Crystal Palace vs. Brighton match thread

Is it just me or did anyone else not realise until yesterday what an absolute sh**house Van Hecke is?
The guy could literally start a fight in an empty phone box.. Seems to have taken over from Maupay as one of those players you could never get tired of punching in the face.

As for the game we could of carried on playing until this morning and it would still be 0-0.
Respect the point. We looked very tired from around 70 minutes onwards which is understandable given we had played a tough game less than 72 hours before this one.
Brighton on the other hand had 8 days rest and never really threatened us.

Mitchell was absolutely superb. I'm one if his biggest critics regarding his forward play but yesterday he showed what a quality defender he is.
We go into the international break not being beaten which is always a positive.
 
Why not a red card? That would put a stop to it.

A red is issued for denying a goal scoring opportunity, so it should be for buying one through diving..

😎
Agree. Until there is a proportionate consequence between an attacker and defender this will continue. If a 50-50 goes the attacker's way it is a shot from 12 yards under no pressure with one player to beat. If the defender wins the decision the free kick is 90 yards from their opponent's goal with 11 opposition players in the way
 
We need a Thomas / Ambrose hybrid, a player that can get from box to box and who has a cracking shot, not much to ask for...
No disrespect meant, at all, but I'm not sure you're understanding the system quite right. It doesn't really feature box-to-box midfielders in the way you're talking about. We have the two deeper lying mids, who transfer the ball quickly and efficiently from defence to attack, breaking lines etc...then the front five do their thing. You'd never really see Wharton/Hughes driving from deep and unleashing a shot...it would compromise the solidity if they were to turn possession over.

Just speaking from my understanding of the system, anyway. 🙂
 
So we’ve pretty much got 8 players that stop the goals and 3 that are there to score goals, although 1 of them (the number 10, Kamada or Pino) that play in the ten don’t score.
So 2 players that are down to score the goals?
That’s nonsense. All of them come forward for corners/throw ins/set pieces.
We regularly see Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell etc in advanced positions , so we should expect some input from them, especially if the 2 goal getters always put in a defensive graft.
No one’s expecting bowyer/poyet type numbers, but 4/5 goals from each of the midfielders/full backs and center backs is reasonable to expect.
Whartons a great player, but not 1 goal for us is ridiculous, the fella can pass a 60 yard ball bang on the button , why can’t he pass a few in the top corner from the edge of the box?
No disrespect meant, at all, but I'm
not sure you're understanding the system quite right. It doesn't really feature box-to-box midfielders in the way you're talking about. We have the two deeper lying mids, who transfer the ball quickly and efficiently from defence to attack, breaking lines etc...then the front five do their thing. You'd never really see Wharton/Hughes driving from deep and unleashing a shot...it would compromise the solidity if they were to turn possession over.

Just speaking from my understanding of the system, anyway. 🙂
 
Suggest you watch the whole game again and focus on him, unless you are just gooey eyed in defending him. Sprites assessment is decent. When Wharton loses it I can forgive him because he has a massive net gain in classy play at other times, but Kamada does not.

Yes he's played much better this season, after a low bar, but v the weeds he was like when he joined. Let's hope it was a blip and he can contribute next time.

Warton was significantly worse than Kamada against Brighton. Yet Kamada is the one that gets dug out.
 
And you seem hellbent on debating the issue every time, too. I actually don't dig him out every game...the game before last if you look back, you'll see I commended him for a solid performance. I simply acknowledge, like many others, when he has an average game. That just happens to be most weeks.

Yes, I'm a some-what trained eye. Coach of a first team...badges...years of experience etc. No need to go into it. Of course, I'm not claiming to know more than Glasner. No one is debating those two are his preferred pairing. But he wouldn't be the first coach to have a blind spot for someone.

I understand everything. He's positionally sound. Presses well. Knows his triggers. Covers the right channels. Can find a pass, occasionally. I get it. But it's still not enough to dislodge the absolutely outstanding partnership that was Wharts/Hughes. Glasner obviously disagrees. That's fine. That's what fan forums are for.

Honestly, you don't need to defend him every time someone acknowledges he has a bad game.

Shall we move on?

I just feel he gets pretty unfair treatment, any slight mistake amplified. Any quiet game slammed. Very rare would he be the worst player on the pitch.

