Surely Palace can't... 16/17

Change at Barnham said:

It was interesting to see Zaha's celebration after scoring. He ran towards the Palace bench but clearly stopped short of getting near Allardyce, there was then another camera angle where Allardyce had a chance to slap him on the back as he ran past him to say well done but The Fat Key Note Speaker clearly chose to avoid any interaction.

The body language is all wrong.
#toxic

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hans kraay fan club said:

FBS is angry at Wilf for taking up the Ivory Coast call-up, rather than staying to help Palace.
The call-up that Wilf is only eligible for because BFS ignored Wilf, when he was the England manager.

It is the absolute definition of delicious irony.

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Del Fenner said:

. Really not sure that Big Sam is going to be able to turn this one around.

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hans kraay fan club said:

Palace are NOT in a relegation fight.

Can we all just keep sight of that, please.

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The Fifth Column said:

I've just had a look at the palace BBS

'On a side note I swear ever since we took away goal music we've been shite as well. Bring this back.'

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The Fifth Column said:

'The light show is so embarrassing given how crap we are. Like sticking a few sparklers on a dog turd'.

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hans kraay fan club said:

Palace are NOT in a relegation fight.

Can we all just keep sight of that, please.

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Hotchilidog said:

If I read a funnier quote than that on this board today, I will undoubtedly do myself some sort of mischief. Hilarious!

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Papa Lazarou said:

Indeed. I read an editorial style article in last night's Evening Standard which was very upbeat about their chances of survival under BFS. They said that beating Swansea would be a great springboard for the upcoming games, and they were only 7 points behind Everton (or something). The author anticipated they'd be safely mid table by early Feb.

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The Fifth Column said:

'On a side note I swear ever since we took away goal music we've been shite as well. Bring this back.'

'The light show is so embarrassing given how crap we are. Like sticking a few sparklers on a dog turd'.

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Keeping Crystal Palace in the Premier League is the easiest job of Sam Allardyce’s career, writes Tony Evans

Sam Allardyce’s manifesto is simple. Crystal Palace will survive in the Premier League by beating teams in the bottom half of the table.

‘Beat the worst’ is not the sort of battle cry that will get the blood pumping at Selhurst Park but Allardyce knows his strengths. He is lucky to be taking over Palace at a time when the league is significantly unbalanced. The bottom half of the table starts at seventh place for the 62-year-old’s purposes. Every team below Manchester United are in Allardyce’s sights. There are only 14 points between Everton and Palace. That should be narrowed by three tonight.

Allardyce makes his debut in the Selhurst Park dugout with a crucial six-pointer against Swansea City. The former England manager raged against the fixture compilers after the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday but he should be sending a bottle of champagne to the men who serve up the match rota. Swansea, even with an extra day’s rest, are the perfect fodder to start the Big Sam revival in south London. The Welsh side lack direction, fight, confidence and talent.

The rest of Palace’s January schedule is not the most exacting, either. An away trip to West Ham will hold no fear and there are points to be picked up when Everton visit. Bournemouth away rounds off the month. By February, Palace should be mid-table. This might be the easiest of Allardyce’s escape acts.

Palace, as the new manager has noted, lack belief but they are not short of talent. A year ago, the Eagles were fifth in the table. That position flattered them but they should be nearer that mark than the trapdoor to the Championship.

Teams in relegation trouble need goals. Palace have plenty in the team. Only the top six clubs have hit the net more than the south Londoners, who have scored 29 in the first half of the season. It is easier to tighten up a leaky defence than conjure up goals from nowhere.

Christian Benteke, as lackadaisical as he too often appears, is a proven Premier League striker who saved Aston Villa two seasons ago. Andros Townsend and Wilfred Zaha have the pace to stretch defences. Palace’s strikeforce is the envy of their rival bottom-dwellers. Losing Zaha to the Africa Cup of Nations is not ideal but a victory tonight will ease the pain.

At the other end of the pitch, organising a more solid back four should be a relatively simple task for Allardyce.

After the England debacle, it is just what he needs. His timing — and Palace’s — was perfect. This was the most appetising job in the lower regions of the table. It is certainly more attractive than the rescue mission Paul Clement faces at Swansea.

Allardyce will restore the confidence that Alan Pardew let slip through his fingers. It will not happen instantly. Pardew’s frustration was palpable throughout last year and he could be seen waving his defenders forward towards the halfway line to squeeze the play. Too often they sat deep and invited the opposition in.

Allardyce was making the same gestures on Sunday. That will not happen often. Tactically and technically, the new manager has more substance than his predecessor. Palace will soon be working to a plan.

Allardyce needs to rehabilitate his reputation. He has chosen the right place. Selhurt Park’s relegation worries will be long gone when spring arrives.

His career may have passed its high water mark and he has had to reset his ambitions, but Palace can take advantage of his strengths. Expect 2017 to be a better year for Allardyce and his new club.

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hans kraay fan club said:

Apparently they have NOT taken away the goal music after all - some people just understandably THOUGHT they had.

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Curious Orange said:

At least the Palace faithful can take solace in the fact that they've wisely been investing in replacing the crumbling stands at Selhurst rather than in inflated transfer fees and wages for overated players. That'll see them set up for the future.

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Papa Lazarou said:

Here it is:

Seems a bit over optimistic?

]

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Bozza said:

Sounds like they haven't quite finished that particular job yet:

"The whole match day experience in the Arthur wait is atrocious. Not only are those concourses a death trap, God forbid anything serious happens re would be a major crush but the queues for the food and drink are just stupid. The queues Outside the ground before kick off and in the concourse at half time also mean u are constantly getting up and down to let late comers to their seats. People were still arriving at the game (mostly football tourists) as last as half hour after kick off. And when the team serves up that drivel it makes for a very disappointing fan experience over all. "

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Papa Lazarou said:

Here it is:

Seems a bit over optimistic?

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...f-sam-allardyce-s-career-writes-a3431241.html

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