Crystal Palace vs. Stockport match thread

[ambrose7]

Thought we played out too slowly from the back. Chalobah and Lacroix are much quicker playing forward into midfield and it let Stockport settle.

Clyne demonstrated how ineffectual this system is when there is no threat from the wing backs. The club must be looking at beefing up those wing back positions in the summer - either trusting Imray and Adaramola or buying anew.

Praying for the day we can get Wharton fit and start finding the front three in dangerous positions again. No-one else seems capable, even against L1 opposition.

 

[JHB]

Thought we played out too slowly from the back. Chalobah and Lacroix are much quicker playing forward into midfield and it let Stockport settle.

Clyne demonstrated how ineffectual this system is when there is no threat from the wing backs. The club must be looking at beefing up those wing back positions in the summer - either trusting Imray and Adaramola or buying anew.

Praying for the day we can get Wharton fit and start finding the front three in dangerous positions again. No-one else seems capable, even against L1 opposition.

Right now we are at our best as a counter attacking team. We don’t really know what to do against teams who give us possession because our passing isn’t good enough to break teams down

 

[grumpymort]

I just got back from the game it was awful.

The players should be embarrassed to call themselves top flight players.

 

[Phil’s Barber]

Sarr was never in the game. Turner makes a good save. TBH, if Stockport score this could easily go tits up

Yes, it was a strange game for him today, very quiet, especially in the first half.

 

[CT Charlie]

Well, that was a difficult watch. At least we won 🙂 Only comment I can make on Eza’s performance is that he scored the winning goal. Kamada was okay first half but poor in the second. Thought Richard’s looked okay in the middle of 3. Still don’t think the middle of midfield with 2 in it works. The front 3 never get decent service

Eze put it on a plate for Devenny, and also for Muñoz in the 1st half. (Well Muñoz had to stretch, but still...)

 

[Daddyorc]

I just got back from the game it was awful.

The players should be embarrassed to call themselves top flight players.

Well at least someone enjoyed the game... Mrs. Grumpymort had a bit of a break!

 

[Willo]

Delighted we have progressed to the next round but the fact that we could not build on our goal lead in under 5 mins against a Division One team is cause for disappointment.

On a day when Ipswich and Southampton secured 3-0 victories against teams from the lower divisions, and Leicester thumped QPR 6-2, we narrowly defeated a team 2 Divisions below us after taking an early lead.
I was informed that concern was etched across my face.

 

[CT Charlie]

Delighted we have progressed to the next round but the fact that we could not build on our goal lead in under 5 mins against a Division One team is cause for disappointment.

On a day when Ipswich and Southampton secured 3-0 victories against teams from the lower divisions, and Leicester thumped QPR 6-2, we narrowly defeated a team 2 Divisions below us after taking an early lead.
I was informed that concern was etched across my face.

Well, let's not overlook the Spurs' failure to score against fifth-tier Tamworth for over 100 minutes.

 

[Wilbraham413]

We have no creativity in attack. It's all so disjointed. Our strategy lately seems to be hoof it up to Mateta, and hope something happens. With Nketieh playing in place of JPM, we didn't even have that option.

I know OG is wedded to his system, but we look pretty dire lately, in spite of not losing as many matches as we did earlier in the season. Against a weak side like Stockport, why not play more attacking football, or maybe ratchet up a continuous press? They were content to let us have the ball, knowing we couldn't break them down. Thank god for the rather fortunate bounce that set up the goal.

 

[viveasheagle]

A few things did not work. I thought once we scored the early goal Stockport did not over extend to get an equaliser and we seemed to be content passing the ball across the back line. Sarr hardly touched the ball and Eze after a good start, was wasteful in possession. Thought our set pieces should have produced more. The first 4 or 5 were wasted in that the cross did not beat the defender on the edge of the 6 yard box. When we eventually did clear the near post defender we managed to win the first header, but it did not reach it's intended target which was usually to an unmarked player in a good scoring position.
Stockport though acquitted themselves well and looked to have some decent players. Thought the goalkeeper had a good presence and his distribution was good. He did though not really have to make to many saves which kind of reflected on how sterile Palace's attacking play was.
Thought i heard " premier league you are having a laugh " been sung by the Stockport fans. Takes me back to some of the times when Palace were in the lower leagues and the humourous songs that got sung.

 

[Eaglehamster]

I just got back from the game it was awful.

The players should be embarrassed to call themselves top flight players.

Spurs looked just as crap.
These days teams that play the short passing game seeking an opening, all seem to struggle against a well organised defence. Then they’re often vulnerable to the quick counter.
To create chances it’s best to be explosive, with pace and inventive passing.

Against a team like Stockport, it may have been better to concede possession now and then to get them to open up, then hit them with the quick and it must be quick, counter.

 

[The Yorkshire Eagle]

The simple fact is that we don’t have the real class to become a consistent top half team and will continue to struggle against well organised defences. Sure, we have a couple of individuals who shine, but only on occasions. We do have some grafters but no star quality. Our best player (IMO) is still in recovery from surgery.

