Good Luck to Cardiff As Wembley Slips Away and Fantastic Adventure Ends in Immense Pride and Oh... The Derby!

Were we up against it from the moment I opened the papers last Tuesday morning? I do not know the answer to that question and far be it from me to be critical of Dougie Freedman especially considering how far he has brought the club along in such a short period and indeed the fact he still has a very exciting journey to go on with Crystal Palace, yet in his pre match press he showed himself as a rookie manager. Essentially in reminding the Cardiff City players and fans of matches prior to Malkey Mackays arrival when in the past they had blown big matches Freedman did Mackay’s team talk for him fired them up and gave away any advantage we had from the first leg. Hence the Cardiff goal in the first eight minutes and the pressure was on from the partisan Welsh crowd for the rest of the night.


What a match though simply as an occasion which even despite circumstances was so nearly different and so nearly history. Despite being down to ten men for 62 minutes following the sending off of Paddy McCarthy for two yellow cards the players in Palace shirts on the night did the shirts proud, defending manfully taking the match to a penalty shootout and to within five kicks of Wembley. Despite what I said Freedman almost proved the tactical genius with backs against the wall guiding the brave team, down to ten through to within touching distance of the final. Had the shootout gone differently all Freedmans pre match comments would have been justified. I just wish Freedman had remembered Clinton Morrisons comments before the Liverpool semi final second leg in 2001 when his words were reported in the press and came back to haunt him at Anfield in the same way Freedmans words haunted him in Cardiff after the shootout.

I am being a touch unfair though I think all Palace fans should look back on this cup run and the club first major semi final since 2001 with immense pride these sort of big events do not come along too often and this group of players will be remembered in the history books as restoring a lot of pride after a very rocky period in the clubs recent times. Indeed this cup run should in my view be looked upon in the same light as the Peter Taylor and Malcolm Allison cup run in the 1970’s when we beat Leeds Utd, after all no one expected us to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the quarter finals. There can be no doubt this season has put Palace back on the football radar for positive reasons, restoring faith and belief among supporters and players giving us all strength of character moving forward. It is sad we failed to get to Wembley at the last hurdle but there can be no doubt if we continue making progress as a club Crystal Palace will play at Wembley again, as I am sure Dougie Freedman will manage there at some point in what should be a long and successful managerial career.

It was a fantastic occasion a major domestic cup semi final in a hostile country under lights to a finish in a hostile stadium. A brilliant defensive performance with the indisputable fact that apart from a lot of pressure leading to Antony Gardner’s second leg own goal scoring for Cardiff, they failed to score against Palace once in two matches and a period of extra time, Palace deservedly forcing the match to be decided by a penalty shootout. Although arguably a negative performance where Palace rode their luck at times the defensive effort was supreme and the players were superb their energies made me and all Palace fans proud, they were worthy of a penalty shootout. A penalty shootout is a lottery and as such had it gone differently the result could also have been different. Despite this it is only fair to be magnanimous at times and although I am a biased, partisan Palace fan who would have loved to have gone to Wembley the right team probably won on the night and I wish Cardiff well at Wembley and indeed as representatives of the Football League I hope they win the cup. Good luck to Malkey Mackay he is an excellent young manager I admire very much. I just hope circumstances around the excitement and importance of the tie to both clubs do not sour the relationship between two good forward thinking clubs in Crystal Palace and Cardiff City.

So to what comes next. Never has there been a better time for the A23 Derby against the seaweed with that lot on a high after beating Newcastle and being drawn against Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup. With us on a bit of a downer after our penalty shootout disappointment in Cardiff Freedman may feel a bit of personal pressure for the first time since his return to the club with the new owners. What a perfect game therefore, the one he scored his hundredth goal in, Brighton is a match he understands the importance of to Crystal Palace, its fans the club. After all he is the mastermind behind Brightons first league defeat in history at the AMMEX. He will be under no pressure from the Holmesdale, so let us welcome home the heroes of our magnificent cup run and mark the occasion by hammering our Derby foe!

Congratulations lads, COME ON!!!

Referee’s? Why Bother and What is the Point!

