no I have not, because we blew a great chance to win the first trophy in our entire existence, and didnt even give you much of a game. I'm sure you'd be feeling the same if you'd lost, and lost so meekly, considering you're in exactly the same position with regards to trophies won (I think)
That's minimum requirement,the first step.As we rarely look threatening with the ball we clearly need to improve steps 2 and 3.No pace and moving the ball quickly for 10/90 minutes is pushing your luck.
Fair point no your team didn't really show up again, but on the flip side you have had a great first season back, stayed up comfortably and beat some very good teams on the way. You have much to be proud of I reckon
I'm too depressed to even call you a patronising ****... but anyway, I have nothing against palace I just dont want you to become yet another team that has won more than us!
Easy fella, he don't like opposition fans saying nice things about his club. You'll be classed as a sycophsnt. Respect to all the other Watford fans though. Good luck season.
You can if you want knock yourself out, if that's what you think. Vice-versa Watford mean very little to Palace fans but I just think you have had a very good season.
I gathered that mate, I'm a patronising **** but he can't be bothered to say it to me! Well behaved lot these Watford fans! :sign15:
didn't think you looked out of sorts on the day....some superb pacy attacking and energy, something we are crying out for....Bolasie a bloody handful
Found this excellent and balanced report from a 53 year old Palace fan, seems to know our team very well and some interesting comments on the match atmosphere. You can find the whole thread here but be warned that you need to be registered to read past a certain number of posts. Mark Gardiner Isn’t that just typical of the FA? Drag us all the way up to NW London, then expect us all to do it again next month? What do you expect from an organisation headed by some bloke known best for the deadline-day transfer of Roland Rat? So we have some 26-year old ghosts to exorcise, and perhaps give Jose a new job. Yesterday’s semi-final win did not have the dramatic impact of Villa Park ’90, and for many Palace fans the sheer shock of actually reaching Wembley all those years ago – clubs like Palace never did in those days outside the odd Centenary – will never be overtaken. It wasn’t a surprise victory yesterday, given the status & form of both teams, but no-one could argue it was not as well deserved as that of Sir Steve’s boys. We could actually talk about the game on the trains & tube home, whereas on the M6 there had just been the eerie silence of dumbfounded Eagles. As most of you have seen the game in some form – and if you didn’t it must have been a priority alternate engagement – I’ll ditch the usual format and just run through what I took to be the main reasons why Palace gained the win yesterday. It helps if your big players perform on the day, and the core of the team did that. Delaney, Cabaye, Jedinak, Zaha & Bolasie all turned in excellent performances. In contrast, just as they did in the Play-Off Final, Watford pretty much uniformly did not show up. Watson, so effective in the Hornets’ win at Selhurst, was shackled and never had an influence on the game, while Abdi, who has also proved a thorn in our side, hardly featured. Jedinak & Cabaye were strong in central midfield, perhaps aided by the early loss of Capoue, and the team functioned around that fulcrum. It helped that Pardew could field his first choice XI. Tactically Pardew out-thought Flores. Once again he started Bolasie through the middle with Puncheon on the left wing, and that did cause Watford some concern. All match they were open to balls played long either into the feet of our forwards, aimed at Wickham’s head, or dropping into the spaces behind both full backs. In contrast Palace’s midfield held a high line, when not in possession meeting Watford just our side of the halfway line, and for much of the match Deeney was kept out of the area while Ighalo only had one chance. In the first half the best chance the Hornets had was when Ward nearly unknowingly turned a cross into his own net. It looked like we switched to 4-2-3-1 in the second half, with Bolasie on the left, and this suited us as the game stretched and more space opened up. It was also helpful that, with the exception of the first 5 minutes, and a six-minute period after their equaliser, Palace held a lead and could play on the break while Watford were increasingly impelled forward, allowing us even more space for the wingers to attack. Our defence ultimately gave Hennessey a pretty quiet match in goal, arguably only Deeney’s goal & Ighalo’s effort being clear-cut chances. Timing is everything. Bolasie’s early goal settled most nerves and as above allowed us a more elastic form of defence and counter-attack. Striking the second so soon after Deeney’s goal was crushing in terms of Watford’s morale on & off the pitch: having scaled the mountain once they now had to do it again. It also allowed Palace to play as we are most comfortable, on the break, and Zaha in particular never gave their defence a moment’s peace in the last half-hour. Watford had already looked wobbly at the first set-piece, and it was no great shock when they conceded from the second. It was a poor goal to concede, Delaney escaping unchallenged to flick the ball on, and Aké deserted Bolasie on the far post, Yannick’s header virtually straight at his feet was at such a tight angle we weren’t sure at first it had gone in. In contrast, unable to break Palace down ion open play, Watford’s set pieces were mostly dealt with easily, a moment’s lack of concentration aside that let Deeney head home from close range. The referee was poor for both sides. There were three major calls in the game and arguably Mr. Pawson got them all wrong: the handball in their box in the first half (reported – no way we could tell from 150 yards away); the “foul” on Wickham right at the start of the second (red card if given); and Dann’s potential second yellow card late on. Zaha probably won a free kick a third of the times he was hacked down by Aké, Jurado or Su*rez. Almost every long ball into our half Deeney was jumping into Jedinak or making a back yet rarely was a foul awarded. Thankfully none of the non-decisions affected the outcome of the game. Palace fans once again showed great vocal support, and the plan to have the Fanatics centrally located worked a treat. