Any early season optimism has well and truly been washed away. Another season down amongst the dead men, beckons already, dropping significant points against Forest, Leicester, Brentford, Wolves & Fulham, all teams against which we should be competing with/beating and especially after a lot more seasons at the top table than them all and with all the incumbent riches.
It’s difficult to see how much more time OG will be given. Whilst the injuries are unfortunate and aside with his fixation with playing Kamada, one of the worst players l have seen in 50 years’ supporting the Palace, l do feel some sympathy with him. In the Summer transfer window it was a change to see a player, in Olise sold for a significant figure & that was unfortunate but was always going to happen. However, it was in hindsight not a great window again.
Selling Anderson & Ayew so close to the start of the season were poor decisions. Ayew was good business, but if it was going to happen it should have been covered earlier.
Sadly, we have been left with Henderson, who whilst, he did make saves today, albeit fairly routine, always has a soft goal in him. Whitworth (another outgoing during our over use of the loan market) went to Exeter & we re-signed Matthews & took Turner on loan. Further use of the loan market left us with 1 striker & Nketiah who certainly hasn’t pulled up any trees yet. Lacroix, Chalobah & Riad (sadly injured) look decent signings unlike Sarr & Kamada.
Yet we had money left which wasn’t used & with the current crop of injuries has left us very thin. And let’s be honest, we do get more than our fair share.
It was refreshing to see Devenny get a debut today but the much-vaunted Academy which didnt provide too many players in the Championship, surely now contains younger players who would contribute more currently than Sarr & Kamada !!
And also, a player like Mateta, a player we need at his optimum currently, could do with putting proper shifts in rather than geeing the crowd up ! They respond to his efforts & the teams !