It really wasn't. Let me bullet point the purpose of the game. Again.

Liverpool's third game, our first.

Fake cup to make pre-season seem like a competition.

A chance to see fringe players in a semi competitive match.

Work on fitness.

Work on formations.

High humidity training to get the body ready for August league kick off.

What do people actually expect? Go gung ho, get injuries to key players just so the HK fans want to support Palace rather than Oooo Ahhh everytime Liverpool make a 5 yard pass.

I honestly dispair at fans some times.

I found your post somewhat aggressive to be honest. There was no need for that!

Whats wrong with sharing my feelings?

I'll put my suspicions about your motivation for starting this thread to one side, for the moment.

This is my opinion regarding your quoted statement: the 'ability to pass out from the back' ethos collapses in a heap against opposition who play the high-pressing game. Defenders can look stylish when having the time so to do, when not being chased down, but when every defender has an opposition man on, this ethos crumbles and dies.

I'll back de Boer to quickly realise this, as we face team after team who now play this high-pressing game. I have a feeling that it is he who has to change, not our basic style of play and players. This is just my opinion.

Edited by Mr. Talons (20 Jul 2017 7.12pm)

I don't know what his talents are (present tense). I watched him as a player and I've read the propaganda about his football philosophy, but that's all in the past. Time will tell, but I back him to the core. No undermining of morale for me.

..and all this talk about 'ball-playing defenders', as if there are any Moores/Beckenbauers/Carlos Albertos out there for the taking. Such players are like hens' teeth and come along once in a lifetime.. and even the ones I just mentioned didn't look so great when chased down and put under pressure.

Get behind the team, that's what I say.

Firstly I, apologise if you found my post aggressive and there is nothing wrong with sharing your feelings and opinions and I genuinely wouldn't want you to stop expressing yourself.

However, it was a very silly post and I was compelled to call you out for it.

What you feel about the team or Parish and what actually happened are 2 different things.

What I am constantly surprised by, is the amnesia that some fans of our club seem to have, (not calling you out on this).

When Dougie was appointed, I was hopeful but I was also fearful that his reputation as player would be damaged at this club, if he did not do well as a manager.

To my surprise, after a shaky start, he found his feet and with some help, propelled us to the top of the league.

As a supporter I totally bought in to Dougie as manager. He talked about the long term future of the club, he had the support of a good board etc. So I was surprised when he left. I was suprised that even he could not see the potential of this club even though he talked about it to the board, the fans, the media, even the players, hence Speroni's response on hearing that he was gone.

I realised then that we had a serious problem as a club trying to grow and that problem was that managers and players alike did not really believe in us and that meant we were only ever going to get players and managers that saw us as some sort of way to step up to something better. Bruce, Pulis, Dowie, Dougie...

That all changed when the board appointed Pardew as Manager.

Here was a manager that came from a massive club to little old Palace. I remember the media at the time, it was all about, how did they get him? Why did he go there? and I'm sure his motive wasn't just to see us do well because he used to play for us. He needed love and a way out and he got it from us.

His appointment was a step up for us. Because of his appointment, we got Cabaye, who I actually think has been good for us but nowhere near as good, or consistant as I had hoped but in terms of being able to sign top players, his signing was huge for this club and I think a turning point for us in the premiership.

Because of Cabaye, we got Benteke, Townsend, Wilf came back, things changed.

Ok, Pardew was just not able to get beyond, win 10, lose 20 and had to go but then we were in a position to attract the likes of Big Sam and thank the lord for that.

After last season, which I actually think was a great season, with some amazing results and some white knuckle stuff, we have a great opportunity.

We have an internationally well thought of manager, who has shown what he can do with a long past it's best Ajax team, especially in terms of youth developement.

He gave Christian Eriksen and Vertonghen their debuts, among others. We have a supposedly good youth academy, who better to get the best out of it.

The maidstone game looked good and in Hong Kong, I think FDB gave 8 players their debuts but I admit, I couldn't see how we are going to be as a team from watching that game, how could anyone.

We were playing Liverpool, In Hong Kong. It was his first real game of sorts. Liverpool have played 3? pre-season games before that, with a manager that knows his team well...

We have come a very long way from Dougie to De Boer. Comparison between the time when Dougie was our hero and now is just, well silly.

Genuinely no offence intented my fellow palace brethren..