Six wins in seven with some very notable scalps, that’s cup winning form, or top two going into the Autumn, Palace seem to be almost unstoppable, scoring for fun, moveable formations, confident, considered and pragmatic in defence, tactical switches mid game, even during a half or minute to minute, it’s all
About constant analysis and adaptability. However, nothing has been won, it could have been an end of season flourish, manager bounce, something in the water at Selhurst, but this is different, the shoots of a brighter future may just be breaking ground, this is GLASNERBALL. As it stands, Crystal Palace are an annoyance to bigger clubs, a fly to be swatted, a nearly club that has to be put back in its place, and they, those footballing fat cats, can achieve this by either playing nicely, or more likely, using their bulging, self - refilling wallets to flatten the fizz before it bubbles over. Make no mistake, who wins and who loses is mainly played out in corporate boardrooms, not on the field of play, leaving aside the sparks that were Forest under Clough way back when, and Leicester only a few years ago, the silverware remains safe and sound in the cabinets of the well heeled and well to do of football’s aristocracy, or those with the wedge. So, how do Palace, that small, scruffy club with a tired old stadium from unfashionable South London (da Cronx) change all this? There is no one single answer, it must be done with a bit of strategic thinking, luck, no shortage of persuasion and, above all, at speed. There is no time to lose, or alas, there will be yet another false dawn in SE25, the gloom of mediocrity will linger on, with only the odd glimmer of light here and there to keep the faithful, the fanatical, the foolhardy filing into the field of unfulfilled fantasy.

The planets must align, and at this very moment, right here, right now they are as close as they are likely to be for many a year to come. Firstly, everything that can be done, must be done to retain the key players for at least another season, or at worst, a ‘see how it goes until January,’ if we make it to the dizzy heights of the top seven, they stay. Yes, it may take a bit of cajoling, but the big clubs were all wannabes at some point. The promise of the new stand with its glazed nod to local history must materialise, and ground has to be broken sooner rather than later, players want to play to big crowds, fans want a comfy seat, maybe not a hot car bucket seat like in the dugouts (how ridiculous), but a bit of bumfort would be nice for the grand you’ll pay if all goes well, and there will be a need to pander to the corporates, formerly known as as the prawn sandwich brigade, it’s how it all works you know. The last planet to reel in will be securing Oli G, investment is key, he obviously has a plan and a will and desire to succeed in the Premier League, so
money and resources must be made available . With our planets aligned, and what could go wrong, (don’t answer that), the rewards could just see Palace achieve the status that we’ve all been promised too many times for too many years. The key to all this promise ultimately lies with the players, and crucially, their agents. They, the players can push right now for that big money move, or be pushed by a greedy agent hell-bent on a short-term payday, or they can look at the medium to long term, and take the view that putting a bit of faith in Glasnerball may just reap more rewards for all a year or two down the line. This group of players could just be the next bunch of renegade heroes to buck the trend, and take the English national game by storm, who wouldn’t want to be part of that? It may also just inspire the next generation of players and supporters in South London and beyond, ticket sales, merchandising, sponsorship, TV and worldwide social media revenue etc. It could also change the mood here in South London, we could do with seeing a few more smiles. At long last the Eagle may be soaring to a new perch a bit higher up the footballing hierarchy, please do not clip its wings.

The thing is i think that Glasner is a realist and his high tempo closing down style has to be on the same wavelength and attitude as his players, a club like ours is perfect, big enough to achieve things, but not big enough to have a dressing room full of overpaid egos, that wont listen, hence success at teams hungry for success, as he has at similar size clubs.

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn