Our most critical season ?

[Save Dwindlehurst]

New season, new manager, new team, new stand started and three promoted teams who look like they won’t roll over.
If we get it right, stay up and win the Europa League, which is far from impossible given our bigger squad and the 2 legged phase after the group stage, we would be in the Champions League and all the riches that comes with it. And surely set for years more in the Premier League and higher finishes in front of 34,000 fans every home game.
If we get it wrong and get relegated maybe the ‘start of a new dark age’ as Churchill once said (albeit it not
about Palace)!
That’s why this season is so critical……

 

[ASCPFC]

Every season has this kind of thing with us. We're always a few games away from relegation at some stage. We seem to always need a rebuild, a change of tactics or a new manager. It's like a permanent state of critical.

 

[Fanofzhiyi]

A lot of rumours online parish is considering replacing Pierre sage, surely not true……is there something going on behind the scenes we do not know?

It’s been an ok start. The issue is defence but we did not replace Lacroix yet

 

[ASCPFC]

A lot of rumours online parish is considering replacing Pierre sage, surely not true……is there something going on behind the scenes we do not know?

It’s been an ok start. The issue is defence but we did not replace Lacroix yet

Players are complaining about management. It's an unsettled squad, that was the whole point of the Henderson contract news. But we've still got two senior squad players: Sarr and Mateta mouthing off. We've got an unhappy couple of others too, Canvot, Lerna, Guessand. Not even entirely sure what Guessand and Lerma are up to.

 

[samprior]

A lot of rumours online parish is considering replacing Pierre sage, surely not true……is there something going on behind the scenes we do not know?

It’s been an ok start. The issue is defence but we did not replace Lacroix yet

Yes it doesn't seem healthy behind the scenes. A sad state of affairs, as we once again seem to have failed to capitalise on any momentum and success, and instead look ready to implode.

 

[park the bus]

A lot of rumours online parish is considering replacing Pierre sage, surely not true……is there something going on behind the scenes we do not know?

It’s been an ok start. The issue is defence but we did not replace Lacroix yet

3 points from 12, sitting 17th in the league table, minus 5 goal difference. Yes it could be worse I guess.

 

[samprior]

Players are complaining about management. It's an unsettled squad, that was the whole point of the Henderson contract news. But we've still got two senior squad players: Sarr and Mateta mouthing off. We've got an unhappy couple of others too, Canvot, Lerna, Guessand. Not even entirely sure what Guessand and Lerma are up to.

Lerma played in the cup, but is not in the Europa squad. Canvot and McNeil were obviously given a shake and came back looking a bit more alert.

Guessand has disappeared, but I can't blame Sage for not including him as he's never looked that impressive.

Sarr and Mateta situations are out of Sage's control.

It does appear all is not well behind the scenes, but as much blame lies with the board and poor summer prep as it does with Sage in my opinion. Pierre has been dealt a pretty sh*t situation to come into.

 

[park the bus]

Lerma played in the cup, but is not in the Europa squad. Canvot and McNeil were obviously given a shake and came back looking a bit more alert.

Guessand has disappeared, but I can't blame Sage for not including him as he's never looked that impressive.

Sarr and Mateta situations are out of Sage's control.

It does appear all is not well behind the scenes, but as much blame lies with the board and poor summer prep as it does with Sage in my opinion. Pierre has been dealt a pretty sh*t situation to come into.

I totally agree.

 

[RedandBlueSash]

New season, new manager, new team, new stand started and three promoted teams who look like they won’t roll over.
If we get it right, stay up and win the Europa League, which is far from impossible given our bigger squad and the 2 legged phase after the group stage, we would be in the Champions League and all the riches that comes with it. And surely set for years more in the Premier League and higher finishes in front of 34,000 fans every home game.
If we get it wrong and get relegated maybe the ‘start of a new dark age’ as Churchill once said (albeit it not
about Palace)!
That’s why this season is so critical……

While this may well turn out to be a 'rebuild' season ( which every club has to go through now and again ) to establish a long-term platform for success, ( like Glasner's first season was ) you are right in saying this could be our most important season ever. It could be argued all we've ever done until very recently was be a occasional blip in the top tier and spend the rest of the time in grim survival, with the occasional existential crisis. If we stay up well and win the Europa our entree to Champions League would mean we have truly arrived. Our 'brand' would be elevated hugely to a more serious level as our 'high-water mark' would basically be redefined as a potential elite club. Provided we don't shoot ourselves in the foot, we'd have access to players and managers we could only dream of for most of our history. ( Lombardo aside )

If I was a betting man, I'd bet we will eventually become an elite club anyway. We've turned a corner in the last few years, IMHO, and a couple of new stands and five more years of decent-to-high success ( well achievable, IMHO ) will see us eventually purchased by someone who wants to turn us into the next Newcastle. Even with SCR anchors placed upon us to stop us spending the way the big four do, I think that level of investment, plus our catchment area and access to South London academy talent, will make us one of the top clubs in the U.K. Maybe not PL title-winners but a perennial top six finisher and team capable to making the CL from time-to-time. This will take another 10-15 years to happen but I think is more likely at this point than another total collapse. Winning the Europa this season would only accelerate the process.

Yes, critical season. We need to fix the defence and then should be set for a great season. We have superb squad depth, a system that is already making us more potent and we are scoring well without Mateta and Sarr, who will also likely boost us. Hopefully, we'll have the old Doucoure back as well and Ordonez coming in January. There's a lot to be optimistic about, regardless of how some here are.

 

[doombear]

Yes it doesn't seem healthy behind the scenes. A sad state of affairs, as we once again seem to have failed to capitalise on any momentum and success, and instead look ready to implode.

