Given the choice, I'd prefer the Mackams to go down before Palace..

[Moshe Gariani]

I seem to remember lots of smug posts last year from football snobs about Hoofball Sam and chav Tony Pulis and how lucky we were to watch total football under Gus.

It seems Sunderland fans now have the pleasure of watching the centre half's knock the ball to each other whilst Pulis and Big Sam have quietly gone the business of keeping their sides up. Don't get me wrong I don't want Cotterell in tomorrow but there is something to be said for the way so called footballing dinosaurs can do a number on Gus.

Very much this.

For the millionth and one time we (and Sunderland) are not Barcelona and never will be. The only way that our players guarantee to retain possession is by making safe passes and playing boring football that puts the opposition under no pressure whatsoever.

It would be bad enough if it "worked" but it doesn't.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Very much this.

For the millionth and one time we (and Sunderland) are not Barcelona and never will be. The only way that our players guarantee to retain possession is by making safe passes and playing boring football that puts the opposition under no pressure whatsoever.

It would be bad enough if it "worked" but it doesn't.

We came fourth last season. Worked OK then. And when we won League One.

 

[Bakero]

We came fourth last season. Worked OK then. And when we won League One.

Exactomundo!

 

[nwgull]

Everything changed with the win over Chelsea which was totally unexpected to me.

I think that Sunderland and Fulham are down now, and Cardiff's only chance to overhaul Palace is to win on Saturday.

Even then it is unlikely they will get enough points, and when you add in West Brom's and Norwich's bleak prospects for the rest of the season everything ( to me ) is indicating survival for Palace.

Which to me is tragic as it just encourages more gloating gimp-trolls on this board.

No, sadly Palace have no chance of relegation now.

Outstanding as their win was on Saturday, Palace still have a very realistic chance of relegation if they lose to Cardiff on Saturday.

 

[Bwian]

We came fourth last season. Worked OK then. And when we won League One.

Exactomundo!

Didn't work when it mattered though did it?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Didn't work when it mattered though did it?

What, in ONE game? When had Speroni not made a brilliant save from Ashley Barnes we would have taken the lead? Yeah no, our approach under Poyet - which improved our league position EVERY season - was a massive failure...

Plenty of teams lose important matches. Does not suddenly mean their approach and style of football is at fault.

 

[Bwian]

Outstanding as their win was on Saturday, Palace still have a very realistic chance of relegation if they lose to Cardiff on Saturday.

Unfortunately, they are as unlikely to get relegated as we are to get promoted this season. Too many poor sides around them: Cardiff, Sunderland, Fulham, Norwich, WBA.

 

[itszamora]

Didn't work when it mattered though did it?

Yes, you're quite right, it's a much better idea to form an opinion based on one disappointing game rather than 3 and a half years of progress, including a league win with half the budget of the team who couldn't keep up and finished second.

 

[Bwian]

What, in ONE game? When had Speroni not made a brilliant save from Ashley Barnes we would have taken the lead? Yeah no, our approach under Poyet - which improved our league position EVERY season - was a massive failure...

Plenty of teams lose important matches. Does not suddenly mean their approach and style of football is at fault.

Ifs, buts and maybes.

Fact is, when it mattered, when it really mattered (our best opportunity for decades to get into the top flight) It Didn't Work. No amount of glossing over that fact doesn't alter it one bit. Factor in the fact that Poyet didn't give a shit when it counted most and I think we can say last season was a massive failure.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Ifs, buts and maybes.

Fact is, when it mattered, when it really mattered (our best opportunity for decades to get into the top flight) It Didn't Work. No amount of glossing over that fact doesn't alter it one bit. Factor in the fact that Poyet didn't give a shit when it counted most and I think we can say last season was a massive failure.

So next time Barcelona, Munich et al lose an important game they should write off their style of play as a failure? Last season was one of our highest EVER league finishes. I don't think it can be so easily dismissed as a failure because we lost in the Play Offs.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Palace will only be safe if they beat Cardiff on Saturday , their only other chance of picking up 3 points is against Man United.

 

[Bwian]

Yes, you're quite right, it's a much better idea to form an opinion based on one disappointing game rather than 3 and a half years of progress, including a league win with half the budget of the team who couldn't keep up and finished second.

It didn't work when it mattered most-is that really difficult to understand?

If you want to be really accurate you'll know that it was much more than one game where it didn't work. Most of the time it worked did but a lot of the time it didn't- Bristol away and West Ham spring to mind and we won't include the horror show at Anfield.

The club progressed under Poyet but blew it when it mattered and Sunderland fans are now experiencing the same. He'll probably keep them up now...

 

[Bwian]

So next time Barcelona, Munich et al lose an important game they should write off their style of play as a failure? Last season was one of our highest EVER league finishes. I don't think it can be so easily dismissed as a failure because we lost in the Play Offs.

Hooray!

Rolling over and playing dead against Palace in the most important game for this club in 30 years was a success after all. I'll tell my Palace supporting friend that.

For the record: I've not said that his style of play was a total failure. I enjoyed it most of the time.

 

[itszamora]

It didn't work when it mattered most-is that really difficult to understand?

If you want to be really accurate you'll know that it was much more than one game where it didn't work. Most of the time it worked did but a lot of the time it didn't- Bristol away and West Ham spring to mind and we won't include the horror show at Anfield.

The club progressed under Poyet but blew it when it mattered and Sunderland fans are now experiencing the same. He'll probably keep them up now...

All teams lose games, or have disappointing results. It doesn't mean the whole philosophy of the manager has been a total failure, as you seem to be implying. It's all part of this hilarious revisionism that because we lost in the playoffs and subsequently fired Gus without saying why, he's a rubbish manager whose entire tenure was a failure. We would have been nowhere near the Championship playoffs without him, and you know that.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Hooray!

Rolling over and playing dead against Palace in the most important game for this club in 30 years was a success after all. I'll tell my Palace supporting friend that.

For the record: I've not said that his style of play was a total failure. I enjoyed it most of the time.

Of course that games was disappointing. But to write the entire season off as a total failure because of the last game is harsh. We came fourth in the division. In hindsight I would say that was a pretty good overall season.

 

[Mackenzie]

I don't actually wish ill of our most successful manager for 30 years or our two time player of the year...

Don't want them to come down. Don't want to see Liam Bridcutt playing at The Amex for another team.

Barry Lloyd?

 

[CPFC G]

Palace will only be safe if they beat Cardiff on Saturday , their only other chance of picking up 3 points is against Man United.

We have played United home and away already. West ham, Fulham away and Villa at home are our best hopes for points in the remaining games.

 

[Mackenzie]

We have played United home and away already. West ham, Fulham away and Villa at home are our best hopes for points in the remaining games.

You'll be fine. The trick will be to keep Pulis happy in the summer.

 

[James Bond's body double]

We have played United home and away already. West ham, Fulham away and Villa at home are our best hopes for points in the remaining games.

Safe as houses, great move to get Pulis in.

 

[CPFC G]

You'll be fine. The trick will be to keep Pulis happy in the summer.

Lets get there first Still a lot of points to be played for. Cardiff (unlike us) seem to score goals which worries me, Can see them making a run over the last few games. Although I do think OGS is completely random with his tactics and hasn't really got a clue.

But yes Pulis did spend a fair bit at Stoke and I can't see our board giving him loads to spend, So things could get interesting over the summer if we do managed to stay up.