Football is a curious game.
One minute your team is flying high at the right end of the table and then, all of a sudden, you find that looking over the shoulder starts to become a common occurrence.
The season has been an odd one for Palace. Almost the reverse of the previous two Premier League campaigns.
Starting slowly and climbing the table to finish in the middle of the road was very welcome indeed. In both of those seasons, we started as one of the favoured teams to return to the Championship.
It was not quite the same at the start of the 2015/16 season. A tenth place finish in 2014/15 begged the question, what do Palace do now?
That question was answered sooner rather than later as the early season form saw the Eagles toy with the four for a few weeks. This was all very new. We have always been used to battling to get points early on to stay in touch with those in and around the bottom of the table to give a fighting chance in the New Year.
Perhaps that great early season form gave everyone a false impression. Talk of Europa League qualification was rife in the media and on a wave of euphoria, there were fans believing such an achievement could be on the cards.
Then the cracks started to appear. Injuries began decimating what was an in form side, loss of form and lack of goalscoring strikers. There is no need for excuses but club physiotherapist Alex Manos and Doctor Zaf have never been busier with the likes of Joel Ward, Pape Souare, Bakary Sako, Dwight Gayle and Marouane Chamakh queuing up to join long term absentee Kwesi Appiah in the treatment room. Then the player made of glass, Connor Wickham after showing that he could be a real influence in this team particularly after the win at Stamford Bridge, broke. The first of three spells out injured as well as a suspension.
There were more to come just to ensure that Manos and Zaf would not feel lonely after the early season rush.
Palace limped to the end of 2015, unbeaten in December but none of us could imagine after winning at Stoke City in such dramatic fashion in the middle of that month, we would get to the end of March without another three points to our name.
The injury to Yannick Bolasie was a bigger blow than we ever imagined. I do not think the most fanatical fan of the DR Congo international realised quite what an impact he has on the Palace team. But there was worse to come with injuries to James McArthur, Jason Puncheon and a terrible loss of form all contributed to the precarious position we now find ourselves in.
There are many that take great joy in repeating the fact that we are the only club in England not to have won a league game so far this year. It is rare for that fact to be quoted with the mention that Palace have found ways to win in the FA Cup against Premier League sides which has put the club into the semi-finals for the first time in twenty-one years which is no mean feat.
It begs the question whether there was a feeling that having such an great start encouraged the club to focus on an FA Cup run. There is no rhyme or reason to suggest that there was other than the god awful form that we are having to endure at the moment.
As things stand, Palace sit seven points off Sunderland in eighteenth place and Newcastle United a further point behind and you could be right in thinking that our superior goal difference compared with the clubs around the bottom is worthy of an extra point. Thankfully, Norwich City sit between the Eagles and the drop zone but with eight games left to play (seven for some) time is running out for the bottom four. Well, perhaps apart from Aston Villa who are waiting to be put out of their misery after a terrible season.
It is likely that one more win for the Eagles anywhere from the remaining eight games will seal another season in the top division, particularly as we have Norwich City and Newcastle United still to play, and I am confident that we will not go through the rest of the season without adding more points to the tally. In fact, while I have had some concern over the bad run of form, not once have I been worried about relegation. Perhaps it is denial, but all the time the team are showing some fight then I am convinced we will be just fine. If we did not have that in our game, there would be a real worry.
However. what is a concern is next season. There is no getting away from the fact that the incredible loss of form raises a lot of questions and this summer will be massive for Alan Pardew. He is unlikely to survive another such run like this one and while you can argue that Palace have been unlucky with injuries, decisions and general rub of the green, the finger pointing continues as to whether Pardew has the tactical nowse to arrest such dips in form.
Regardless of form, the clamour for FA Cup tickets will continue as will the views on social media about their distribution if the past week or so is anything to go by.
This Premier League season really has been extraordinary with Leicester City looking favourites to take the title. It has been one of two contrasting halves for Palace which could well end up with something for us fans to shout about come the end of May.
Be loud, be loud, be PALACE!
