Palace 2-2 Saints - Match Thread

[hackedoff]

54 minutes ago, Micky said:

Not too long ago we would've fancied getting something from this game, but now we are polar opposites. They are a team on the up,  confidence sky high, while we are quickly plummeting into the relegation dog fight, with confidence shot to pieces.   This will be yet another game where we run out of steam, ideas and hope,  no points. 

A short while ago you would have been rounded on as a bed wetter for comments like that. Starting to go quiet now the pennies are starting to drop.

[Wade Garrett]

Sorry, can’t see us getting anything out of this game with Wreck-It-Ralph pulling the strings.

[Turkish]

I think we all know how this will work. But it might catch Palace off guard as doing exactly what we’ve done for the last 58 games will be exactly the last thing Palace will be expecting this time

[Chris cooper]

2-0 palace with the boy Gallagher bossing the middle of the park after viera tweaks it cos of our 15 min press and jazz hands again fails to react .. like an alpine scratched record of the sound of music !

[Dark Munster]

8 hours ago, trousers said:

 

Actually, I've a hunch Ralph will start Walcott up top rather than Long. 

Dear God, please no. It'll be difficult getting a result with 11 men, but with 10 it'll be next to impossible.

[CB Fry]

I look forward to reading "look, if we play like we did in those first twenty minutes for the rest of the season, there's no way we can go down" again come 10pm Wednesday.

[Micky]

34 minutes ago, hackedoff said:

A short while ago you would have been rounded on as a bed wetter for comments like that. Starting to go quiet now the pennies are starting to drop.

Believe it or not I am actually a very optimistic person, but I also tend to call it as I see it,  which may on occasion cause unintentional offence.  I probably swing from happy clapper to bedwetter dependant on the teams performance and progress, but surly that's how it should be?  Right now we are shyte, if people can't see that for themselves then that's their own shortcomings. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

I'd actually go 541 and just try and be as solid as we possibly can. Tell Lyanco to follow Zaha wherever he goes, get in his face and hope he sees the red mist. Actually play Perraud at left back instead of this shit with KWP there. Put KWP back over on the right and give Tino a rest. JWP and Romeo in the centre, Redmond on the right and Djenpo on the other side if he is fit. No idea who is fit for up top, maybe start with Tella as a willing runner or failing that, Long, who might at least be able to hold the ball up.

[whelk]

3-0 we are incredibly shite at the moment. Ok maybe 1-2 if they start Benteke

[nta786]

Under our rubbish spell during Koeman he used to go to a back 3/5 to shore us up and make us compact.

Ralph does the same thing week after week it seems like insanity.

I’d play a 3421

Caballero

Lyanco - Bedarek - Salisu

KWP - JWP - Romeu - Perraud

Redmond - Djenepo

Adams

If Adams/Broja/Armstrong not fit, then probably Tella. For substitutions, I’d use Elyounoussi and even Tino to be honest in an attacking position!

I’d probably actually drop JWP also but that won’t happen. If we have KWP bursting forward then JWP can drop back and annoy Zaha preferably.

 

[captainchris]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

I'd actually go 541 and just try and be as solid as we possibly can. Tell Lyanco to follow Zaha wherever he goes, get in his face and hope he sees the red mist. Actually play Perraud at left back instead of this shit with KWP there. Put KWP back over on the right and give Tino a rest. JWP and Romeo in the centre, Redmond on the right and Djenpo on the other side if he is fit. No idea who is fit for up top, maybe start with Tella as a willing runner or failing that, Long, who might at least be able to hold the ball up.

Good points. We have to go one up front…. 

[Pilchards]

If Palace do their homework then they will win this at a canter.

We are so predictable when picking the formation plus predictable in the way we play.

Viera ‘Guys sit back and invite them to play for the first 45 minutes, if they score that one goal then don’t worry we will score 2 maybe 3 - second half.’

 

This is Ralph’s to lose again no doubt!

[John Boy Saint]

3 hours ago, OttawaSaint said:

Arse beat us, Everton beat them and Palace beat Everton. Looking like another frustrating night. Seriously considering giving this one a miss. Sick of the same old shit we serve up.

Now we are officially working from home and the work Christmas meal has been binned that day - I might just tune in get shitfaced to numb the pain…………..I’ve always been glass half full with Saints but like a McDonalds Big Mac my glass is resembling a thimble.

