Match Day Thread CRYSTAL PALACE v NORWICH CITY, Premier League, Tues 28th Dec. ko 1500hrs

Not sure if it's my turn.
Just ignore if it isnt

After the mauling on Boxing Day by the Gooners,we really do need to step up to the plate
Not sure what team we can put out, but I really have a feeling we can win this one.

More details to follow

 

Zaha won't be playing - which is a bonus but I am not convinced that will make enough difference

 

It's on Amazon

 

https://www.whathifi.com/advice/how...amazon-prime-free-premier-league-live-streams

You can sign up for a 30day free trial, as long as you cancel before the end of the 30 days.
Easy peasy

 

It'll be the same players available, but hopefully we'll see Sørensen at DM screening the defence this time.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwi...n-smith-crystal-palace-premier-league-8588036

 

Tim Krul remains in isolation, after testing positive again for Covid, but Tuesday’s trip to Selhurst Park will come too soon for Lukas Rupp (hamstring and illness), Milot Rashica (groin), Grant Hanley (shoulder) and Andrew Omobamidele (back).
Mathias Normann is out until February at the earliest after undergoing surgery for his on going pelvic issue.

 

If only the same players are avaialble as the Gooners game, I would drop Sargent and Dowell, and bring in Sorensen & Tzolis, pushing Gilmour into where Dowell was playing and Sorensen to where Gilmour was playing on Boxing day.

 

Sargent was our highest rated player on WhoScored and McLean was our only player Smith talked positively about. Lees-Melou worked hard when he came on and Palace are a tall, physical side so we could use his strength and height in Gilmour's place and I'd keep Dowell for his attacking skills.

 

Whichever way you look at this game, a defeat seems inevitable. Some of our best players are injured Hanley, Normann, Rachica and without them we are a weak team made weaker. Cantwell seems completely off the pace. Lack of a goal threat once Pukki is shackled means more bad results to come. Very little rumour about possible January newcomers which speaks volumes about where the management see the future of the club. The self-funding model does not work in the EPL.

 

Gilmour has to be dropped.

 

I never saw him pre-season but from the very first game in the PL I did not see anything about him that impressed me and he has done nothing to change my mind about him. He is another Harry Kane - comes to us with glowing reports and something of a growing reputation, but for Norwich, he is a bag of ****e. He will return to Chelsea and become the next Frank Lampard

 

Dowell show zero attacking ability vs Arsenal.

 

Agreed but he didn’t get a great platform and he’s practically our only fit creative player.

 

I agree, and my answer to Rowdy would be who did? Cantwell would be the other option I suppose.

 

Since Smith singled McLean out for a positive comment after the Arsenal game, I think we can safely assume his name is on the team-sheet again. Fair enough, I suppose, as long as we don't expect him to produce any fireworks, but he's adequate at water-carrying if he plays alongside a creative midfielder, and he does add a bit of height and energy. The problem is that Gilmour isn't that creative midfielder, and it's almost sure he'll be on the team-sheet beside him.

Also, we must start playing Giannoulis. He's at least as good as Williams, and he is our player, so we have to keep him on board since we're almost certainly getting relegated and it would be nice to have him around next season. Ditto Tzolis. He'll be rusty - who wouldn't after playing so little - but we need to get him adapted to English football because he could be crucial next season. Ditto Sorensen. I don't think his inclusion will transform the team overnight, but he needs to start getting some experience in the position which might suit him best and which we need to fill even if we go down.

EDIT: In other words, we start to utilise players in order to benefit our own club, not the rich bastards who would happily have abandoned English football for a European Super League.

 

I would be astonished if we get anything from this , at this stage I would be thrilled just to see us score a goal

 

I agree with much of this, but McLean is a better player than many give him credit for and he's our only left-footed player in midfield. He also has a grit and determination against adversity that too many others lack. Whilst I think both Gilmour and Williams are good players and may well go on to reach PL level, we're paying for their mistakes while they learn.

As Smith said, Williams allowed Saka to get inside to score with his left foot and then made the same mistake again for his second goal. Gilmour tried to deal with Arsenal's physicality but his small stature means he too often fails. I also question loan players' commitment when things go wrong. Time to give others like Sørensen, Giannoulis, Lees-Melou and Tzolis a chance to fight for the shirt.

Sargent earns his place with his full hearted commitment defensively even if his attacking skills are not yet PL level. He's one who never gives up and we need that in these dark times. Sørensen is another determined player with a ability to read the game which gives a solidity to our defensive play obviously missing when he's absent. His WhoScored rating of 7.67 for his two starts is well above any other player and he deserves a chance to show what he can do. He scored 7.53 in that otherwise abysmal loss to Villa and then was dropped for Arsenal. Why?

 

I agree with most of that, Rick, although I'd make reservations about your comments on Sargent (I don't imagine this will surprise you). Yes, he is full-hearted and committed and doesn't give up. In many ways, I feel he is being asked to do a lot of the defensive work that Emi used to do because for some reason our midfield are not doing it. But that means we are effectively a player down in the forward line all the time and may explain why we have the grand total of eight goals so far.

For all the talk of lack of goals and a weak defence, for me the problem is midfield. It completely lacks cohesion. When we attack they are not getting into the box; when we defend they are standing off the other team and letting them cut through like a knife through butter. I lost count of how many times against Arsenal we had our four defenders in their defensive line but then there was what seemed like acres of green space between them and our midfield, all that space for the Arsenal team to run through. Is this because we are lacking a central figure to organise and control the midfield, something which we imagined Gilmour could do but he obviously can't at this stage in his development? We badly need a leader in there, but there's no obvious candidate.

As for Sorensen, I feel sorry for the guy. He is drafted in when there is an emergency, he has had to adapt to many different roles which he has little or no experience of, he does well enough and gets the good ratings that you mentioned, and then he is ceremoniously dumped as soon as the other players are fit again. To be honest, if I were him, I'd be putting in a transfer request, because his career is going nowhere with us.

 

I'd stick with Sargent because of his commitment and effective pressing which may wel be our best chance of creating a turnover leading to a goal as Placheta is also doing the same on the other flank. I agree that he has taken over Buendia's defensive work and we need that. IMO our attacking weakness is due to the lack of key passes from midfield which is why I'd bench Gilmour in favour of Lees-Melou or Rupp when he's available.

 

Vieira moaning in the press this morning regarding the number of Covid cases they have at Palarse.
Perhaps they are in a worse place than us.
Let's hope so.