In the latest from our Fan Chat feature Stu Ions returns to share his views on Pulis, Warnock, transfers and also puts in his request for us to just get on with the football after weeks of un-welcome chaos.
Well that was all a bit mad now wasn’t it?
If you went on holiday in the middles of August to somewhere with no internet or phone reception you would of had quite a surprise on your return. Crystal Palace must be the only club in history to have their manager win the Premier League manager of the season award only for him to bolt out of the door two days before the new campaign starts.
Really? I mean really? Who does that? I do not care who you are or how well you have done. Leaving in such a manner is not acceptable. It frankly beggars belief. Cue a mad dash for a new manager with hilarious consequences for all those outside of the club.
Early favorite was former Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay. It seemed a deal was all but done. Just before he put pen to paper it was revealed that he and his buddy Iain Moody were a couple of massive racists. Sorry. Alleged racists. The press went to town with them as you would expect. Suffice to say, any job offer was quickly withdrawn and Moody stepped down from his job as Sporting Director at the club.
The search was back on. Who would we end up with? David Moyes? Neil Lennon? Steve Clarke? Glenn Hoddle? Some bloke from Chelsea we had never heard of? One question, so many answers.
It was to be none of these. Straight out of left field appeared Neil Warnock. The gentleman who left us when we were in dire straits a few years back. Much can be said about his previous exit from SE25. Some say he moved for the money joining QPR. Some say he did us a favour going when he did, his salary off the wage bill helped us financially. I suppose it is an argument for another time. In this instance, he was not the fans choice for the role.
With a new manager at the helm and less than a week of the transfer window remaining the inevitable bonkers dash for players ensued. Warnock’s first signing saw him bring back the prodigal son, Wilfried Zaha. Any doubts about bringing back our former academy graduate were quickly quelled against Newcastle United. Coming on as a substitute for his second debut, he not only ran the show but topped off his fine display by bagging a 95th minute equaliser.
We managed to bring in a further three signings on the last day of the transfer window or ‘Deadline Day‘ as it is known. Sky’s deadline day coverage is apparently a must watch. In reality, they report the transfer news you read on twitter hours earlier. Instead of using 140 characters they use loud men in suits with some attractive ladies dressed as bananas.
Anyway, I digress. The deadline signings were Zeki Fryers a left back (YAY!), James McArthur a cracking midfielder (YAY!) and Kevin Doyle. I am led to believe that the remaining transfer kitty was invested in a time machine and we have actually signed the Irish striker from 2008. Or did I dream that? I think I dreamt that but it would be pretty cool right? So present day Kevin Doyle will have to do.
The final day of the transfer window did throw us a curve ball in the shape of Glenn Murray heading out on loan to Reading. The question on many Palace fans lips was, why bring in Doyle and let Murray leave? The explanation of letting him go to get game time is a little hard to swallow. Let us hope he bangs in a load of goals for Reading, comes back and does the business for us, only time will tell.
Two days after the window closed (and I had nearly finished writing this piece by then), that time machine whirled back into action again. Palace legend Andy Johnson and his magic hat returned to SE25 for a second stint at the club. PHEWW that was exhausting!
You really could not make up the last three weeks. Considering the drama surrounding the club we have obtained some good signings in the last week. If you add them to the players already bought in I have to say that it has been a more successful window than last summer. It is by no means perfect but it could have been worse. The 25 man squad is now named. The manager is in place and we have a couple of weeks to mould the squad.
The key now is to get some stability back to the club. In the entertainment industry they say any publicity is good publicity. It is opposite in football. To much media and press interference has a negative effect on the team. It was clear we were well out of sorts against West Ham United. We had become a circus and a dream to negative pundits around the country. I can only hope that the madness of ‘Pulis-gate‘ is behind us and the team can now move on under our new leader.
I am a realist. I knew this season would be a struggle. With or without Pulis we were always on for another hard season. I am also ever the optimist. I am confident that we have got enough about us to stay in this league. With Neil Warnock we have got a passionate man who will fight our corner and at the moment that is all we can ask for.
Can we just play some football now?