What inside knowledge do you have to come to this conclusion? I saw nothing in today's performance to support your statements. In fact, I saw Canvot trying to give his best; I saw players working hard for each other (and presumably, therefore, for the manager) and I saw an overall performance to suggest that things are moving in the right direction.

 

[doombear]

3 points from 12, sitting 17th in the league table, minus 5 goal difference. Yes it could be worse I guess.

Yep, we could be Spurs proudly holding up the table having spent the best part of £300m.

 

[RubinsCube]

3 points from 12, sitting 17th in the league table, minus 5 goal difference. Yes it could be worse I guess.

Direction of travel looks positive to me.

A big win in Europe in the week. A very good point against a good Leeds team in their backyard. Two clean sheets with our first choice goalkeeper and captain injured, and a rejigged back three.

I'll take that all day long. COYP!

 

[MrRobbo]

A lot of rumours online parish is considering replacing Pierre sage, surely not true……is there something going on behind the scenes we do not know?

It’s been an ok start. The issue is defence but we did not replace Lacroix yet

I just cant believe any of the Sage sack rumours. It would be MENTAL. He's show that he can transform a solid but blunt team into a attacking force.

He's also shown today he can keep things tight.

(All whilst Glasner is getting a load of stick for his team being absolutely clueless against a low block Coventry)

 

[mtp1958]

Yep, we could be Spurs proudly holding up the table having spent the best part of £300m.

Spent just north of 500 million in 2 seasons , so i know what to expect with Palace , spud fans on the other hands believe there a top 6 club oops

 

[mtp1958]

I just cant believe any of the Sage sack rumours. It would be MENTAL. He's show that he can transform a solid but blunt team into a attacking force.

He's also shown today he can keep things tight.

(All whilst Glasner is getting a load of stick for his team being absolutely clueless against a low block Coventry)

I dont get it either , most of these storys stem from lets see leeds press Nottingham , not from our part of the world lots and lots of click bait

 

[crvenaeagle]

It's got an air of Frank de Boer about it, hasn't it? Publicly calling out players, isolating or upsetting others, unclear tactics, unsettled squad, hovering above the relegation zone.
Maybe they are just rumours made up by the media about Parish wanting a change but then it does feel like a familiar scenario.

 

[MrRobbo]

It's got an air of Frank de Boer about it, hasn't it? Publicly calling out players, isolating or upsetting others, unclear tactics, unsettled squad, hovering above the relegation zone.
Maybe they are just rumours made up by the media about Parish wanting a change but then it does feel like a familiar scenario.

I'm not sure it does. That was a mess any way you look at it. This is clearly a team in transition.

He called out McNeil, Canvot and Guessand. The latter has clearly not responded, McNeil and Canvot have come back better than before. Feels like great management to me.

 

[PatrickA]

I suppose the reality is that nobody on here has a clue what is really going on behind the scenes and as whether Sage is genuinely on the brink.

People might think it's ridiculous so early in his tenure before he has had a fair chance, and that sounds to be a reasonable thought.

What we don't see is the day to day activity, the relationships and communications around the training ground and the club.

I recall Parish saying that he made his mind up about De Boer fairly quickly and thought it was better to act speedily rather than let matters drift.
It was an almost instinctive thing.

I'm not comparing Sage to De Boer.
It's more about Parish's reaction if he genuinely believes something isn't right.

 

[Frickin Saweet]

New season, new manager, new team, new stand started and three promoted teams who look like they won’t roll over.
If we get it right, stay up and win the Europa League, which is far from impossible given our bigger squad and the 2 legged phase after the group stage, we would be in the Champions League and all the riches that comes with it. And surely set for years more in the Premier League and higher finishes in front of 34,000 fans every home game.
If we get it wrong and get relegated maybe the ‘start of a new dark age’ as Churchill once said (albeit it not
about Palace)!
That’s why this season is so critical……

I dunno we had some of our nicest kits with Churchill in the Championship

 

[TheBigToePunt]

I think the OP asks a fair question. Our prized stability, one of the cornerstones of our survival and success, has been tipped upside down in less than 10 months starting with the sale of Eze, then Guehi, then Glasners tantrums and eventual departure followed by a summer of unprecedented churn. Things seem more up in the air than ever before and yet the club opted for one of the most unproven managers it could find. He seems to prefer a bold method at odds with everything that made us successful.

We have sold established performers from a settled team and bought far too many average or hopeful prospects. We have never had, and simply do not need, a squad this size. For the first time there are rumours and grumbles coming out from within the squad. Of course there are. There are too many of them to keep happy. Yet at the same time the team is weaker.

That's why there is so much speculation about Sage. It's the wider picture. If we had the same results under Dyche or someone then nobody would bat an eyelid, because everyone would recognise the sense in the method.

I don't share the view that things could end up in either fantastic triumph or miserable dismay; Only the latter is realistic. We do not have the quality of player nor the settled and effective team to win the Europa League. We have pressed go on the new stand, though, which only makes any financial sense in the premier league. Relegation had always been an inevitable spectre but not an existential risk. Now it is unthinkable. Of course that adds to the pressure.

I can understand why the club didn't want to respond to the conference league win by seeing the glass half empty and appointing a survival specialist, but my concern is that they made a big mistake in not doing so given the extent of change and subsequent uncertainty.

Of course, hopefully Sage will do well. I was far more reassured by the Leeds game precisely because we looked like a coherent team who prioritised the clean sheet. In other words, if Sage can do as a Dyche, Pulis, Hodgson or Allardyce would do then we'll probably be fine. Can he though? And has the club made his life harder by signing too many players? Once Europe is over we will have about eight senior players with no purpose. That's not easy to manage.