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and there’s a lot they do I would not, but each to their own and it is undeniable that they have sparked the more vocal support we enjoy these days. Well done lads. Hennessey – 6 – The mark reflects the fact that Wayne had relatively little to do. Most saves were routine, only a dive to his left to field a shot he must have seen late was anything other than a safe tariff. He had few crosses to deal with – a mark of how well our full backs defended – and apart from the occasional misdirected kick was reliable. Had no chance with the goal – if it was his lucky day the ball might have hit him. Ward – 6 – Good defensive work, was rarely outflanked, but was less visible supporting the attack than usual. Was quick enough to snuff out some Watford breaks in the second half. Delaney would have scored from that range though! Souaré – 7 – Teams seem to look on Pape as a weak point, particularly in the air, but he had a strong game at left back, making important challenges. Was also strong in supporting the attack and I doubt you will see a better cross than that which Wickham converted. Dann – 5 – A poor day at the office for Scott, fortunately his fellow defenders remained strong. His late duck almost led to a Ward own goal. His clumsy challenge earned a booking and the resultant free kick led to the corner from which they scored, when Scott allowed Deeney to just get ahead of him; perhaps he was concentrating too hard on the grappling? Lucky Mr. Pawson’s benevolent mood extended when he put in another hard clumsy tackle late on. Delaney – 7 – As we suspected, Damo just got the own goal out of his system at Old Trafford. As he was three years ago Delaney was superb in defence, marshalling Ighalo who barely glimpsed goal, and there was one excellent & crucial late interception in a similar position to Old Trafford. His perfectly executed flick header set up Bolasie’s goal. Jedinak – 7 – As with Delaney, so Jedinak found his best form as he had in the Play-Off Final. Noticeable that in open play he challenged Deeney in the air, allowing Dann to drop off and pick up any flick-ons; Mile did well despite continual foul play, although you could not have picked a role more suitable to his strengths. Cabaye – 7 – Never stopped running or tackling, and there were some good short passes in attacking positions. His set-piece deliveries were mostly good, the corner kick for the first goal being the highlight. Shame he could not have struck his shot with more force. Puncheon – 6 – Effective game out on the left in the first half, made some good penetrations and (as is his wont) gave the ball away occasionally. Looked more comfortable when moved into the middle when he again provided good links with the attack before being withdrawn late on. Zaha – 8 – Good first half when he tormented Aké but received little protection from the referee as the full back and midfielders took turns in chopping him down. Excellent second half when, as in the Play-Off Final, he kept running strongly to the end, threatening down both flanks, one run down an impossibly narrow channel on the left from midway inside our half to their penalty spot marked out what Wilf is capable of. Always gave the team an outlet. Bolasie – 8 – Not quite the player you expect to score with a towering far post header! Played well in a central role (so some humble pie for me then!) in the first half but I thought was more effective in the second when he moved out wide. Britos could not cope with him and one run saw him only denied by a fine (if slightly fortunate) save by Pantilimon. Wickham – 7 – I think all of us knew Connor was going to score as soon as Souaré put the ball across: the defence had been drawn to the left by Bolasie and was till out of position when the throw-in was taken; Wickham had drifted slightly wider and isolated Aké; he got in front of the full back and seemed to hang in the air before directing his header into the one spot Pantilimon could not reach. Decent first half, good second half which he nearly started by bursting through the defence before being brought down just outside the box, although the referee did not see it that way. Might have grabbed a second that his hard work deserved. McArthur – 6 – Looked rusty when coming on and his first couple of touches betrayed that, but he ran hard, closing down in midfield, and nearly going all the way through their defence on one occasion. Sako – 6 – Late sub who hardly saw the ball. Adebayor – 6 – Even later replacement who did help create a late chance.
Doubt it fella,been going palace 48years, and leave my mother out of it,she died recently and if you want me to come down to your maronic level I will
You don't know me yet your calling it on, your either very brave or very stupid.. I'll think about this for a second...
Apologies,I've reacted to the forum bad boy. Like I said before, respect to the Watford fans on here and the ones I met yesterday.
I was in a pub full of Watford fans. All *****. None of them would sing and they complained when I let off a teargas cannister.
I drank too much yesterday I then had to have a curry to soak up the alcohol The beer made me need 3 pisses in the night The beer also made me order a stronger than normal curry which meant I was up most the night on the loo The lack of sleep made me grumpy The grumpiness made me shout at our new PA for something trivial She cried I feel bad It's all QSFs fault
That's a BIG IF! I've been saying for weeks that we will just about creep over the survival line, which incidentally we have not actually done yet! I really hope we do finish with a flourish, but I don't think that our games are as easy as many on here are assuming they will be. Lets face it we are playing two 6 pointers against teams that could actually still overhaul us, in Norwich & Sunderland, so they will both be fighting for their lives, we are also playing Villa, and even though they are already down, I would not be surprised if a lot of their players might just play out of their skins, as they will be looking to impress other Premier league teams in the hope of getting a move to them, and we also have to go to Liverpool, who are still looking for a European slot. We only have to win one of those games to put our very slim chances of relegation to bed, and even if we lose them all, we will probably just about survive, but it will possibly be a lot closer than a lot of people think! As a fan I hope we smash them all, and nothing will please me more than to have my misgivings squashed, but lets not be complacent!
Can't imagine any of the Villa players will be deluded enough to think they might start to impress other PL clubs at this stage of proceedings.
Nice box of chocs, flowers or a posh coffee this morning and an apology will go down well. Send an invoice for the cost to QSF
But in these days of HR that is an admittance that I've done something wrong and she could use that to bring a case against the company and myself. Think I will just send the flowers and choccies to QSF and let her find a new job..,
What have you got against Nyom, he was one of our best players on the day, I suggest you get your eyes tested :smiley-sport021:
