At around 4:45pm on Saturday it really felt like the world had caved in after the defeat to Tottenham.
It was made to feel worse because of one particular event during the game. An excellent first half display and because we had been away at some other perhaps more difficult grounds like the Etihad and Stamford Bridge had more than exceeded expectations.
Palace went into the game at White Hart Lane with a massive sense of hope and positivity that we could come away with a draw from this game and possibly even an away win.
It was very early on when Chamakh was taken down in the box and Palace were awarded the penalty. Jason Puncheon claimed the ball and there was an air of optimism as he placed it on th epenalty spot. I remember being not quite so optimistic at Selhurst Park in the same scenario against Norwich but the penalty against the Canaries was very well taken so why should this be any different?
We gasped, Puncheon took the run-up, looked to change his mind mid-flow and completely (and I mean completely) missed the target. The rest is history and we should not dwell on the penalty but you cannot help but wonder what may have happened in the remainder of the game had this opportunity been converted.
Sadly, we will never know the answer to that question.
Once the shock around the penalty had removed itself from my body, a feeling of rationalisation and reflection set in. The penalty was truly dreadful but anybody has to admire a player that is willing to take that responsibility with the baying crowd and media looking on. The end result (no matter how bad) was simply a missed penalty. Missing a penalty is something that can happen to any player at any time in their career (ask Roberto Baggio) and I actually ended up feeling sorry for Puncheon as it was obvious what the next few days would bring for him.
Twitter exploded with a mixture of doom and gloom, expletives around Puncheon’s qualities and orders to send him back to Southampton from the “experts” directly at him or to Steve Parish.
Sure, we were gutted and even angry for a while but this was not something that had been witnessed since towards the end of last season where a number of players were directly abused by so called fans as we struggled to cement our place in the play-offs. It was completely unacceptable then and just as unacceptable now to abuse our players directly.
You have to wonder if some of these people were cheering Puncheon’s name and celebrating with him when he previously converted that penalty against Norwich.
For me, the jury is still well and truly out on Puncheon and I would prefer to see others starting in his place. However, he is ultimately a Palace player. Our manager selected him to play and like it or not we have to go with those decisions and support the team on the pitch even if we have our own opinions on the starting line up and formation. I won’t go there today.
The reason that we actually lost on Saturday was because we did not score during the first half while we were in the ascendency. There was a lack of a striker with a cutting edge and the crossing and service was generally poor. Very obvious, but with these traits in this game and only thirteen goals scored in twenty one games, the need for a tried and tested striker is more apparent than ever.
At the other end of the pitch, we also lost the game due to defensive mistakes. Marriappa was out of position and challenging Adebayor along with Gabbidon whilst Delaney was also out of position and too far towards Parr. This left a gaping hole in the right back position which was exploited from the headed knock on leaving Speroni no chance of saving.
You could also perhaps argue that Bolasie should have tracked back and stayed with the runner. The second goal was arguably offside but again, we gave Defoe too much time and space. He sat in the space between our defenders and it was obvious that a bit of closer attention and marking from Parr would have probably stopped the second goal. We move on.
As we know, we left White Hart Lane having lost by two goals but was this a critical blow in our quest to stay in the Premier League this term?
To be totally honest, the answer is luckily no based on last weekend’s games.
From Hull City in tenth position downwards, at time of writing – Hull lost. Cardiff lost. Norwich lost. Fulham lost. West Brom lost. Swansea lost. Stoke lost. Villa lost. Only Sunderland and West Ham managed a win and these are the only two real negatives from the weekend of results and table perspective.
With just six points separating us in last place with seventeen points to tenth place on twnty three points, it’s still all to play for with nineteen games left having just passed the half way mark of the season. Seventeenth place and safety currently sits just one point away from us.
Palace now move into a phase of four games with three of them being played at Selhurst Park. Next we entertain Stoke City followed by Hull City and then West Bromwich Albion. All of these teams currently sit in the mix with ourselves and we have to look at these as massive games in shaping our season and its ultimate outcome.
Ideally, we would of course like to win all three as they are deemed “winnable” with the addition of home support. It would be massive to gain all nine points and put a few of these teams further into the quagmire but seven points from these games would be really good and should perhaps be looked at a minimum return to aim for.
We do also have an away trip to Arsenal amongst these fixtures but, for this fixture we should manage our expectations for the trip to the Emirates and look at anything we get as a bonus even if it is the odd goal here and there. Goal difference may also be vital in the closing games with the table being so close.
This is not a defeatist stance as I believe that we can win any game against any team but just a bit of a reality check for my expectations.
As an estimate, it looks as though seventeenth place will be decided on a relatively low points total and I estimate that Palace will require five wins and maybe a couple of draws to hit around thirty eight points from our last nineteen games to secure safety which does not sound too bad.
We still need to remain positive and keep the faith in staying up this season as this is definitely achievable as it stands. We have played almost all of the large and established teams away now and plenty of the bottom ten sides still need to make these trips.
This league is still completely open, it is destined to be incredibly close and it is almost certain to go to the wire and potentially even the last game. Having been a Palace fan all my life, I would not bet against it even going down to the last game of the season away at Fulham with the winner staying up. We will have to see if this is how it pans out as the season progresses but we have as good a chance as any of the other teams around and above us.
As mentioned, Stoke City arrive at Selhurst Park on Saturday and we have to look at getting a win and a crucial three points. To do this we need to be as loud and as proud as usual but also ensure that we stay behind the team throughout, no matter what happens. The players will be nervous after the last game and they will fully understand the magnitude of the game so it is even more important to get behind them for the full ninety minutes.
Help to remove the nerves and give them the confidence to play.
We have said it before many times but this was never going to be easy. It has been and continues to be a massive challenge for us in this league where the smallest mistake is punished without mercy but we are doing okay. Back in August I would have taken the table as it stands at this point in the season as we are still seriously challenging, have not been cut adrift and are generally playing pretty well.
We also still have some expected arrivals to give us more strength, depth and the impetus to push on until the end.
I think that we will win this weekend with goals from Chamakh but do not be at all surprised if Puncheon grabs the winner. If he starts, every bone and fibre in his body will be fired up to rectify the situation from last weekend for both himself and the fans.
Article written by Paul Price
