September 17 2003

Crystal Palace

The season's only five weeks old and many Eagles fans are getting restive already. Jamesey gives his thoughts...

Well, it was miserable rail journey back after our sickening 1-0 defeat at home to Bradford City (Sept 16). After a stunning top-of-the-table start, the chickens are coming home to roost with a deafening clucking sound. Nine points out of nine to start and, after last night, one point out of twelve to follow.

As I write, at least Steve Kember has not trotted out, in many ways some quite justified excuses, about referees, injuries, etc, etc. I was pleased to see that after the Sunderland game, he was quoted as saying that we invited them into our box and were duly punished.

I didn't go to the north-east but those were my exact feelings after the Millwall game where I felt we were extremely lucky to get even a point.

I have seen five of our first seven games (not Burnley or Sunderland) and, to be honest, to my eyes, we looked really good for only 10% of the total playing time...the second half "away" to the Dons.

I think we all expected a dramatic improvement after the departure of the Carrot Man and even those of us with doubts about Kember possibly hoped that anything would be an improvement on Francis-stein.

But last night in the second half against the Bantams we looked a totally disorganised spineless shambles to put it mildly.

We have a talented squad with enough good players in depth to be a top six club and Palace supporters expect a far better level of performance than we have thus seen.

It was interesting to see Clinton Morrison at the game last night. He was sitting not far from me in the Main Stand and I noticed him having his photo taken with a female supporter at half time.

We can only speculate whether he was there for nostalgic reasons, or as has been said, to talk about the possibility of coming here on loan. He has not been very successful at Bruce's Birmingham.

In my present mood, the thought of Clint and Dougie as our strike force once more would be manna from heaven...

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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