But more than happy to move on
 
So we’ve pretty much got 8 players that stop the goals and 3 that are there to score goals, although 1 of them (the number 10, Kamada or Pino) that play in the ten don’t score.
So 2 players that are down to score the goals?
That’s nonsense. All of them come forward for corners/throw ins/set pieces.
We regularly see Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell etc in advanced positions , so we should expect some input from them, especially if the 2 goal getters always put in a defensive graft.
No one’s expecting bowyer/poyet type numbers, but 4/5 goals from each of the midfielders/full backs and center backs is reasonable to expect.
Whartons a great player, but not 1 goal for us is ridiculous, the fella can pass a 60 yard ball bang on the button , why can’t he pass a few in the top corner from the edge of the box?
This is why I've politely described it as Royball with cherries on top = Glasball. Mateta is the focal point in the system, but as he misfires more often than not, goals can be hard to come by. It will be interesting to see how it works when Sarr goes off to the African Nations, as he seems our main threat currently.
 
This is why I've politely described it as Royball with cherries on top = Glasball. Mateta is the focal point in the system, but as he misfires more often than not, goals can be hard to come by. It will be interesting to see how it works when Sarr goes off to the African Nations, as he seems our main threat currently.
We do not have a No 9 player 'In the wings' with the same stature and physicality as Mateta, like for instance a Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi or an Igor Thiago.
The loss of Mateta through injury could prove a bitter blow.
 
We do not have a No 9 player 'In the wings' with the same stature and physicality as Mateta, like for instance a Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi or an Igor Thiago.
The loss of Mateta through injury could prove a bitter blow.
Indeed.
We do have physicality with our centre backs, but any absence of Mateta (and Sarr on Afcon duty) could lead to a team selection including Nketiah, Pino, Kamada, Hughes and Wharton - none of them giants - and would lead us to be vulnerable to set pieces.
Lerma may well have a role in such circumstances.

Glasner has said one in every three goals comes from a set piece.

It's evident this season that clubs in the Premier League are placing far more emphasis on set pieces, and both Mateta and Sarr have important roles in defending them, so their absence could hurt us defensively as well as offensively.

Fingers crossed, Mateta stays fit and Senegal gets knocked out!
 
Indeed.
We do have physicality with our centre backs, but any absence of Mateta (and Sarr on Afcon duty) could lead to a team selection including Nketiah, Pino, Kamada, Hughes and Wharton - none of them giants - and would lead us to be vulnerable to set pieces.
Lerma may well have a role in such circumstances.

Glasner has said one in every three goals comes from a set piece.

It's evident this season that clubs in the Premier League are placing far more emphasis on set pieces, and both Mateta and Sarr have important roles in defending them, so their absence could hurt us defensively as well as offensively.

Fingers crossed, Mateta stays fit and Senegal gets knocked out!
Fair and insightful assessment. 👍
 
It’s where we miss a player like Eze or Olise, who irrespective of the limitations of an attacking formation can create a goal out of nothing. Probably inevitable that we go more defensive now.
 
Suggest you watch the whole game again and focus on him, unless you are just gooey eyed in defending him. Sprites assessment is decent. When Wharton loses it I can forgive him because he has a massive net gain in classy play at other times, but Kamada does not.

Yes he's played much better this season, after a low bar, but v the weeds he was like when he joined. Let's hope it was a blip and he can contribute next time.
Isn't it strange how Palace fans have voted Kamada as our Player of the month for both September and October? That suggests he's been our most consistent player this season otherwise why have so many fans voted for him in two of the three months? BTW I wasn't one of them but i do agree with those who accuse some on here of jumping on Kamada's back when he has a poor game. As you say, let's hope Sunday was just a blip and Kamada is back to his more consistent self against Wolves (assuming he plays).
 
So we’ve pretty much got 8 players that stop the goals and 3 that are there to score goals, although 1 of them (the number 10, Kamada or Pino) that play in the ten don’t score.
So 2 players that are down to score the goals?
That’s nonsense. All of them come forward for corners/throw ins/set pieces.
We regularly see Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell etc in advanced positions , so we should expect some input from them, especially if the 2 goal getters always put in a defensive graft.
No one’s expecting bowyer/poyet type numbers, but 4/5 goals from each of the midfielders/full backs and center backs is reasonable to expect.
Whartons a great player, but not 1 goal for us is ridiculous, the fella can pass a 60 yard ball bang on the button , why can’t he pass a few in the top corner from the edge of the box?

Munoz and Mitchell are part of the attacking unit - Munoz has 5 goals / 11 assists across 64 PL appearances, which is more comparable to a winger than a full back.