To me the stand out difference between our current performances and the back-end of last seasons, is pace and pressing. Combined with the vision to play a defence splitting pass (such that our boy Wharton has) - something that is now lacking in the modern game - we will continue to be an inconsistent side…albeit with some great days too.. but then this is Palace and I’m not sure I’d want it any other way!

 

[taylors lovechild]

Stockport dug in and put in quite a lot of late challenges and it felt like perhaps that level of physicality put Palace off their stride at times. From the Holmesdale end you did get to see some great passes from Riad in the first half, but he also struggled with the physical side and got out-muscled a couple of times. It always felt like Palace were playing in second gear though and Eze at times was bordering on being too laidback and not respecting the opposition. I agree with other posters that the team seemed to struggle without JP as a target. Nketiah did a lot of running but sometimes he would turn back when you just wanted him to have some belief and run at the defence. Despite being neat and tidy Kamada made too many mistakes which against a League One side might go unpunished but the PL is more ruthless. Not the best game but the atmosphere at the ground was pretty good considering we were playing a League One team.

 

[JHB]

The simple fact is that we don’t have the real class to become a consistent top half team and will continue to struggle against well organised defences. Sure, we have a couple of individuals who shine, but only on occasions. We do have some grafters but no star quality. Our best player (IMO) is still in recovery from surgery.

To me the stand out difference between our current performances and the back-end of last seasons, is pace and pressing. Combined with the vision to play a defence splitting pass (such that our boy Wharton has) - something that is now lacking in the modern game - we will continue to be an inconsistent side…albeit with some great days too.. but then this is Palace and I’m not sure I’d want it any other way!

We are going to have to find a way to get results without Wharton because I don’t imagine will be seeing him again this season. Certainly not at full match sharpness. Losing him, Olise and Anderson has meant our three best passers of the ball are gone. Watching Olise playing for Bayern on Saturday so much of what they created came through him.

OG has responded by trying to to essentially make us a very solid team who nicks some goals on the break. That looks like how we will play and have to play for the remainder of the season given the squad. It won’t be overly pretty but can be effective.

 

[Willo]

Stockport dug in and put in quite a lot of late challenges and it felt like perhaps that level of physicality put Palace off their stride at times. From the Holmesdale end you did get to see some great passes from Riad in the first half, but he also struggled with the physical side and got out-muscled a couple of times. It always felt like Palace were playing in second gear though and Eze at times was bordering on being too laidback and not respecting the opposition. I agree with other posters that the team seemed to struggle without JP as a target. Nketiah did a lot of running but sometimes he would turn back when you just wanted him to have some belief and run at the defence. Despite being neat and tidy Kamada made too many mistakes which against a League One side might go unpunished but the PL is more ruthless. Not the best game but the atmosphere at the ground was pretty good considering we were playing a League One team.

That target man / Focal point of the attack is important to us and Nketiah is of course not one gifted in the these qualities.
Instead of investing in Nketiah, I believe we would have been better served acquiring a Chris Wood/Taiwo Awoniyi type of player so that the dynamic of the 'Big man' up top would have been maintained.Privately I brought WBA's Josh Maja into the conversation.

 

[Dnjc]

I think a lot of folks seem to have forgotten we won without playing several of our top players. Which means they are fresh for Weds. I like more exciting football as much as the next man. SP stayed deep, 5 at the back I think? We got to give several players a full match, that, let’s be honest, they would not get otherwise!

 

[n wales eagles]

Can't believe comments eze for97minutes at the amount of effort he put in could have played all day

 

[park the bus]

We are going to have to find a way to get results without Wharton because I don’t imagine will be seeing him again this season. Certainly not at full match sharpness. Losing him, Olise and Anderson has meant our three best passers of the ball are gone. Watching Olise playing for Bayern on Saturday so much of what they created came through him.

OG has responded by trying to to essentially make us a very solid team who nicks some goals on the break. That looks like how we will play and have to play for the remainder of the season given the squad. It won’t be overly pretty but can be effective.

Hodgson Mk II. Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

[JHB]

Hodgson Mk II. Necessity is the mother of invention.

I see it as Hodgson deluxe. We’ve shown more attacking intent than under Hodgson and are much quicker on the counter. What we won’t be is a team that has lots of possession and passes through people. I think in every game we’ve won in the League this season we’ve had less possession than the opposition

 

[silvertop]

Thought we played out too slowly from the back. Chalobah and Lacroix are much quicker playing forward into midfield and it let Stockport settle.

Clyne demonstrated how ineffectual this system is when there is no threat from the wing backs. The club must be looking at beefing up those wing back positions in the summer - either trusting Imray and Adaramola or buying anew.

Praying for the day we can get Wharton fit and start finding the front three in dangerous positions again. No-one else seems capable, even against L1 opposition.

Amen