Regardless of who did what wrong it's all getting a bit angry and uptight - we're not often in the top league and when we are we're down where we are now usually. Sam will turn it round, there might be a miracle of Hull but Swansea f*cked it getting Clement in - from what I saw of Alan Curtis and Swansea the other night he would have given them a better chance of survival. We spent the first fifty years of our existence as a bottom or bottom half of the league club, the last fifty years we've established ourselves as a top half club, with only about 13 of those years in the top flight. It will take 10 or 20 years for us to become a regular top flight fixture and that's what Parrish's decisions and investments have been about. We'll stay up this year, Watford look in trouble, the real problem might be next season, when 3 weak teams will be replaced by 2 stronger automatically promoted clubs and a weakfish play off team. The football's been poor of late, 30 mil for Benteke is not looking like money well spent but his form can return and we're privileged to be able to make such a signing - remember life under Neil Warnock not being able to afford John Stead? A bit of perspective and a bit of humour is required, and a bit of faith, two of our three rivals are broke and the other one's got Clement. It's been a disappointing season but it's not boring and we'll have a proper ride from here on in - a win or two will be forthcoming and then hopefully posters will stop personally insulting each other. Cheer up lads.

Good post and largely agree apart from anybody else being dragged into the relegation scrap. On the positive we do not have owners who have given any indication they wish to sell up and won't invest. We are actually actively looking to strengthen, Schlupp signing shows this. We have a manager with a proven track record of sorting out defensive issues. All the goals yesterday showed defensive deficiencies from marking, decision making and speed. If we are shipping 2-3 a game at the back we will lose most matches. Our season will largely hinge on sorting this out. As you mention if we do survive in this league it will be a lot harder next season as we need to recruit some real grafters.

Edited by Booted Eagle (15 Jan 2017 1.04pm)

Edited by Booted Eagle (15 Jan 2017 1.07pm)

“ [T]here are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.There are known unknowns; that is to say there are things that, we now know we don't know.But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know. ”
—United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld

Like other teams in our position I see the problem is confidence.

Players often don't want the ball as eagerly as when they have confidence which comes across as they are not bothered.

The problem I see is the points difference between us and others above us is slowly increasing.

The pyramid to beat all pyramids!!

[Link]

Find out what team is in which division, eg which division is Coppull United in?

Good OP.

Palace 13th 2017/18.

Rumours abound that Newcastle will be in for Townsend's this window and PSG are sniffing around Benteke.

I enjoy and agree with posts like this. We are having to tough out probably the worst run of results I can remember (surely as we are worst in England in 2016 that is true). Personally moaning always makes me feel rubbish so I choose to avoid it if I can (I can't always) but I'm damned if I will let 11 strangers ruin my week (if they win they are my best mates during that week of course).

We have made a catalogue of decisions which haven't quite worked out (yet) - Pards, BFS, Benteke, Townsend - but we are a handful of games away from that being reversed. I have disagreed with none of these decisions. The other 3 teams are still twice as likely to go down and bookies aren't stupid. Attempting to play the open, entertaining style that we all wanted hasn't worked for us because we probably aren't quite joined up enough as a team - weak points are exploitable (left back, keeper for a start).

Seasons like this should now be regarded as re-adjustment ones. Aim one is to stay up but aim two is to weed out the weaknesses and make us hard to beat again, but with a more talented squad. Free flowing Palace playing like Barca is a few years away again.

Let's admit we've got ourselves into trouble but only through our ambition and a bit of bad luck. Football is full of chance and I think the board have played their cards how I would have and most of us would have. That these chances aren't falling our way at the moment is part of the game - try not to let it get under your skin.

As Mr Kipling said:

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

etc etc

And which is more, you’ll be a Palace fan, my son.