Crystal Palace v Everton. 9th November @ 15.00.

[davek]

No chance mate.

Obviously the Internet heroes on here will have you believe Jagielka is the best CB in the country and will have Suarez in his pocket, but realistically they'll create loads of chances themselves, we'll gift them a few chances, and they'll ultimately score a few. We all know Martinez will start Osman (with the excuse of you need local lads in these games), so that's a major disadvantage from the start.

I can see a two or three nil on the cards.

They'll come out and open the game up. We can exploit that. It's breaking two banks down that foxes us. We'll win that one. International has come at the right time for us really. Liverpool wont have wanted that and start to refocus again.

 

[dholliday]

I suppose the fact that we're fuming after a draw that puts us 5th is a good indicator that our expectations are (quite rightly) on the way back to where they should be.

Fume away lads, it's healthy, but keep some perspective.

Groucho lad, don't you think that's a bit controversial?

 

[dannyboy]

Is right.

I'm very happy with where we are to be honest. The top half is still very tight.
I think today was an off day.

Barry was brilliant today, really key for us this season.

Nah, today had been coming for a while now. There's been plenty of mixed performances lately where we've been clinical at crucial times in the game.

Extremely early days but I don't think we have enough to be competing for the top 4, that's mostly down to how impressive Liverpool have been, but who knows, it's a long season.

 

[bluelife]

Today's result makes the derby massive. Can't afford to lose it now or it'll be a mid-table fight for the rest of the season.

 

[davek]

I can't for the life of me work out why he changed this.

He lost his neverve after Barkley had a dip in form. Wrong decision for me: you back him and back him and back him. In any case, he wasn't having stinkers.

 

[bluemangroup]

We're usually solid enough at the back for them not to run riot. Completely different game and I'll be shocked if we don't create more openings than we did today. Their midfield is pretty open and gives plenty of chances for that.

We are playing a high line and our midfield is a little susceptible to being pressed. That doesn't bode well against a team with two very quick forwards in form and the high intensity occasionally dirty midfield press they employ in derby games. I suspect we will absorb and then hit them in the break so we will create more, but we will have to deal with a hell of a lot better forward lines than we have in the last few games.

 

[davek]

FFS someone on the radio here campaigning for 'the superb' Jelavic to be reinstated.

 

[Coach]

Agreed Coach. Have you reported it?

Ignore this mate. I see it's been dealt with

No.

I never give neg rep either. I do everything in the open.

 

[neil999]

hey, at least mcarthy wasnt booked! thought was a cert...look at the problems chelsea are having and they had millions too spend

 

[deipnosophist]

Like last season, we are leading the table in number of draws

 

[mawders]

Most teams would have difficulty breaking down opposition with 10 behind the ball and crowding the midfield, but our passing was terrible today. Hard to get behind Palace because they pretty much sat on their own 18th yard line but we lacked invention, looked for intricate passes too much and took too long to get the ball into the box. Our defending was also woeful, and that is the biggest worry going into the Derby. I think we will create much more against liverpool because it will be more of an open game, but the gaps between Jags and Distin were not good. Barkley to start ahead of Ossie, otherwise same team, and fingers crossed we don;t get bum r@ped

 

[Big Fat Sam]

They'll come out and open the game up. We can exploit that. It's breaking two banks down that foxes us. We'll win that one. International has come at the right time for us really. Liverpool wont have wanted that and start to refocus again.

I hope you're right. I guess I am really thankful this one is at Goodison, as I imagine in their current form they'd rape us to death at Anfield.

I still think Suarez will score about eight past us.

 

[deipnosophist]

20 points after 11 games last season...and guess what this year?

 

[Librarian]

Just wonder if Mirallas should move behind Lukaku, just to change things up a bit and let him have a free role.

 

[Lien]

I suppose the fact that we're fuming after a draw that puts us 5th is a good indicator that our expectations are (quite rightly) on the way back to where they should be.

Fume away lads, it's healthy, but keep some perspective.

This, to me, is over-rationalising the situation. Your view would have more merit if we'd just drawn against, I dunno, West Brom away 0-0 playing poorly.

We've just made one of the worst teams in the history of the Premier League look like a very solid outfit, giving them their first clean sheet all season.

I'm well aware of where we are at. I know there will be ups and downs and I'm giving Martinez time, which was the message in those 0-0s earlier in the season.

I don't think saying that we're disappointed with going 5th is a particularly accurate appraisal of the situation. It's a false position as we're almost guaranteed to be back down a couple of places once other teams have played this weekend.

But I digress. We've just made an awful side by Premier League standards look a competent, very decent side, which they simply are not. Indeed there's no doubting we could have had no complaints if they'd won, given the clear chances they created and we did not. A total lack of tempo which replicated last week's dour performance, only this week we can't use the "but we played someone good" excuse. While all and sundry are picking up 3 points against Palace, we've dropped 2 points.