Surprise package Leicester City are the next opponents for Palace so we had a chat with Foxes fan Jim Knight about the incredible season it has been for the club.
Q. The impossible dream could well become reality. How are you feeling?
I am pretty nervous now. It was all fun and games when we were top of the league and everyone was assuming we were going to drop away, but now that things have got a lot more serious it is a very strange feeling. It has been a while since I got butterflies before matches but it feels like a two day build up to every game now, but in a good way. It is a real rush, the fans are absolutely loving it.
Q. The big question is, do you think you will go on and win the title?
Absolutely! We have have come through every test put in front of us so far this season and we have not really gone far in any cup competition so the squad is still relatively fresh. That said, we have several tricky games coming up between now and the end of the season but you have got to feel confident given that we are five points clear at this stage.
Q. It has been an incredible transformation from relegation candidates to title challengers. What has been the key to that change?
It is tough to put a finger on just one factor, it is that perfect storm and everything has come together under Claudio Ranieri. Nigel Pearson laid the groundwork at the tail end of last season with our incredible run and that form has just carried on into this season. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez will get most of the plaudits but the transformation in players like Danny Drinkwater, Danny Simpson and Wes Morgan has been nothing short of incredible.
You are seeing the kind of improvement that you would expect of a teenager coming through and learning their trade, not lads who have been playing professionally for years. I have never seen anything like it. The team spirit is the big factor though, there is no shortage of belief but it is not tipping into over confidence, the players are putting in the time in training, the sports science department are keeping the injuries at bay and the results are coming on the pitch.
Q. Are you expecting a difficult summer as you attempt to hold on to star players such as Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez?
I do not think Jamie Vardy will move, he has signed a new contract on £80,000 a week and at twenty-nine it is unlikely someone is going to pay him more than that and a big transfer fee for a player that will have no resale value. He is on the fringes of the England set up too and that is a huge factor for someone who has been playing in non-league as recently as four years ago. He needs regular game time.
Riyad is going to be hot property this summer, the fact he is a big part of the Algeria team will mean he is more likely to move this summer than next due to the African Cup Of Nations so I am expecting some big bids but it would have to be an absolute top club given that he is such a talent and we will be playing in the Champions League next season. He has a young family in the city so hopefully a bumper new contract will convince him to stay.
I’m more concerned about keeping hold of N’Golo Kante, he’s become the heartbeat of the team and he’s going to be on a lot of people’s radars as well as possibly breaking into the France team this summer.
Q. On the flip side, do you think the approach to transfers in the summer will alter significantly?
We will need to be busy, the extra games involved in playing European football would decimate our current squad but with wealthy owners, additional prize money and the new television deal there should be plenty of cash to spend.
The issue now might be that we are likely to be paying a ‘success tax’ because everyone knows that we are usually bargain hunters in the market. Not to the same extent as the ‘big’ teams but clubs in France (where we usually scout intensively) will know that the war-chest is full and we are in need of players.
It will be interesting to see how much the team changes next term. You cannot imagine the likes of Wes Morgan playing in the Champions League but the fact the squad is better than the sum of its parts might mean we are unlikely to change things too much. It will probably be a case of getting strength in depth to support those who have done so well this season.
Q. What were your thoughts on your narrow win against Palace earlier in the season?
It was a tight game that could have gone either way. We have shaded a few matches like that this season, especially when Vardy was on such a hot streak of form but there certainly was not much in it. The lack of goal threat from Palace was evident watching from the stands, obviously that might change with the reinforcements that have been brought in.
Q. What are your thoughts on Palace this season?
It seems to be a textbook Pardew season, a really good start then a huge drop off since the New Year. I put Palace up as a good bet for a top eight finish this season and it started so well!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I genuinely think they would have been much better off in the league with a decent striker who could win games with a moment of magic. It is tough to find players like that but when you have not won a game for a while you need someone like that to step up and score the goals to drag you back into form.
Q. Name a player from each side that the opposition should be concerned about.
Yannick Bolasie scares me a bit, he is so strong and quick, he reminds me of Jeff Schlupp in the sense that he is very direct but Bolasie has got more end product at this point. He and Wilfried Zaha will certainly be a test for the full backs. I am guessing Robert Huth has played against Emmanuel Adebayor a few times so he should be able to keep hold of him!
Q. Your prediction?
I will back Leicester to shade another 1-0. We have really improved defensively in the last few months and as much as I would like to see an open game between two attacking teams I think it could follow that cagey mould that we have started to see as it comes towards the end of the season.
Q. Please tell us a little about what you do and share anything that you are currently working on.
I am the Gaming Content Manager for sports media company PERFORM. Most of the content that would be of interest to TEB readers is probably on Goal UK and International editions where I am in charge of the betting editorial. I am also a regular on the EPL Round Table podcast discussing Leicester’s recent games.
