Welcome back to this weeks Fan Chat feature on TEB on a week where we have seen ANOTHER Chelsea defeat, a Palace youngster pick up a player of the month award and an excellent performance against Manchester United before we travel to take on a team Palace enjoy playing against, having had some fruitful results against them in recent years.
For me, Liverpool is always a special fixture, for multiple reasons. I remember a cup game when I was a kid where we beat Liverpool 2-1. I was in the main stand and it was the first real giant killing I had witnessed at Selhurst Park. What a fantastic feeling, beating a top side in that manner. As a child you cannot express what that does to you. It was my influence to keep returning to watch Palace, and part of the reason I just love supporting the club.
With Rodgers gone, and Klopp taking his place, Liverpool have got a real chance of success this year. The former Dortmund boss shows great character and is a joy to watch and listen to while his teams perform above and beyond what you would expect, with pace and fluidity, a game style which will suit Liverpool down to the ground.
The weak defence should remain a concern, and Palace will look to exploit this at Anfield. There is a lot of animosity from Liverpool fans towards the Palace faithful, mainly due to a certain incident at the back end of our first season back in the Premier League, which was dubbed ‘Crystanbul‘. That was another special night for me as a Palace fan, and is one of many excellent competitive games against the famous club.
One thing you must say is that the fans of Liverpool are very similar to ours, with their banners, their passion for their club and optimism at times. They create a special atmosphere at Anfield and the addition of 2,500 odd Palace fans will already add to the lively atmosphere. It is a difficult fixture for the traveling fans, a late kick-off on a Sunday will be difficult for those that rely on public transport, so I am proud of any fan that makes the long journey to Merseyside for this fixture.
There is a lot of history between these two clubs, and a popular statistic we share is that we are both one of the seven clubs that have beaten Chelsea this season. What a remarkable fall from grace that has been. Champions last season, and seemingly unstoppable, it seems something has dramatically changed behind the scenes, as those players are definitely not playing for the team anymore.
I have tried to diagnose Chelsea’s issues in previous weeks, with little success. Normally in a poor run of form, a team would usually have kicked into gear at this point. Something terminal at Chelsea is causing this run of results, and my suspicions are, and have always been, with the manager Jose Mourinho.
The special one, as he is otherwise known, has a brilliant reputation for bringing success to any team he manages, the trouble is, it rarely lasts long and normally some sort of rift throws the Chelsea manager back out into the open looking for work, which is not difficult to find for a man of his calibre.
It is hard to see him lasting much longer if results keep going this way, with Chelsea fast approaching the relegation zone, something has got to crack soon. Normally it will be the patience of Roman Abramovic that will go first which has held remarkably firm so far. I said last week if Chelsea lost to Stoke City, he would go. That is exactly what has happened. We can only wait and see if my prediction was correct.
Back onto Palace and as we heard this week, Sullay KaiKai who is on loan at Shrewsbury Town won the League One player of the month award. He is a very talented young player and I for one cannot wait for him to play permanently in a Palace shirt. He scored four goals in six games for them in October, which is a remarkable achievement. I am sure everyone will join me in congratulating him on achieving one of many potential awards he will receive in his career.
With the transfer window fast approaching the debate rages about our current attacking situation. Some fans are firmly set on us requiring a new striker while others hoping that our current attacking options will do the business. I am firmly in the camp of us purchasing a new striker, as readers of my previous articles will notice. It is a common trend for me bringing up this topic, however I think if I mention it enough, someone senior might notice it and take action!
As a team, we are made up of some very strong characters and talented players. However, the fact remains that they probably are not all top ten football club players, which makes our performances this season even more remarkable. It is great to watch some of the big name clubs, and big name players getting humbled by our Palace team. Much the way Leicester City have been surprising people this year. Hopefully Palace can match their form, starting with the game this weekend, and go on a winning run leading up to the Christmas period.
So be loud, be proud, and most importantly, keep being Palace because I have a feeling that this is going to be another season to remember.
