Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham match thread

Willo said:
We are creating chances, it is our conversion rate that is woeful.
Yesterday we had 3 good opportunities to score with headers but on each occasion the efforts were off target.
No PL side has underperformed their expected goals (xG) tally by more than our team in the PL this season, scoring just 21 times despite an xG value of 29.4.
Click to expand...

We created chances from set pieces, but that’s not what I mean by creativity.
 
A games pile up and injuries have cost us. But there is nothing anyone can do about that. There is certainly a very good case for the contention that the squad is lacking in the necessary quality. We should be scoring more without a doubt - what a difference Calvert-Lewin or Watkins would make for example.
 
CPFCSaturn said:
We created chances from set pieces, but that’s not what I mean by creativity.
Click to expand...
My mind immediately focussed on the Mateta and Lacroix misses which were not set-piece situations.
Both were similar in that the ball was delivered to the far post in open-play, nodded back into a central area and the resultant header failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Over the season we have the biggest xG differential in the top flight this season, scoring 8.4 goals fewer than the xG would suggest in the PL this season, with 21 goals from 29.4 xG.
 
Willo said:
My mind immediately focussed on the Mateta and Lacroix misses which were not set-piece situations.
Both were similar in that the ball was delivered to the far post in open-play, nodded back into a central area and the resultant header failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Over the season we have the biggest xG differential in the top flight this season, scoring 8.4 goals fewer than the xG would suggest in the PL this season, with 21 goals from 29.4 xG.
Click to expand...

They were very much set piece situations - Lacroix being in the opposition six yard box is pretty telling.

In both cases the chances may not have come directly from the set piece, but a second phase of the situation, but they’re clearly not at all open play chances which is what I’m talking about.
 
its not the first christmas we havent done well , yes annoying we didnt beat them ,
Mateta header he was at full height he needed to be another 6 inchs taller to get it on target plus just behind him , he only getting half chances , said before you cant rely on one player scoring its a team game ,
yes missing Munoz is big when Clyne tried to set up Devenny he should have gone for goal sure Munoz would , there goal we had 3 players watching ,
so lets see what the new year brings in , we are only mid point we are 10 points better than last season , reckon 35 points is safety , injuried players back and 3/4 new players we will start winning regularly again
 
CPFCSaturn said:
They were very much set piece situations - Lacroix being in the opposition six yard box is pretty telling.

In both cases the chances may not have come directly from the set piece, but a second phase of the situation, but they’re clearly not at all open play chances which is what I’m talking about.
Click to expand...
We can debate 'Open-Play' v 'Set-Piece' and our interpretations of both phases of play in the context of the missed headers, the fact remains that our conversion rate this season is woeful as evidenced by the stats I provided.
 
Missed chances obviously make it difficult to achieve results, but in my view it’s simplistic to hide behind this and not address the more fundamental problem in recent weeks.

In recent weeks we have seen defensive mistakes by erstwhile very reliable players, a failure to win duels all over the field, a failure to win second balls at defensive set pieces, a failure to create much other than through the occasional long throw or set pieces.

There has been a drop off in performance levels of perhaps 10% in recent weeks.
Some of this will be attributable to the heavy fixture schedule and some to the absence of key players which has in particular hamstrung us offensively.

The effects of this could be at least partially addressed by a stronger squad e.g Boey to replace Munoz, Johnson as an additional forward option, Gallagher to bring much needed energy and impetus to the squad.
Sadly I don’t see this happening.
As a long term fan we’re in familiar territory like the story of Icarus flying too close too the sun.
We’ve briefly flirted with the top with the team of the 80s and with the Coppell team that finished third, but ultimately fell away.
Glasner has belief but I’m not sure the rest of the club has - and for good reasons.
We don’t have the investment , the stadium, the resources and the elite clubs have no interest in inviting us to the party.
And in terms of our history , long term fans who remember Division 3 days will think we are doing splendidly.
 
If Glasner doesn’t rate Nketiah or Uche as a centre forward then we need to find an alternative to Mateta in January. He looks cumbersome and reminds me of Benteke. If Edouard wasn’t such a lazy sod he’d be a bigger goal threat.
 
Palacesince64 said:
If Glasner doesn’t rate Nketiah or Uche as a centre forward then we need to find an alternative to Mateta in January. He looks cumbersome and reminds me of Benteke. If Edouard wasn’t such a lazy sod he’d be a bigger goal threat.
Click to expand...
The present day Mateta is reminiscent of Benteke. This must have been in my subconsciousness, as I mistakenly referred to our mis-firing striker as 'Benteke' at the match !
 
Palacesince64 said:
If Glasner doesn’t rate Nketiah or Uche as a centre forward then we need to find an alternative to Mateta in January. He looks cumbersome and reminds me of Benteke. If Edouard wasn’t such a lazy sod he’d be a bigger goal threat.
Click to expand...
There’s no doubt Mateta is a major problem and that Glasner doesn’t want to replace him with Nketia or Uche. But the other main problem is that whoever the other two selected to play just behind him are just so weak and also cause no threat to the opposition. Plus not having Munoz or a back up to him doesn’t help. We need Sarr back as well and a challenge/replacement to Pino as well as a new centre forward. Perhaps with this bigger squad space will be made for others to weigh in with the odd goal or two? I have doubts about this happening though in the fourth coming window :-(
 
Our teamwork and interplay was good yesterday, just no end product. It's a blip guys, too much negativity here - the squad is depleted and a bit run down, too many trips to the well. By mid Jan we'll have returning players, one or two new additions and only one game per week (apart from the Conference play off!) and we'll start winning consistently again - don't go over board with negativity on the basis of a few games. Be patient, it's just a rough patch, we'll be back on the fairway and bearing down on the flag by February.
 
ex hibitionist said:
Our teamwork and interplay was good yesterday, just no end product. It's a blip guys, too much negativity here - the squad is depleted and a bit run down, too many trips to the well. By mid Jan we'll have returning players, one or two new additions and only one game per week (apart from the Conference play off!) and we'll start winning consistently again - don't go over board with negativity on the basis of a few games. Be patient, it's just a rough patch, we'll be back on the fairway and bearing down on the flag by February.
Click to expand...
I've always thought we'd go on a poor run now, picking up the odd point, but go on a winning run the end of the season. We'll do something like win 8 of our last ten causing a few shocks in the title race and race for Europe along the way.
So look forward to that everyone.
 
mtp1958 said:
its not the first christmas we havent done well , yes annoying we didnt beat them ,
Mateta header he was at full height he needed to be another 6 inchs taller to get it on target plus just behind him , he only getting half chances , said before you cant rely on one player scoring its a team game ,
yes missing Munoz is big when Clyne tried to set up Devenny he should have gone for goal sure Munoz would , there goal we had 3 players watching ,
so lets see what the new year brings in , we are only mid point we are 10 points better than last season , reckon 35 points is safety , injuried players back and 3/4 new players we will start winning regularly again
Click to expand...
Or make some attempt to get off the ground. Whether it’s his knee problem I don’t know but he seems incapable of jumping these days. Flat footed in both boxes and even when trying to hold up a long ball from our keeper.
 
Here's a question. Could the club have vetoed Sarr's move to play in AFCON given his value to the first team, fixture congestion, lack of team depth and mounting injuries? Sarr's absence for Palace is so telling at present.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Holmesdale Online Shop

Back
Top