It has not been the best week for Crystal Palace.
Our losing run in the Premier League goes on, and then we got a drubbing at the hands of Manchester City in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.
The Leicester result was unfortunate, and although it was not a vintage Palace performance we did enough to come away with at least a point. One mistake from Brede Hangeland certainly cost us.
We could have had at least two penalties in the final minutes. The one on Wilfried Zaha was a certainty and then the handball was also a penalty in my eyes, but in the Premier League that is just the way it goes sometimes. We have to move on, and forget.
What does concern me is the way some fans venting their frustrations on social media. I noticed it more and more on Wednesday evening that some of the fans feel like Palace are in a bit of a crisis. Now come on. A crisis? I think not.
I could name a few other clubs in the top flight that are currently in a crisis. Chelsea are certainly stuck in a rut and are in a worse position than us, even though I never expected to be able to say that.
The Palace faithful should stick with the team. We do not need silly and uninformed comments in an attempt to cause aggravation. If we were Newcastle United or Sunderland fans, then of course you would be entitled to rant but we are seventh in the league, and if I am not mistaken this is arguably the best Palace side we have seen in years. Please just enjoy. It is a couple of losses and I have complete faith that the side will turn it around.
I want to turn my attentions to on loan striker Patrick Bamford. After the midweek defeat in Manchester he got a lot of stick and honestly, some of it was deserved in my opinion.
First of all I do not see him as a striker. At his tender age he is not physical enough to cope with the likes of Eliaqium Mangala and Martin Demichelis who were in the heart of the City defence. For me he needs to put himself about a bit more, just like Dwight Gayle does even though he does not have the physical attributes as Connor Wickham or Marouane Chamakh for example but at least he tries. Bamford just did not do that on Wednesday evening.
I am sure Middlesbrough fans will say that he can play upfront because he did that for them in the Championship last season to devastating effect. What I will say, the Premier League is much more cut throat than the Championship is. As we found out to our dismay on Wednesday, Joe Ledley was guilty of missing two great chances and so was Bamford. If either or both of those had gone in it could have been an entirely different game of football.
We will have to see how Bamford progresses throughout the season, but in my eyes he would be better suited to the number ten role, whether that will play out is another matter.
After our back-to-back defeats in the League it does not get any easier for us, welcoming Manchester United to Selhurst Park and then a trip to Anfield tp play Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
We should be looking to get some points out of one or both of these games although they are against strong opposition. I am more wary of Liverpool at the moment as Klopp will turn out to be a success at Anfield. Facing them at their own ground will certainly not be like the last time we played them in Steven Gerrard’s last home game.
Against United I am more confident that we can get at least a point. We know the attacking talent they have, but in recent weeks they have not looked very creative if you ask me. Their defence is not the one of bygone eras, so if we attack well and as a cohesive unit we can certainly get something out of what is now a huge game for us.
I am looking forward to the game and hope we can get back to winning ways, but please do not stress if we do not. The club are in a good position. It is certainly not all doom and gloom at Selhurst just yet.