Mitchell had never managed a goal or more than 2 assists in a season before Glasner, but managed 5 last season.

I don't think the two deeper midfielders are really part of the attacking unit - when was the last time any of them scored a goal..? It's not coincidence that none of the four options we play in those roles are scoring goals.

Wharton alluded to it in a recent interview in The Athletic:

Contrary to the view in certain quarters, contributing a greater volume of goals and assists is not something Wharton is concerned about.

"Our system impacts that," he says. "I'm not really going to be making runs forward within the system we play."
 
No disrespect meant, at all, but I'm not sure you're understanding the system quite right. It doesn't really feature box-to-box midfielders in the way you're talking about. We have the two deeper lying mids, who transfer the ball quickly and efficiently from defence to attack, breaking lines etc...then the front five do their thing. You'd never really see Wharton/Hughes driving from deep and unleashing a shot...it would compromise the solidity if they were to turn possession over.

Just speaking from my understanding of the system, anyway. 🙂
Oh, I get the system. Fabio Capello had a similar thing going when he managed Roma way back when; he had Emerson and Tommasi as defensive midfielders, and Totti as No. 10. Width was provided by Candela and Cafu, with Batistuta and Montella up top.
Thing is, even Emerson and Tommasi got on the scoresheet on rare occasion, so there's hope for our DMs somewhere.
 
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I know some people hate this kind of stuff, but I find it interesting - a statistical comparison of the 4 central midfielders, based on last season's league games only;

Forward Passes per 90 Mins:
1. Wharton - 7.33
2. Kamada - 5.11
3. Lerma - 3.83
4. Hughes - 3.72

Progressive Dribbles per 90 Mins:
1. Kamada - 1.44
2. Wharton - 0.96
3. Hughes - 0.85
4. Lerma - 0.51

Forward Passes Received per 90 Mins:
1. Kamada - 3.22
2. Hughes - 1.15
3. Lerma - 1.03
4. Wharton - 0.75

Pass Completion:
1. Kamada - 80%
2. Hughes - 76%
3. Wharton - 75.6%
4. Lerma - 75.3%

Tackles per 90 Mins:
1. Hughes - 2.82
2. Kamada - 2.70
3. Wharton - 2.33
4. Lerma - 1.38

Interesting that Kamada is in the top two across all categories.
 
Munoz and Mitchell are part of the attacking unit - Munoz has 5 goals / 11 assists across 64 PL appearances, which is more comparable to a winger than a full back.

Mitchell had never managed a goal or more than 2 assists in a season before Glasner, but managed 5 last season.

I don't think the two deeper midfielders are really part of the attacking unit - when was the last time any of them scored a goal..? It's not coincidence that none of the four options we play in those roles are scoring goals.

Wharton alluded to it in a recent interview in The Athletic:

Contrary to the view in certain quarters, contributing a greater volume of goals and assists is not something Wharton is concerned about.

"Our system impacts that," he says. "I'm not really going to be making runs forward within the system we play."
The role of the DMs can be encapsulated in Kamada's pass that broke the lines and resulted in Sarr's second goal against Liverpool last month after the interplay between Sarr and Yeremy. The first goal in that game saw Munoz running into their box to receive Kamada's ball and causing problems.
 
I know some people hate this kind of stuff, but I find it interesting - a statistical comparison of the 4 central midfielders, based on last season's league games only;

Forward Passes per 90 Mins:
1. Wharton - 7.33
2. Kamada - 5.11
3. Lerma - 3.83
4. Hughes - 3.72

Progressive Dribbles per 90 Mins:
1. Kamada - 1.44
2. Wharton - 0.96
3. Hughes - 0.85
4. Lerma - 0.51

Forward Passes Received per 90 Mins:
1. Kamada - 3.22
2. Hughes - 1.15
3. Lerma - 1.03
4. Wharton - 0.75

Pass Completion:
1. Kamada - 80%
2. Hughes - 76%
3. Wharton - 75.6%
4. Lerma - 75.3%

Tackles per 90 Mins:
1. Hughes - 2.82
2. Kamada - 2.70
3. Wharton - 2.33
4. Lerma - 1.38

Interesting that Kamada is in the top two across all categories.
Hahaha! Not to me

Stats are not everything, but it always surprises people when they think, for example Lerma is some sort of tackling monster, but comes bottom of the 4 midfielders.
 

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