This weekend has proved to be an unexpected one with so many big clubs falling out the FA Cup or being forced to go to a replay.
For Palace fans we can jump up and down happily and thank the footballing gods that we do not have to go to a replay and that our winning streak continues.
I have to admit I did not watch or listen to the game live but instead caught up with the scores during all the games. After the performance against Southampton on Boxing Day I just was not sure whether I could handle the ‘must win’ feeling. Of course, all went well and we can celebrate our performance. Four out of four games won for Alan Pardew, let us just hope that he can keep it up.
Depending on the rest of the results to come there is the chance that we could become the favourites. Considering that around Christmas we were basically being written of and being put in the Championship fixtures ball I cannot help but feel smug at the demise of big names from the cup.
Being on such a winning streak does perhaps scare me more than being on a rocky road of fixtures. Winning is something that I enjoy, I mean who does not. Get bored of winning and you get bored of life but the more you win the more you have to lose. Every game in every competition from this point is going to be a nail-biter where I fear it will all come crashing and burning.
Though I am greatly optimistic about the game against Everton and I see no reason at all why we cannot go on to keep our winning run going. I really am unsure about where we are going to finish at the end of the year. Let us hope that it is with an FA Cup in the trophy cabinet.
Reaching the FA Cup final could prove to be a little problematic as it means the Julian Speroni testimonial will be within a week of the final and could therefore result in that match being down a few quality players. I mean, I am sure that Speroni could handle a slightly weaker testimonial match and a few aching muscles if it meant that the club could have a bit of silverware.
No matter what is to come over the next few weeks or months at least we have seen that our new signing of Yaya Sanogo was not the complete waste that many of us were expecting him to be. It is almost like Arsene Wenger has a little bit of a soft spot for Palace and just sends us the ‘underperforming’ players so that we can go on to succeed and score a few goals.
Sadly the one thing that concerned me about the team we put out had to be of how serious it was. Many of our youth players are on loan but the further we progress in the FA Cup and through the Premier League this season the less likely it becomes that developing stars can break into the squad any time before summertime friendlies. That is something that concerns me a little.
Regardless, I will raise a glass to our performance this weekend and celebrate because as football fans we all know we have to live in the moment.