I really do not want to have a rant because there really is no need. Palace are having their best season in years and Freedman in my eyes has not only secured the clubs future for the better but he has also secured his status as untouchable club legend and my personal idol. Look no further than Brighton, Millwall, and the cup run with the result at Manchester United away for proof of that. No the reason I rant is the quality of referee’s and general officiating in this division. I have not seen a good referee in the Championship for years and the quality of the officiating in the 1 – 1 draw against Leeds Utd on Saturday was so bad and frankly one sided I was left questioning my sanity and posing the question; Referee’s? What is the point? Would the game not be better off without officials with the flow of the game being upheld by players? Mad though this seems I think the results of recent matches would have been less complicated by the egos and personalities of officials that are far from consistent!

Harsh though this seems I am trying not to script a knee jerk reaction rant but the dismissal of Sean Scannell at the end of the first half was not a booking because in my view there was no contact, indeed I think the Leeds player tripped over his own foot and the Referee was at a poor angle to see this. The truly frustrating thing about this refereeing performance is Leeds are still two points above us and victory would have put us in the playoff shake up, now we are bunched up further away in mid table. The annoying thing was the official’s inconsistency which went to the extreme with Leeds gaining decisions Palace simply did not get. Even decisions that seemed 70 % - 30% Palace went Leeds way. It is fair to say that any decision does ultimately affect both teams and last Tuesday we were lucky in the League Cup Semi Final with Referee Mike Dean disallowing a legitimate Cardiff goal, decisions do go both ways and Tuesdays decision went in Palace’s favour. I must be clear this annoyance is not sour grapes, as a fan on the pitch I have nothing to worry about, but I honestly think it is coming to a time where football as a whole would be better off if it trialled no officials.

To the match itself that finished in a credible draw against a good Leeds side. The red card just before half time changed the game and meant Palace went from dominating offensively to defending. Yet in going 10 vs 11 Palace had the opportunity to work a defensive formation practising defending a lead for forty five minutes at a man’s disadvantage. In the second half the absence of Scannell meant when Palace attacked with balls up to Easter and Martin through Wright and Ambrose second wave opportunities were few and far between. No one was there to pick up the ball off Leeds clearances and as a result support for Parr and Dumbaye in launching second wave attacks was lacking. Palace were defensively dominant and keeper Speroni made a fantastic double save that was world class involving him reacting to get down low to the ground quickly to turn the ball around his near post.

The game was entertaining and Leeds were worthy of their point despite the officiating. Before the sending off palace were dominant deservedly taking the lead in the opening ten minutes in a well worked move with Ambrose supplying Martin to slot home with a crisp finish past Lonarghan. After this Palace controlled the game with the back four sweeping up any pressure with a solid debut from Doncaster loanee Mousa Duombaye who slotted into an established back four that remained confident and hard to break down even after the red card. The good fortune of a deflection offered Leeds the path they were looking for to get back into the match with the returning Robert Snodgrass able to equalise and rescue a point for Leeds against a determined Palace side. No doubt the travelling fans from Yorkshire would have been delighted with the point even if Simon Grayson needed to rely on the officials to do half his job for him.

I think my frustration is as a fan I view this as a ruined opportunity to pick up points on a rival team for the playoffs in the top half of the Championship. I cannot be critical of Crystal Palace’s endeavour either in keeping their heads in difficult circumstances and being professional in getting a point from the game or in producing the best on the pitch all season. Next week we play Blackpool at the seaside in the hope of gathering pace on our rivals outside the playoffs. I will be following intently. Blackpool is important as this Freedman’s last chance to gather his tactical thoughts prior to the conclusion of the League Cup Semi Final in Wales.

Wembley Hope On Edge Of Gardner’s Spade!

So it has arrived. Selhurst Park under lights filled to capacity for the biggest cup game in a decade, the ground pulsating with excitement and hope, the mighty Cardiff City between us and Wembley. (Ha ha unlucky Man Utd.) Eleven exciting Palace players in a squad of seventeen, with the opportunity to become club legends heroes delivering them to Wembley. For only the second time in the cup playing history of Crystal Palace Football Club we have a shot at making a major domestic cup final. The 2012 Carling Cup Semi Final has arrived and it is an opportunity for Crystal Palace to shine.

