CRYSTAL PALACE Commentary

I will be trying to call a win yet again.

OK Weds have gone and stolen a point and very nearly three. Next up we have Palace so who do we play in place of <cGoldrick. Will Spiderman be back.

Spiderman will be back it was only a smal injury.

McGoldrick probably only has a runny nose knowing him so should be back for monday.

He just isn't doing it at the moment and must surely need a rest.

I'd like to see Euell in place of McGoldrick. I suppose him and BWP up front together is too big an ask?!

I would definitely play euell but not sure where. BWP has scored our last three goals so should get a game. Worries me that he drifts out of games so often. Would like to see Cork back in defence and James in midfield where his runs could cause less harm to us when we lose the ball. He is a good crosser in the main. I would like Euell behind a front two with orders to attack as often as he can. So BWP and who,Robbie or A.N.Other? The teams shape still needs a little muscular assistance but otherwise we aren't to far away from a sound unit. When all are fit that is. What do you think?

I think Wright-phillips needs to be playing just behind a big target man making runs behind him. He is good on the left but when we don't play down his side he just disappears. In the last few home games we've been more effective on the left so I don't know why our midfielders stopped sending it to Skacel and Wright-phillips in the second half today, but as soon as they did we stopped making chances. James is a good crosser but unlike Skacel he never seems to overlap the winger and cross from the byline like.

Personally I think Euell is more effective in midfield as an energy player who can make runs into the box from midfield to pick up rebounds and get onto crosses at the back post. At the moment though I don't think Robertson and McGoldrick are going to score many goals and we need a big striker who can hold up the ball and flick it on like Stern John (he's off with his stern john ranting again........... :lol: )

I would love to go and watch a training session to see just what they do. The team seems to make the same mistakes over and over again. They don't seem capable of trying something simple. Everything has to be done with twenty passes when often one would do. Wingers flying down the wings and crossing for the strikers to head or smash into the net. Am I alone in wanting to see more of that. A good through ball for a striker to run onto and smash home. Pretty pretty football is all well and good but teams learn quickly that all they have to do is pack the middle and we are unable to penetrate. Both Plymouth and Wednesday soon found the way to keep us out and we just became marooned with no alternative plan.
I am sorry but if Jan and his team cannot do better then they must go. I feel sure that this experiment could work if we had a stronger leader. Somebody not afraid to change things when we are so patently incapable of doing it one way. Good old fashioned attacking football is the answer and we are taking the English element away from our game. By all means add another element but not by taking the easy option away. Even the Dutch team of the past knew how to break quickly and we are after all supposed to be playing the Dutch style. Jan has been here long enough to know this plan needs a second option and we need him to show us that he is fully capable of giving the team the lead when they need it.
Twinkletoes Lallana has not provided much recently and should be rested as should "I will run when I want to" Mcgoldrick. We have the making of a fairly good young team and I hope that Jan can adapt to our game but I feel more and more that he can't. Our team is made up of mainly lightweight understrength kids who have yet to reach their full potential. Their main advantage is speed or so I was led to believe. Pretty football will not allow them to show it. Fine stroke the ball around when we are 3 goals in front but not when we are not. Change the system or go.
We do not have a Channon or Le Tissier in the team but they insist on trying to beat player after player. None of the team seems comfortable even when controlling the game as was the case yesterday. If they failed to score because of a keeper playing out of his skin, fine. But week after week we see the same thing. Chances going begging and the question is why. Confidence or simply because we are incapable of doing it on a regular enough basis to win games. It strikes me that when we score twice we win, as a rule. Yesterday we were so far on top that we should have been home and hosed by half time. Not for the first time either. Instead of going for broke and tying up the points we again showed our pretty football is not bloody working. When will we learn?
Someone please tell me what we need to do because I can't make any sense out of it. Robertson scored a wonder goal to introduce himself to us. Where have his shooting boots gone? Amazingly since our run of missed penalties we haven't had another to help. We have Pulis coming back from injury and I am told he is a big strong boy. Killer looks to be finished, more's the pity. So who do we use to bolster our team? I feel at times like I am floundering looking for an answer. Much the same as our team. Where can we go from here?
Another miracle against Palace perhaps. Not asking much is it?

Well I think McGoldrick can score goals but his movement isnt very good. When Rudi sends in a cross no-one attacks it and the most annoying thing is so often it floats to the back post and no-one is there for the tap in. If you watch a team like Man U play there is always someone running in at the back post when the cross comes in. It's usually someone like Darren Fletcher who has made a run from midfield and its an easy way for a goal. Most defenders in this league are pretty stupid. It's easy to sneak in behind them and the keeper will probably be on the other side of the goal so whoever has made a run to the back post has a tap in. For a lot of crosses the keeper will take it or a defender will clear it but numerous times in the first half yesterday crosses from the left wing just floated across out for a throw in.

This is a good example of the kind of goal saints could score a lot more of if someone made the decision to run into the back post.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ER3G49HOrWk

Good point Teamsaint

My son just told me that the match is on Sky tonight (Bonus)

If it helps I'll try and put in a few comments at half time and full time if you don't mind. (never done this sort of thing before).

I am not going to be watching much as I can't seem to watch and write at the same time. Any imput is well worth the effort and always appreciated. Just say it how you see it. We all see things slightly differently which will make it more interesting for others(me included) to read afterwards.

You will hear us shout every time we score.

Some good points there SFC and teamsaint, I wish Jan or Rupert looked on here.....

So do we

Why isn't Euell in the squad?

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=11041

shocking isn't it

I have a bad feeling tonight and I feel we are going to lose. I sincerely hope not, especially as bragging rights at work tomorrow are at stake!

stream to the game

http://football-forever.com/ipb/index.php?showtopic=42656

also has a match chat thread

Reporting for duty

I've got the tele on, laptop at my side and blood pressure tablets.

I'll try not to get in the way of you experts

Only thing you have to remember is that sometimes we will post at the same time so we have to wait till it's posted. Enjoy yourself and my eyes legs and fingers are crossed.

SFC Forever wrote:Only thing you have to remember is that sometimes we will post at the same time so we have to wait till it's posted. Enjoy yourself and my eyes legs and fingers are crossed.

So if you're posting nonsense all evening, it's because you can't see properly with those crossed eyes!

Got it in one :lol: :lol:
SAINTS
Davis,James,Pearce,Perry,Skacel,Surman,Cork,Lallana,BWP,Robertson,McGoldrick
Bialkowski,Mills,Wotton,Gasmi,Paterson

Palace
Speroni,Clyne,Hill,McCarthy,Fonte,Carle,Watson,Oster,Scannell,Kuqi,Beattie
Derry,Lee,Moses,Butterfield,Ifill

WHERES MORGAN!

Matt Le Tiss seems very convident with the team tonight