Crystal Palace v Aston Villa Post Debacle Thread

[Louzie0]

I’m waiting for the Big Buy that will suddenly make sense of what we have seen so far. The new and fabulous midfield / forward players that will convince me there’s a plan to what the lads are doing in training and why they can’t roll over hitherto inferior opposition.

There’s still a week to go.

[supertom]

We need a turnaround and we need it quick. We score a goal against Everton, and they score within minutes. We score the opener today and Palace score within minutes. If there's a team as historically predistined to switch off after scoring it's us. Why is it, manager after manager we still have the same old problems again and again and again? Not limited to:

Conceding soon after scoring
Conceding late goals
Constant switching off.
Abysmal record in London
Abysmal record against Utd, Liverpool, City, Spurs, etc etc. Why do have innumerable bogey sides, and yet we only seem to be a fly in the ointment for Norwich fucking City, and maybe Everton at VP.
We look dreadful at passing and movement in comparison to most teams. We regularly come up second. This was the case even when we had effective gameplans to counter these issues (O Neill's counter-attacking side).
We've not found a consistently successful method of scoring goals since O Neill's side. Even then, he had no answer for teams sitting deep, because we seem immune to playing possession-based football. If Spursy is a thing, then we've definitely got Villa-(sh)itus. It doesn't wash off.

More immediate here-and-now issues that are particularly problematic:
The midfield balance is wrong. For me, this is probably a Ramsey plus McGinn issue. Together they don't work. Ramsey needs a rest. McGinn isn't consistent enough either. Particularly given his seniority now.

Mings is Mings. He comes back, point to prove, plays very well. This week? Dreadful again.
But what on Earth has happened to Konsa? His tracking of Zaha and attempt (or non attempt) to get to the ball was pathetic on their first. It was disturbingly half-assed. As much as Mings can be awful, it's not usually for the want of trying. My issue with Konsa right now is that for 18 months he was superb and looked like a great player. But the last 12 months have been crap. Chambers has to play now. I'd throw Hause in too once he's fit. I didn't think we particularly needed a signing to replace Carlos. I've changed my mind. Mings is a persistent liability, but Konsa's on-pitch efforts are frankly appalling at the moment.

Gerrard hasn't worked out the attacking formula. I don't think he'll play a system that'll fully utilise Bailey's talents. He also never quite figured Ings + Watkins. That worked when Coutinho was on form. Without him, it doesn't. Again, a big part of this is currently a lack of guile and composure in our 8 position. I feel like Buendia is combative enough to play there. Then play two 10's and one 9, or 2 9's- 1, 10.

3 games down. 7 to go on the Gerrard-o-meter. So far, so not too good.

[BC Villain]

I'm sure I remember a comment from a Rangers fan along the lines of Gerrard once insisting that his plan B was "to do plan A better"

Certainly would not surprise me given the bilge that he's served up since the start of the year.

Loads on here argued Dean Smith had no plan B when things started going wrong.  I'm yet to see that Gerrard has even a plan A, let alone plan B.

[Villa in Denmark]

I'm sure I remember a comment from a Rangers fan along the lines of Gerrard once insisting that his plan B was "to do plan A better"

Certainly would not surprise me given the bilge that he's served up since the start of the year.

Loads on here argued Dean Smith had no plan B when things started going wrong.  I'm yet to see that Gerrard has even a plan A, let alone plan B.

Gerrard has a plan A. Unfortunately it appears that it's shitter than one of Baldrick's cunning plans.

[ChicagoLion]

It was a shocking penalty decision but I saw nothing since they equalised to suggest that we were going to get anything from the game.

[LeonW]

* Don’t think we ever recovered after conceding the equaliser. After that, Palace we’re comfortably the better team and in the first half in particular, Zaha tortured us. Eze was brilliant and he must have been shocked that we made no adjustments in the game whatsoever to restrict him.
* Set pieces are still an issue. Defending against them is still a major problem, yet we continue to give away silly fouls around the box. Attacking wise, we had some very strange moves.
* Thought Cash, Martinez, Mings and (first half) Buendia played well. Konsa made one brilliant recovery challenge against Eduard. Bailey had a couple of good moments. Watkins did his job today; one clear chance, one goal.
* Digne was very poor and Palace looked to be targeting him. Thought the handball was harsh. In general, I thought the ref was inconsistent. Ayew could have made another 10 fouls and not been booked.
* Yet another loss to a side that has less resources than us but are much much better coached. The number of times just a long ball over the top did us was alarming. The other
alarming thing to consider is that Vieira has had those players for only, what, 3 more months than Gerrard has had our squad?!

[BC54 VFC]

We won't win many matches if we just meekly surrender the midfield week after week.

We got away with it against a piss poor side in Everton, but Bournemouth and Palace both dominated us in that part of the pitch.

I don't see how he and Critchley, McAllister, Danks and Rick Wakeman can sit on Monday and rewatch that shit show and not see the problem.

For a team that looks entirely uncoached, we have a massive coaching team.

I think he only remains because he's a Yes man, otherwise he'd be Close To The Edge of being dismissed. Certainly, his position is Fragile. 