Before the match much of the talk was of a severe sickness virus that had strichened much of the palace team and left them down to the bare bones over the Christmas period and playing a team of youth and academy players in the tight FA Cup defeat against Derby County. Indeed sickness talk was so prevalent that the naming of the Palace team was delayed till after 6pm just before kickoff. Yet when it came enough of the first team were fit that we looked strong on paper and fans around the club were wondering was the hoohaa around team selection a fantastic Freedman rouse to confuse Cardiff. In the end it was only Nathanial Clyne who was out and Sean Scannell on the bench who were affected by the mystery virus.

The atmosphere was pumping at kick off a fantastic ‘Wembley Park’ banner hung hopefully over the Holmesdale Road End which was a sea of red and blue, noise was deafening and smoke hung in the air as Cardiff City fans let off a smoke bomb misting the still January air. Noise rang round the stadium and expectation, nerves, and hope were churning up the pit of my stomach as the game got underway. The game was important, exciting, so why then did the next ninety minutes feel like I was being whipped by a sadist? Probably because the game was very open and Cardiff started well and had a number of chances as they looked to exploit a palace side that started slowly and off the pace. Indeed later in the second half Palace rode their luck and Cardiff scored what looked like a legitimate goal only for referee Mike Dean to disallow it.

In all fairness if I were a Welshman I would have been annoyed putting it politely with the decision. The key moment in the match came at the end of the first half when Antony Gardner headed into an empty net after an Ambrose free kick was knocked on by the Jedi(nak) leaving Cardiff keeper Tom Heaton in no mans’ land as Gardner did the business at the back post. It proved to be the only goal of a tight open and very tense game coming in the perfect period just before half time. Gardner was superb all game illustrating his skill and defensive consistency from his Tottenham days for the national and international TV audience.

The whole team were ultimately set up to defend on the night. The energies of the entire cup run were channelled into not conceding an away goal and keeping a clean sheet leading to a nerve shredding evening. (As mentioned earlier tendencies to enjoy mental torture anyone.) In all seriousness massive credit to Dougie Freedman, Lennie Lawrence ant Tony Popovic for Palace’s defensive tactics they got it spot on. If Freedman continues to manage in such an astute and effective manner he will be a manager until he is old and grey. Although still a rookie boss Freedman is becoming more experienced all the time and his knowledge of and passion for Crystal Palace gains the respect of all his players. There will be more tests to come but he has the ability to face these challenges. It is also an impressive Palace record to beat Brighton, Millwall, and Manchester United away in the same season little own his first full season as a manager.

Intense tight and nerve shredding goes only so far as to explain the emotional rollercoaster of Tuesday night, trouble is it is only half time in the tie and Cardiff City will come very, very strong in the second leg. The emotional ringer will only get worse in Wales but bring it on because the prize is huge and there is a place at Wembley at stake. The 24th January 2012 is a day of massive significance in the history of Crystal Palace Football Club but as yet we do not know for what glory or pain. The 2012 Carling Cup Semi Final is at half time and we lead 1 – 0 with the security of not conceding an away goal. Take nothing for granted though the tie is on a knife edge, be brave lads and become legends. Wembley awaits! EAGLES

Pick Your Battles Palace; Freedman Can Learn A Lot From Valuable Defeat.

A 2 – 1 defeat to Leicester City on the face of it is disappointing and combined with the result at Southampton it appears a relatively difficult and disappointing festive period. Yet a victory away against Millwall will be remembered for a long time and offers great joy to palace fans. The reality is however that often you can learn more from defeat in football than you can from victory, and in that regard this defeat to Leicester City could be one of the most valuable defeats in Crystal Palace history.

Valuable because sometimes one needs to pick your battles in football. Eight games in just over a month would stretch any squad at any level and to be successful you need to test the strength and depth of the squad available to you. Being placed in a good position in the league just outside the playoffs and with a great opportunity to get to Wembley in the League Cup, that is why many games are coming up in a short period and clearly one must prioritise the important matches and tailor the different abilities of squad players to the fixtures ahead. The important matches are the two games against Cardiff City in the semi final which could be amongst the biggest games in Palace’s history, and of course the big derby match against Brighton at the end of the month.