 

[JRM]

Palace just looked like a more settled / balanced side than we do, considering they had a new manager and several new players to settle in they've done well really, Vieira looks to be enjoying it. Gallagher is an excellent player, we'll struggle to handle him. 

[Nordic Saint]

1 hour ago, nta786 said:

Under our rubbish spell during Koeman he used to go to a back 3/5 to shore us up and make us compact.

Ralph does the same thing week after week it seems like insanity.

I’d play a 3421

Caballero

Lyanco - Bedarek - Salisu

KWP - JWP - Romeu - Perraud

Redmond - Djenepo

Adams

If Adams/Broja/Armstrong not fit, then probably Tella. For substitutions, I’d use Elyounoussi and even Tino to be honest in an attacking position!

I’d probably actually drop JWP also but that won’t happen. If we have KWP bursting forward then JWP can drop back and annoy Zaha preferably.

 

That side is so poor that it really brings home how far we've fallen from the days when we had great players like Fonte, van Dijk and Mane. Most of the players we have now would not get into any other Premier League team's starting XI. Would they even be good enough to make the playoffs in the Championship?

[verlaine1979]

13 hours ago, TWar said:

Our tactics are hard to change as we have a team built to play this way. A 3atb won't help us score more goals imo, three in midfield isn't possible as we would need an attacking 8 (Think Mason Mount style) and we don't really have anyone who can play that role except Stu who is out. 

JWP hasn't always been a leaden-footed defensive midfielder - earlier in his career he swapped in and out with Steven Davis in a position not dissimilar to how Mount plays now (for Chelsea at least - I seem to recall Southgate trying to play him as a winger during the Euros).

Aside from his lack of desire (or belief) getting forward, I struggle to understand why JWP couldn't play further forward with Romeu and Diallo behind him - he can certainly strike a ball as well as the likes of Mount or Connor Gallagher.

[Saint Billy]

Saints will carry on the spirit of giving me thinks. 

 

[Toussaint]

10 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

I'd actually go 541 and just try and be as solid as we possibly can. Tell Lyanco to follow Zaha wherever he goes, get in his face and hope he sees the red mist. Actually play Perraud at left back instead of this shit with KWP there. Put KWP back over on the right and give Tino a rest. JWP and Romeo in the centre, Redmond on the right and Djenpo on the other side if he is fit. No idea who is fit for up top, maybe start with Tella as a willing runner or failing that, Long, who might at least be able to hold the ball up.

So would I, so would a lot of us, but I suspect Wreckit has some ridiculously flawed cunning plan

[Saint Fan CaM]

Palace are looking like a side reborn with 3-4 stand out attacking players and a solid defence. Can only see a defeat and no goals from us. Even if we had a fully fit squad I’d say we’d lose such is the lack of belief in Ralph’s system now. Like most others I want to see KWP at RB, Perraud at LB and a 451 formation. Unlike most, I’d have Long up top just because he can hold a ball up and can head a ball…sad to admit that’s even an option. This could be 2-0 or even 3-0.

[Billy the Kidd]

So, i guess with Long trying to trap the ball, at least we will gain territorial advantage. That will relieve the pressure on the defence.

Could be a good tactic by Ralph, and will be proclaimed a genius in doing so.

[Sarnia Cherie]

Patrick Viera's Palace is a different kettle of fish to the team Hodgson managed. Good 3-1 win yesterday so they will be confident they are on the up again after a few defeats recently. I will have to brace myself for Long to be on the team sheet. Nothing we can do except get behind them and hope for the best. Ralph is in 2nd place for the next Premier League manager to be getting his P45 behind Benitez who tops the list at odds on. 

[Teddeer]

This should be a walk in the park for Palace. Ralph will continue with his formation and tactics that clearly are not working. Best we can hope for is a one nil defeat but fear it will be worse than that.

[Saint_lambden]

Something-nil. 

[Wurzel]

11 hours ago, nta786 said:

I’d probably actually drop JWP also but that won’t happen. If we have KWP bursting forward then JWP can drop back and annoy Zaha preferably.

 

Definitely need that. On the plus side first time JWP famously used his shithousery on Zaha it probably won us the game (did Zaha end up getting himself sent off? ).  On the even plusser side, JWP ends up getting himself sent off  and strengthens our side for the next 3 games.

