I often use the above phrase with the reason being that it’s very true.
I didn’t quite say the Brighton game was a must win, but I did say getting the points would be monumental. That was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but certainly our position looks a lot better than it would if we’d lost.
And this might sound a bit strange (and it’s the funny old part), but I don’t feel that this match is quite so vital to us. The two clubs below us, Leeds and Watford, are both away, to Brighton and Leicester respectively and I just don’t see both of them winning and dropping us to the spot just above the bottom three, who can’t catch us (yet!).
I think the reaason I don’t quite so much urgency is because we broke that losing run that was putting everyone on a downer. Whereas if we do lose this one, well, it’s just one game.
Of course a win would be superb and it’s certainly not too big an ask, as although the Eagles are in tenth place, they’re only three points above us. And the other funny thing is that if we were to win 3-0, we’d actually go above them because of goals scored.
Just when I’d somehow got it in my head that Palace were going really well. Given our shocking run of results recently, they obviously haven’t been going that well at all.
Squad news and on our part, the good news is that Trezeguet has trained all week, with a view to getting him to train next week and then hopefully get him some minutes for the U-23’s. He’s obviously still a while away, but he’ll be coming back at a time when squads are usually a bit thin because of it being, well, the winter, where injuries tend to happen more easily and wimps just don’t want to get cold.
As I suggested last time, I feel he’ll be a typical type of Gerrard player, because of his energy and I’ll be welcoming him back.
Traore is still weeks away, which is disappointing, because he can be a good option.
As for Sanson, “Sanson has trained fully. He’ll travel with us and be part of the squad” said Gerrard.
He won’t be starting then, I’d say. Nothing new about that, is there? The wondering of us fans continues.
Luiz is back in the squad too, which is good news, but I don’t get the impression that he’ll be starting either.
As for Palace, James McAuthur will be out after a muscle tear. Odsonne Edouard may feature, along with Nathan Ferguson after both have recovered from injuries.
Palace are this season’s draw experts up to now and it seems very, very easy for me to make that my prediction.
But then it’s always easiest to go for the draw isn’t it? You’re never 100% wrong, whichever way the result goes.
So, just for once, I really think I ought to predict one way or the other.
Patrick Viera has got Palace pretty well organised, but they’re nowhere near unbeatable.
Benteke is my main worry, particularly if he gets his head on the end of one, but Mings played well last week, so hopefully he can cope with him. That’s assuming we man-mark, that is, which seems so obviously the right thing to do.
I can’t say I noticed how our defence set up to defend against Brighton, mainly because they were pretty toothless and never threatened much, but I do hope we move away from zonal marking, as I’ve never really liked it. It’s too easy for defenders to absolve themselves of any responsibility and blame each other, to my mind.
I predicted a draw against Brighton, but said I could see us losing.
And typical me, I got it wrong again and we won.
I’m tempted to predict a draw, with the same probable loss, but d’you know what?
I’m going for the win. I can see us being mostly poor again, as the team will obviously take a while to get used to any new methods etc and we’re obviously short of a couple of personnel, particularly in the middle.
But I can also see the new manager bounce continuing, meaning we somehow dig the result out again via something out of the blue.
I’m saying 1-0.
Yes, that’s right. To us.
UTV!
Bbc say Bailey had a good game…
Buendia on for Young.
Fresh legs and minutes for the former.
Fat Arse!!!!! Get in!!!!!!
McGinn curler.
Lovely 2-0!
Great goal John McGinn – he’s broken his losing streak UTV
Gerrard – tactically brilliant today
Told ya. 😉
You certainly did 🙂
palace get a last minuter.
I’d been saying they would, to the missus.
2-2
Said the same to mine – it was commentators curse!
Argh, lost the clean sheet. I hope Gerrard bollocks them for that!
Ah, so you said 2-0?
I was closer than you then (big fat razz smiley) 🙂
That’s it.
A good win.
Shame we didn’t get the clean sheet but a very good display by Villa and some pressure relief.
First new manager since Gregory to start with two wins
If he can get 7 out of 9, like Gregory, it’ll be a very Merry Christmas…
Yes didn’t he win every game ? or was it 11 on the trot.. or was that Barton ?
7 out of 9 to finish the 1997-98 season, Bill. Then started ’98-99 with a 13 match unbeaten run, culminating with that embarrassing photo on the pitch at The Dell after beating Southampton 4-1. The good old days!
All good but need to start holding ball up in their half more….putting silly pressure on ourselves.
There’s a biggish game at VP on Wednesday…
Didn’t get to watch this game, but was listening to the commentary on WM; they reckoned that Watkins should have had at least one of two possible penalties in the 1st half.
Anyone see them?
Yep, at least two decent appeals for a pen; third wasn’t. I thought the first was definitely a pen but VAR didn’t even look at it.
But then VAR did it’s job in overturning Luiz red card. Clumsy tackle but never a red.