Although Freedman’s Palace lost to Leicester City at Selhurst (only Palace’s third home defeat in a year) it could prove a very useful loss. This is because viruses to Julian Speroni, and centre back partnership Antony Gardner, and Paddy McCarthy meant the squad was tested with Lewis Price continuing in goal and Peter Ramage and Deko Keinan coming into defence and although Keinan will not play against his parent club Cardiff, it did give Freedman the opportunity to look at the depth of his squad with O’Keefe starting in midfield with Jedinak and Garvan with Zaha providing pace and creativity in the middle of the park. The defence was at fault for both Leicester goals but grew into the match and when Jonathan Parr halved the deficit before the break the Palace midfield then created most of the chances in the second half only to be thwarted by the excellent Kasper Schmeichel who is capable of playing at a higher level at a bigger club.

The significance of the defeat is it shows Freedman the depth and capability of the squad available to him. Able squad players like Price, Ramage and O’Keefe have proven themselves ready to play a part if and when required in this most important part of the season. Striving for the playoffs and pushing to make history in the League Cup Freedman will need to optimise all resources available to him. Next week we play Derby in the FA Cup third round I will not be there although I look forward to following the game in the context of wider events on one of the best weekends of the season. My mind is now focussed on the massively important League Cup semi final next Tuesday. It will not be an easy game, in my view Cardiff City are the best all round footballing side outside the Premier League but I have faith in cup football and there can be no doubt that Crystal Palace are up for the cup. Good luck lads.

Easter Crowns Palace Kings of South London

Yes! Yes! Yeehaah! Whoopie!

That is how delighted I am. Goodbye to a fantastic footballing year for Crystal Palace that built slowly as a transition and ended as a crescendo at Old Trafford and most pleasingly at the New Den on Saturday. As a fan there can be no greater pleasure then beating Bermondsies offering to the universe on their own patch. To be honest I would have settled for that and a quiet season but when you factor in a cup run, winning against Manchester United, and being the first team in history to beat Brighton in the league at their new stadium I would have bitten your hand off. The fact the history books will forever bear witness to Palace’s supremacy over Brighton illustrates how enjoyable a year 2011 has been.

The Millwall match is an illustration of the new fortitude and relative depth of the Palace squad this season. It also illustrates that Freedman is a rookie manager who learns from his mistakes and knows importance of getting the team to perform and win in massive games against bitter local rivals. Illustrated by our first win at the New Den since 1996 (Kasey Keller and all that.) Freedman’s influence is making it a season of landmarks but he is also growing in experience and this is shown by his team selection and his faith in squad players. This was demonstrated against Millwall in the absence of Julian Speroni with the selection of Lewis Price who played excellently and should be more than ready when called upon against Cardiff City.

Freedman also has flexibility in midfield and options up front. Resting Murray as part of the rotation for the busy festive period and month of fixtures ahead his replacement in the starting line up Jermaine Easter proved more than capable combining beautifully with strike partner Chris Martin to slot home the winner at the near post. Easter finished a neat move started by Wilf Zaha that saw Ambrose combine with Mile Jedinak in midfield to create the chance for Martin to feed Easter to finish and send the Palace fans into delirium. Palace deserved to win the game but again relied somewhat on defending deep in the second half relying heavily on the ample talents of Clyne and Parr at the back but there can be no doubt the win was deserved. Even if the victory could have been more comprehensive it could not have been better received, truly fantasic!

I like Dougie Freedman because instead of relying on his already obvious and sublime past achievements as a player with our club he is brave, clearly knows his players, and is not afraid to take risks to achieve. Against Millwall he was brave with his team selection chosing Martin and Easter over Murray and Scannell up front. He would have been criticized had he lost but he knew what needed freshening up from the disappointment of the Southampton match and strengthened the midfield with the creativity of Jedinak and Ambrose. It worked, putting Palace on the front foot exploiting a Millwall side clearly fragile on confidence. Spirit is strong and players want to play for him. Jermaine Easter is a case in point prepared to wait patiently for his chance, scoring goals consistently from the subs bench before taking his chance in the starting line up. A chance he did not waste scoring the goal in the first win at the New Den crowning Palace kings of South London. Happy New Year!