[Appy]

31 minutes ago, Wurzel said:

Definitely need that. On the plus side first time JWP famously used his shithousery on Zaha it probably won us the game (did Zaha end up getting himself sent off? ).  On the even plusser side, JWP ends up getting himself sent off  and strengthens our side for the next 3 games.

We drew the game Zaha got sent off in, when we won at Selhurst a couple of years back Zaha reacted at half time, poking JWP in the eye.

[fanimal]

ALOTBSOL

Isnt Selhurst Park a relatively happy hunting ground?

[Sarisbury Saint]

3 minutes ago, Appy said:

We drew the game Zaha got sent off in, when we won at Selhurst a couple of years back Zaha reacted at half time, poking JWP in the eye.

That will explain his dodgy last minute pass against Brighton.

[Appy]

5 minutes ago, fanimal said:

ALOTBSOL

Isnt Selhurst Park a relatively happy hunting ground?

Yeah, won five of our eight games there since palace came up.

[Disco Stu]

Is it confirmed Adams, Armstrong and Broja are all definitely out? We won't score without them. We probably wouldn't score anyway but at least they would provide some level of threat up top. There is no threat at all in a Long - Walcott forward line. I'd genuinely rather play a 5-5-0.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by Disco Stu

[DT]

We're shit with a terrible manager so not expecting anything other than another naiive drubbing. Used to be called 'bedwetting' by some weirdos on here.

[CAH61]

This is a massive game for us and one where we have to stop the rot, it's not enough to say well they are in good form so a loss is not unexpected.
We traditionally do well at Palace and I don't believe that their squad is better than ours, we really need to get some sort of result here to move forward.

[WALK DMC]

55 minutes ago, CAH61 said:

This is a massive game for us and one where we have to stop the rot, it's not enough to say well they are in good form so a loss is not unexpected.
We traditionally do well at Palace and I don't believe that their squad is better than ours, we really need to get some sort of result here to move forward.

It's certainly a big game and it would be good to get something out of it, but I'd be more confident if (as looks likely) we weren't missing our 3 best forwards and 2 goalies ....   Regardless of the capabilities of those missing players, losing so many players simultaneously in the same position is going to hurt.  

[Chez]

I'm sure people on here were saying what a nightmare situation Palace were in, with them only having about five players signed to contracts. Looks like that ability to start a fresh, all be it quite a few contracts were renewed in the end, hasn't hurt them too much.  Adding a high energy player in Gallagher has really helped them. Boy, could we do with our own high energy payer (S Armstrong) back to give us some much needed pep.

In the recent past we have gone to Palace and somewhat unexpectedly dominated, and I am hoping we can do that again, but confidence is going to be low after Saturday. As always, Zaha will be a major threat and I think KWP ought to get that marking job. Great to have Salisu back. Someone has to stop Benteke getting those `easy' headed goals. If we want to survive, getting some away pojnts/draws are going to be needed. 

[Chez]

16 hours ago, Turkish said:

I think we all know how this will work. But it might catch Palace off guard as doing exactly what we’ve done for the last 58 games will be exactly the last thing Palace will be expecting this time

Now, Field Marshall Hasenhuttl has formulated a brilliant new tactical plan to ensure final victory at Selhurt Park. 

Ah. Would his brilliant plan involve 4-2-2-2, a high press and attacking very slowly towards the opposition?

How could you possibly know that, it's classified information? 

It's the same plan that we used last time and the 17 times before that. 

Exactly and that is what is so brilliant about it. It will catch the watchful Eagles totally off guard. Doing precisely what we've done 18 times before, is exactly the last thing they’d expected us to do this time. There is however, one small problem. 

That everyone always gets knackered in the first 20 minutes? 

That’s right and field Marshall Hasenhuttl is worried that this may be depressing the men a tad. So, he's looking to find a way to cheer them up.

Well his resignation and suicide would seem the obvious

Interesting thought, make a note of that Darling.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by Chez

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, Chez said:

Now, Field Marshall Hasenhuttl has formulated a brilliant new tactical plan to ensure final victory at Selhurt Park. 

Ah. Would his brilliant plan involve 4-2-2-2, a high press and attacking very slowly towards the opposition?

How could you possibly know that, it's classified information? 

It's the same plan that we used last time and the 17 times before that. 

Exactly and that is what is so brilliant about it. It will catch the watchful Eagles totally off guard. Doing precisely what we've done 18 times before, is exactly the last thing they’d expected us to do this time. There is however, one small problem. 

