in suggesting that King didn’t deserve his mark. WE weren’t good enough where it mattered last night and missed a great opportunity to improve our position. We need to improve greatly if we are to get anything out of the Boxing Day game against West Ham.
This was the first opportunity I’ve had to watch a full game for some while so here are my thoughts. After 35 minutes I turned to my wife and said we would lose 1-0. We had no threat going forward, only CH knows why we went with one forward against a team who dont concede and dont score many either. The thrusting European style we have seen recently would have been just fine. As for Redmond, he was brilliant last week on the right. Why persist with him on the left against a premiership rated fullback? At least swop him. He would have murdered their left back with pace. Our inability to get bodies in the box was apparent throughout, even on attacking corners when we only had 4 in the box on half of them. I hope this is not a fore taste of Calderwood’s influence on the team. It was more negative than even AMc last year. Players who shone for me were Boaz, Murphy, N’Daw, and Fahey who was my MOTM. I was very disappointed by King’s inability to hold the ball up but he looked like Messi compared to Zigic who was a disgrace to the shirt. I was very worried by the lack of understanding between the defence when defending free kicks and corners – Palace could have had 3 or 4 more goals. What would I have done? I’d have started with King and Wood and used Redmond from the bench. That would have given us a threat up front – Palace in the first half didnt pose much at all. So there we are, some thoughts to mull over for Christmas. Long term prospects – mid table security is all I can see on current league form. Look at it carefully and the threat of relegation must be a possibility – especially if things go pear shaped in January’s window.
Thank you all for your appreciation of a hard, but clean, game of football. How refreshing to read something well considered and literate. It was not a great match and from a Palace point of view highlighted how little up fornt we have when Wilf is out! Murray is not a hard working forward and seems to me to be pedestrian and little threat to good defences. I liked your team ethic and structure and CH will have you playing good football, of that you can be sure! But you do need some tangible threat up front – Zigic when he came on was hysterically inept – he made Crouch look like superman!!!! Good luck for the rest of the season, like us you deserve a little good fortune. Happy Christmas Blues.
A few blues fans on various sites are worried that Colin Calderwood is altering our pattern of play and look more defensive. Well take a look back at the Hughton/Calderwood partnership at Newcastle. The points and goals tally didnt reflect a defensive Newcastle team! The only problem with blues at minute is their failure to take their chances, thats all. Personally i think Zigic should play every game. The sole reason being, he cost us £6million and is on 65k per week. The big fella should be causing havoc in this division and up to this point, he has been very disappointing. I would like to see Zigic start against West Ham, terrorise them again like he did in the Carling cup semi, and kick on from there.
Hi – I’m a Palace fan and have to say you pretty much hit the nail on the head with this article. I wrote something similar saying your lack of cutting edge is likely to be your problem this season, as ours also seems to be at the moment particularly without Zaha in the side. However, I wouldn’t be too hard on your side’s first half performance – we have been set up for the game to pan out pretty much as it did and it’s a tactic that has worked fairly well this season. We were haemorrhaging goals last year so when Freedman came in his first task was to shore up the defence and that was exactly what he is done. He’s happy for the opposition to have the ball for periods of the game if we defend as he’s instructed and knows that we have a few players (Ambrose, Zaha, Williams, Easter at times) who have that bit of quality up front to make something happen.
What this means for the opposition is that they tend to see a lot of the ball but without making many clear chances, then we hit them on the counter. Our problem in recent weeks has been turning chances into goals but obviously Monday was an example of us managing it.
In short, with Wood, King and Burke in your attack, I think you’ll be fine for goals this season, but you will find it easier in the more open games.