Six games at Selhurst Park. Four games on the road.
That is all that remains of the 2014/15 season for Palace as we wind down towards the Julian Speroni Testimonial on the 26th May.
The thought of winding down sounds absurd as we look ahead to a record breaking third consecutive season in the Premier League. Too confident perhaps? Maybe so, but with plenty of hard work still to come there is a solid base that has set us up with what appears the general view of needing just three more wins to secure safety. It could well be just the two.
Let us not get too ahead of ourselves here. This is Palace, albeit a much improved version to the one that many of us seasoned followers have been so used to. Even Alan Pardew eluded to it himself in that this is a club that so often does things the hard way. It is what we have come to expect which leaves a slight tinge of concern.
Our home form is not great, we are much better playing away but 60% of the remaining games will be played at Selhurst Park. We could well afford to lose all of our remaining home games and pick up two wins on the road from Stoke, Sunderland, Chelsea or Liverpool.
Here is what we have left to look forward to:
- 14th March – Queens Park Rangers (h)
- 21st March – Stoke City (a)
- 6th April – Manchester City (h)
- 11th April – Sunderland (a)
- 18th April – West Bromwich Albion (h)
- 25th April – Hull City (h)
- 2nd May – Chelsea (a)
- 9th May – Manchester United (h)
- 16th May – Liverpool (a)
- 24th May – Swansea City (h)
Easy some will say to achieve the necessary nine points. As it stands, we still have to play four teams that are currently sitting below us in the table. Those are the games that we need to focus on and avoid defeat. In saying that, we have managed to get results against plenty of teams above us such as Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham.
It is far from the nervy end that many anticipated with three of the last four games against top four contenders. The game this weekend against QPR will go a long way to confirming our place in the Premier League next season.
We have the personnel to get the points we need to get across the line. The recent spate of injuries along with the suspension of Mile Jedinak have limited the options available from the bench but we continue to compete. We will see the striking personnel stengthen again in the coming weeks for that final assault.
I for one believe that we can achieve a minimum of 14 points from the last ten games to put us on for a 44 point mid-table finish.
It remains to be seen if this happens but for once there is an air of belief around the club and a real feeling that it will certainly not be a stretch to get there. Maybe we have earned the right to feel like this but let us hope that does not leave us with egg on our faces.