That everyone always gets knackered in the first 20 minutes? 

That’s right and field Marshall Hasenhuttl is worried that this may be depressing the men a tad. So, he's looking to find a way to cheer them up.

Well his resignation and suicide would seem the obvious

Interesting thought, make a note of that Darling.

Very good. 

[cloggy saint]

1 hour ago, DT said:

We're shit with a terrible manager so not expecting anything other than another naiive drubbing. Used to be called 'bedwetting' by some weirdos on here.

It's still called bedwetting, unless a better phrase has been coined.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

Watching the press conference, did Ralph just say it's not so long ago that our home form was "shit" when asked by Adam Blackmore why our away form has been so poor...?🤣

He looks a bit uncomfortable there today. Feeling the pressure maybe?

[Sarnia Cherie]

3 hours ago, Appy said:

We drew the game Zaha got sent off in, when we won at Selhurst a couple of years back Zaha reacted at half time, poking JWP in the eye.

There is still a bit of friction there between the two of them. Might be the most exciting bit of the match if they kick off again.

[Saint Garrett]

So looks like atleast one of Armstrong and Broja will be available. EIther Tella or Redmond can play up top with one of them.

Not the end of the world.

[WALK DMC]

13 minutes ago, Ivan Katalinic's 'tache said:

Watching the press conference, did Ralph just say it's not so long ago that our home form was "shit" when asked by Adam Blackmore why our away form has been so poor...?🤣

He looks a bit uncomfortable there today. Feeling the pressure maybe?

His body language was definitely that of a man under pressure; lacking enthusiasm and positivity (he would fit in on the Saints forum). 

[Appy]

We struggle to score with our strikers playing, so it won’t change too much. 

[SaintZamboni]

Change to 4231 for me. We’re only going to score a maximum of 1 goal whether it’s 1 up or 10 up top.

a goalkeeper 

KWP Lyanco Salisu Perraud

       Rom      Diallo

Redmond     Armstrong     Tella 

                   A striker

Would like to see this just to maximize the protection for the defence. Might even give us some ball retention options should we get ahead and need to hang on.

Won’t happen though.

This game is an absolute don’t lose.

[Garysfc48]

20 hours ago, Chris cooper said:

2-0 palace with the boy Gallagher bossing the middle of the park after viera tweaks it cos of our 15 min press and jazz hands again fails to react .. like an alpine scratched record of the sound of music !

Jazz hands! Love it 😂

[LGTL]

I can accept going to most away games without a hope in hell, but starting to get that feeling for games like Crystal Palace is a bit depressing. Comfortable home win, we’re fucking useless even with the majority of our first team fit.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by LGTL

[Manuel]

The degrees of high and low under Ralph have been of bipolar levels.  Occasional spells where we seem to be able to beat anyone and other times, more frequently now, we are shocking.  

Palace an important game.  Another shit show and I'm not sure he'll come back from it.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by Manuel

[ecuk268]

21 hours ago, Turkish said:

I think we all know how this will work. But it might catch Palace off guard as doing exactly what we’ve done for the last 58 games will be exactly the last thing Palace will be expecting this time

Have we got General Melchett in charge?

[Charlie Wayman]

Palace are a vastly improved side under Viera playing some of the most exciting football in the Division. They have front men that can put fear into any defence irrespectively of how defences are set up. It is a joke now to suggest that Saints and Palace are anywhere near on a par. Saints have little chance on Wednesday on current form and with their regular strikers on sick leave what hope there was of getting anything from the game has more or less vanished. With another 3-0 defeat on the cards the main interest may be the fall-out after the game. Surely there will be one bridge too far for Ralph soon, this may be it.

[HarvSFC]

7 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Palace are a vastly improved side under Viera playing some of the most exciting football in the Division. They have front men that can put fear into any defence irrespectively of how defences are set up. It is a joke now to suggest that Saints and Palace are anywhere near on a par. Saints have little chance on Wednesday on current form and with their regular strikers on sick leave what hope there was of getting anything from the game has more or less vanished. With another 3-0 defeat on the cards the main interest may be the fall-out after the game. Surely there will be one bridge too far for Ralph soon, this may be it.

They’re three points above us…

[CAH61]

3 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

They’re three points above us…

Their current form before Everton wasn't all that either.

[badgerx16]

5 minutes ago, CAH61 said:

Their current form before Everton wasn't all that either.

And we are bottom of the form table.