Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal match thread

[OneStevePerrin]

I don't disagree with much of this but it misses out an important point. Arsenal are also really good. They didn't slice through a good palace defence repeatedly by play acting and niggly fouls. And we barely laid a glove on them till the end when their attention waned.

Can’t agree about “a good palace defence” yesterday. Lerma was fairly poor playing the middle of our back three and Clyne did slightly better. Riad on the other hand showed the player he could be next season looking after the open spaces that Lerma and Clyne struggled with. Understand why we didn’t play a strong defence with Wednesday game ahead and hopefully a much stronger defence helping us win another trophy 🙂

 

[silvertop]

Being born in 1952, I of course recall the Leeds team of the 70s.
Their 'Robustness' would not be tolerated in this modern era when one is red-carded for touching the hair of an opponent.

In all fairness there was Jack Charlton's favourite trick of going over the top. Stamping studs down an opponent's shins with the intention of breaking their bones.

There must be a happy place between those extremes?

 

[Teddy Eagle]

Pretty much every poster on here remembers Dirty Leeds!

Once seen never forgotten. With they exception of Eddie Gray, and possibly Mick Jones, they were a brutal team. Besides the obvious Hunter, Charlton, Bremner, etc, Johnny Giles was a particularly nasty player - skilful and a truly great passer but also a master at leaving his foot in and generally being a spiteful xxxx.
The difference with Arsenal is that the game was just more physical when Leeds were in their prime and almost every team had a hatchet man or two - for Arsenal to get away with no red cards and no penalties conceded after some of their antics is beyond belief when so many trivial acts are punished and VAR should pick up on things refs have missed or ignored.
Presumably Arteta, if he was being honest, would point at clubs who supposedly try to play the "right way" and ask who's been more successful.

 

[PatrickA]

Once seen never forgotten. With they exception of Eddie Gray, and possibly Mick Jones, they were a brutal team. Besides the obvious Hunter, Charlton, Bremner, etc, Johnny Giles was a particularly nasty player - skilful and a truly great passer but also a master at leaving his foot in and generally being a spiteful xxxx.
The difference with Arsenal is that the game was just more physical when Leeds were in their prime and almost every team had a hatchet man or two - for Arsenal to get away with no red cards and no penalties conceded after some of their antics is beyond belief when so many trivial acts are punished and VAR should pick up on things refs have missed or ignored.
Presumably Arteta, if he was being honest, would point at clubs who supposedly try to play the "right way" and ask who's been more successful.

I lived for a spell in Leeds and saw a lot of this team at the time.
If opposing teams rolled over , they'd pretty much leave them alone.
However, if they looked like they would give Leeds a game, then the dirty tactics would be employed.
The Spurs manager Bill Nicholson told his players not to go in for 50/50 tackles with Leeds as the Leeds players would go in high and late.
Giles was one of the best midfielders I've ever seen and didn't need to engage in the nastiness.
He claimed to have got done early in his career and got a broken leg.
Thereafter his mantra was 'get your retaliation in first.'

Obviously the game was more physical back then , but Arsenal are the modern day equivalents of Leeds within the current rules.

 

[Willo]

Can’t agree about “a good palace defence” yesterday. Lerma was fairly poor playing the middle of our back three and Clyne did slightly better. Riad on the other hand showed the player he could be next season looking after the open spaces that Lerma and Clyne struggled with. Understand why we didn’t play a strong defence with Wednesday game ahead and hopefully a much stronger defence helping us win another trophy 🙂

Our defence had more 'Holes' in it than a moth-eaten jacket.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Pretty much every poster on here remembers Dirty Leeds!

unless you’re under the age of 50, which I’m not!!👴🏻🤣

Those were the days though, we were only talking yesterday after watching one of arsenals pancies, calafiore I think, rolling round like he’s been hacked to the ground after a light brush from Munoz, that nearly every tackle seems to be given as a foul these days, it’s a shame because it has sucked the intensity and blood and thunder out of the game

 

[dynamicdick]

Our defence had more 'Holes' in it than a moth-eaten jacket.

What did you expect with the players we had out there.

 

[Willo]

What did you expect with the players we had out there.

