I have got that feeling. You know the one?
You wake up in the morning, go on your phone, check your bank account and find you have been paid. Nothing beats it, and it is how I felt Saturday morning as I woke up, checked my Twitter and saw the investment from American businessmen Joshua Harris and David Blitzer had gone through and Palace gained a significant sum in the bank.
Unfortunately none of that investment comes to TEB so I will not be requesting a pay rise just yet, but what fantastic news for a club which has been categorically neglected funds in the last two decades. For the fans this means a stadium refresh, with far better facilities. Our archaic and frankly unhygienic toilets simply do not fit a club of our stature. The entrances and small walkways inside the ground could also do with an upgrade. I am getting carried away now, but it is clear that this is a truly exciting time for the club and the fans with us arguably in a more financially secure position than ever before.
I write this latest Fan Chat slightly later than usual this week on the Sunday after a fantastic, and slightly fortunate away win at a very good Stoke side who, for much of the game, were dominant in possession and would have won had it not been for Wayne Hennessey between the sticks. The big Welshman has come in for a bit of stick from me in this column and some other Palace fans too, however, in the last four games (which we are unbeaten in) he has made some truly world class saves, and has two man of the match awards to his name for that reason. He has well and truly cemented his place as the number one goalkeeper which spells a very sad end to Julian Speroni’s time as our ever-present goalkeeper. A rather bittersweet moment for Palace fans.
It was disappointing to see Yohan Cabaye revealed as injured before the game, because not having him controlling the midfield is a significant setback for us. However, it was fantastic to see Joe Ledley come and make his first start of the season (I think) and show a similar dominant display, albeit some wayward passing. And what about Lee Chung-yong, with that fantastic thirty-one yard side footed strike to seal the victory for us. I have never known anyone to score a side footed goal quite like it, and it was a special goal for a player who is undoubtedly one of the more quiet members of the squad. It is sad to see him not getting as much game time as he may like, but with Wilf, Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie in your squad, what can you do?
In our last four games we have obtained ten points, which is staggering when three of the four teams faced are arguably stronger than us. I was especially surprised about our victory against Southampton who have been a bit of a Premier League bogey team for Palace for the last three years. I have to admit I would have been happy with five points from those games so to achieve double that is magnificent and a nice early Christmas present for me and other Palace fans. We are level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and at this stage of the season that makes me immensely proud to be a Palace fan, however, even when we were bottom of the Championship I was proud to be a Palace fan.
Looking forward, we have a set of (dare I say it) winnable games coming up over the festive period, although now Jose Mourinho has left Chelsea, they will undoubtedly perform well again. First up is Bournemouth, who I really want to see stay up in the Premier League. It is a shame that Murray is not getting a huge amount of game time with them but that looks set to change with all the injuries they are currently dealing with. It seems inevitable that he will score against us, as it is always the way with former players.
However, this is a game that is eminently winnable for us. The reason for the big scalps Bournemouth have had in their last three games, I think, is that other clubs are naive and see them as minnows. If you go into any game in the Premier League thinking an easy win is on the cards, you will always have another thing coming. We need to show Bournemouth respect, they are playing excellent football and absolutely deserve to be in the Premier League. Let us hope they have a minor blip against us before continuing to safety and away from the relegation zone for the remainder of the season.
I am going to bring my piece to a close now, and as it is my final piece for TEB before Christmas I just want to take this moment to wish Crystal Palace fans everywhere a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. This is an exciting time to be a Palace fan, so keep supporting into 2016 and beyond because with our full support, this club has the potential to do great things in the coming year. Enjoy your festivities and lets hope for some fantastic results in this period.
UP THE PALACE!
