It is never a dull moment being a Palace fan.
The highs and lows continue to take us all on a journey that we all hope never ends and as Palace rocketed themselves into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in twenty-one years, this is definitely one of the high points.
Despite the euphoria of going to Wembley, we are still very much struggling in the league. To go from European potentials to a possible relegation scrap is concerning and we are now in a position where questions are asked and fingers pointed.
One of the biggest debates among fans at the moment and across all social media is who should Alan Pardew be placing in goal.
It is actually refreshing to think that we have the choice of three (arguably) great goalkeepers. Needless to say though, for some, they are not proving themselves in their position (well two of them any way … apparently!)
Every week, the post match reaction is of people crying out for a change while pre-match there are questions such as ‘Why is Jules not starting?’ frequently asked. I cannot remember a time when we had such a debate over the role goalkeeping position and it is something that has continued to divide the fans since the season began.
The current first choice is Wayne Hennessey and he is the goalkeeper that Super Al has chosen to guard the net most this season. Joining the side in January 2014, he made his debut at the end of that season against Fulham. It was not until the end of the 2014/15 season that we saw him back in goal. Due to Julian Speroni being injured, the Welsh number one stepped up for our fixtures against Swansea City and Liverpool. It was at this point the rumours and speculation began that we may not see Jules in goal again. Making twenty-two appearances so far, Wayne is clearly Pardew’s preferred choice, and although he has made some calamitous errors, he has retained his place much to the dismay of many.
Coupled with the rumours that our favourite Argentine had been dropped in favour of Hennessey, the signing of Alex McCarthy in July 2015 from Queens Park Rangers simply added more fuel to the fire. Making his debut back in August against Norwich City, McCarthy has since made seven appearances for Palace, including the now infamous game against Liverpool. The slip gave some fans all the ammunition they needed to begin call for their hero Speroni once again and for McCarthy to be relegated to the bench, or even banished forever!
Every single Palace fan holds a deep respect and love for Julian Speroni. He is still the number one at Palace, albeit by the digit on the back of his jersey. He is a legend who will go down in Palace folklore as one of, if not the, greatest goalkeeper ever to wear our beloved badge. So many people were hoping to see him back in goal on Friday but it just was not to be.
As much as I love Jules, I did not think we would see him in goal against Reading. He has not played one minute of first team football this season, and only recently played in an academy match against Colchester United in which Palace were defeated 2-1.
Too many people are hung up on the romance of our favouite South American and I guess many feel a certain amount of loyalty to him. They feel that he deserves to go straight into the team even though he has not played, and I do understand that love. I feel it too. However, we all know deep down that we probably will not see Jules play in goal for us again.
I really hope I am wrong but whether he does or not, what we all have to do is back whoever takes his place between the sticks. It is like any other player, we back them regardless. Yes, if they make mistakes, we are entitled to be critical, just like you would anybody in anything that they do.
As we embark on a FA Cup semi-final clash against Watford, we have to embrace the decisions that our manager makes. Whether you like his decisions or not regardless of line up and who the choice in goal is we are all Palace and we must keep the faith.
Wembley, here we come.