I thought we would be found 'Wanting' in defence and so it proved.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Our defence had more 'Holes' in it than a moth-eaten jacket.

At times at the back we looked like a game of fifa where someone had just dropped their controller to run off for an emergency poo!!🤣
But to be fair we were playing the champions and it was a make shift back line and Riad put in an improved performance imo

 

[Painter]

I thought we would be found 'Wanting' in defence and so it proved.

Possibly our weakest back 3 since we came back up. Clyne playing over 400 league games at 35, Lerma over 30 a midfielder standing in and Riad just back from a long injury, all never played together before. Found "Wanting" against Premier Champions is no surprise.

 

[Rogers 11]

I really don't understand this type of comment. We ARE in Europe, and if we win on Wednesday we're in the Europa League. An incredible achievement given where the Club has been. We'd have to be in 7th place to qualify via the league so this is a much easier option.
We've never finished in the Top 10 before so why people think we could achieve that feat this season, given the loss of key players and the need to play so many matches is beyond me.

Wednesday is not a given. The Spaniards have won their last 6 games and will dominate possession. Let's hope we don't get dodgy decisions against us or bad luck, like our potential equaliser yesterday. 2-1 Palace, Mateta and Sarr, but a close call.

 

[PatrickA]

Any theories as to why Johnson wasn't used at all yesterday (apart from the fact that so far he hasn't impressed)?
He's most unlikely to start on Wednesday and yet we instead used players who will definitely play on Wednesday.
He's one player who I thought would definitely play yesterday.

 

[Rogers 11]

Any theories as to why Johnson wasn't used at all yesterday (apart from the fact that so far he hasn't impressed)?
He's most unlikely to start on Wednesday and yet we instead used players who will definitely play on Wednesday.
He's one player who I thought would definitely play yesterday.

 

[Willo]

Any theories as to why Johnson wasn't used at all yesterday (apart from the fact that so far he hasn't impressed)?
He's most unlikely to start on Wednesday and yet we instead used players who will definitely play on Wednesday.
He's one player who I thought would definitely play yesterday.

The lad is devoid of all confidence and he would certainly have faced rampant opprobrium and derision from the Arsenal supporters.

 

[Rogers 11]

Agreed. He should have started instead of Sarr, who was totally ineffective on the left. The Sarr/Munoz on the right works brilliantly, but Munoz doesn't play well without him.
Both should have been rested, allowing Cardinrs to play at right wing back. Wharton should never have been on the pitch and Henderson could also have been rested.

 

[Willo]

Agreed. He should have started instead of Sarr, who was totally ineffective on the left. The Sarr/Munoz on the right works brilliantly, but Munoz doesn't play well without him.
Both should have been rested, allowing Cardinrs to play at right wing back. Wharton should never have been on the pitch and Henderson could also have been rested.

I concur with these sentiments.

 

[mtp1958]

Everybody going on about our back line were was midfield helping out , only Munoz was our only recognised player in there , we always had at least 2 or 3 of the main ones playing , so don't know what people want , like for like thats not going to cost much , it was a makeshift team in a game that didnt matter , stop dissecting it ,

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Everybody going on about our back line were was midfield helping out , only Munoz was our only recognised player in there , we always had at least 2 or 3 of the main ones playing , so don't know what people want , like for like thats not going to cost much , it was a makeshift team in a game that didnt matter , stop dissecting it ,

We did comment on that at the game, kamada look uninterested, but I’ll forgive him this week with what’s coming up

 

[Inquisitive Aquila]

Not sure if he will sign a new deal.
Wont be surprised if he doesn’t as OG couldn’t see the quality he has.

He has missed a large chunk of the season through injury after making his debut in Europe.

 

[PatrickA]

The lad is devoid of all confidence and he would certainly have faced rampant opprobrium and derision from the Arsenal supporters.

The game is surely gone if players are not selected because they may face criticism from opposing fans.
From a Palace perspective our likely front 3 of Sarr, Mateta and Pino were all involved yet no sign of Johnson.
Glasner has also used Johnson as a RWB and that could have been an option if he wanted to rest Munoz.
Why risk players who won't start on Wednesday and play key players who will be essential for the final?