[9fingers]

We won't win many matches if we just meekly surrender the midfield week after week.

We got away with it against a piss poor side in Everton, but Bournemouth and Palace both dominated us in that part of the pitch.

I don't see how he and Critchley, McAllister, Danks and Rick Wakeman can sit on Monday and rewatch that shit show and not see the problem.

For a team that looks entirely uncoached, we have a massive coaching team.

I think he only remains because he's a Yes man, otherwise he'd be Close To The Edge of being dismissed. Certainly, his position is Fragile.

But seasons would just pass him by.

[DB]

I'm sure I remember a comment from a Rangers fan along the lines of Gerrard once insisting that his plan B was "to do plan A better"

Certainly would not surprise me given the bilge that he's served up since the start of the year.

Loads on here argued Dean Smith had no plan B when things started going wrong.  I'm yet to see that Gerrard has even a plan A, let alone plan B.

Exactly what a Rangers mate said to me, no plan B. His plan A looks pretty shite tbh.

[BC Villain]

I'm sure I remember a comment from a Rangers fan along the lines of Gerrard once insisting that his plan B was "to do plan A better"

Certainly would not surprise me given the bilge that he's served up since the start of the year.

Loads on here argued Dean Smith had no plan B when things started going wrong.  I'm yet to see that Gerrard has even a plan A, let alone plan B.

Exactly what a Rangers mate said to me, no plan B. His plan A looks pretty shite tbh.

Plan A appears to be "blag it"

[KevinGage]

* Don’t think we ever recovered after conceding the equaliser. After that, Palace we’re comfortably the better team and in the first half in particular, Zaha tortured us. Eze was brilliant and he must have been shocked that we made no adjustments in the game whatsoever to restrict him.
* Set pieces are still an issue. Defending against them is still a major problem, yet we continue to give away silly fouls around the box. Attacking wise, we had some very strange moves.
* Thought Cash, Martinez, Mings and (first half) Buendia played well. Konsa made one brilliant recovery challenge against Eduard. Bailey had a couple of good moments. Watkins did his job today; one clear chance, one goal.
* Digne was very poor and Palace looked to be targeting him. Thought the handball was harsh. In general, I thought the ref was inconsistent. Ayew could have made another 10 fouls and not been booked.
* Yet another loss to a side that has less resources than us but are much much better coached. The number of times just a long ball over the top did us was alarming. The other
alarming thing to consider is that Vieira has had those players for only, what, 3 more months than Gerrard has had our squad?!

Indeed.

If we had to play Fantasy Football and pick a 'name' manager based on what he'd done as a player, prob better to go for that guy.

Heavily involved in the acadamy at Citeh and a degree of success with Nice in a far more competitive league.

[dorsetvillian]

Another horror show. I'm just wondering when the away fans will turn? Can't be long..

[Ads]

Poor after 10 minutes.

I felt we were bullied physically today. Konsa poor, Mings losing concentration, but perhaps the biggest issue is the midfield. To say it was poor from McGinn would be an understatement, absolutely abysmal performance even by the low standards he's set recently. Ramsey jaded and not in it either.

Emi bright at the start of the first half, but our propensity to be rushed in possession and give it away cheap, was frustrating.

When Luiz came on, we did keep the ball a bit better. We got Cash involved more, but they'd happily declared.

Bailey goes close and maybe if we go 2-1 up and its a different story. But we weren't good enough by any stretch.

It taking hours to get to the M40 after has subdued the annoyance to be honest. Loathe going to Palace.

[Martyn Smith]

* Don’t think we ever recovered after conceding the equaliser. After that, Palace we’re comfortably the better team and in the first half in particular, Zaha tortured us. Eze was brilliant and he must have been shocked that we made no adjustments in the game whatsoever to restrict him.
* Set pieces are still an issue. Defending against them is still a major problem, yet we continue to give away silly fouls around the box. Attacking wise, we had some very strange moves.
* Thought Cash, Martinez, Mings and (first half) Buendia played well. Konsa made one brilliant recovery challenge against Eduard. Bailey had a couple of good moments. Watkins did his job today; one clear chance, one goal.
* Digne was very poor and Palace looked to be targeting him. Thought the handball was harsh. In general, I thought the ref was inconsistent. Ayew could have made another 10 fouls and not been booked.
* Yet another loss to a side that has less resources than us but are much much better coached. The number of times just a long ball over the top did us was alarming. The other
alarming thing to consider is that Vieira has had those players for only, what, 3 more months than Gerrard has had our squad?!

Indeed.

If we had to play Fantasy Football and pick a 'name' manager based on what he'd done as a player, prob better to go for that guy.

Heavily involved in the acadamy at Citeh and a degree of success with Nice in a far more competitive league.

He felt like a bigger, more visible presence on the touchline. This might sound soft but simply the choice of clothing made a difference, I thought. PV was there in his big white shirt, a commanding figure, whilst SG skulked away in a dark suit, seeming hardly visible

[Des Little]

Another long drive, another load of shit. Outplayed all over the pitch and no plan b. Gerrard needs to step up and pronto. Fed up.