beaten by a much better team.

no grumbles here, they controlled the game from the outset.

As Jimmy Greaves once observed: "Football's a funny old game."

Well, losing 1-3 at home to Man City isn't exactly side-splitting, but in a game which elicited not even a yellow card, the most remarkable component of our performance for me today was Christian Benteke's start, and Roy Hodgson's persistence with him throughout.

Tell me, Roy: was that a bet? Was it a contractual obligation? Was it to contribute to the player's personal Premier League stats, with a view to making him a tad more saleable?

We're not quite in a parallel universe with this guy (Benteke, I mean) - it's just as if he's slightly out of phase with ours. A striker who, not only can't strike, but also now seems flatly resigned to refusing to do so. Why should we pay £120K a week, or whatever it is, for that?

Today's execrable display included a six-yard box heading opportunity, which he inevitably missed, but worse, a knock-down for a non out-and-out striker in that self-same part of the pitch. Surely that's what you're there for, fella.

And if your mojo has thoroughly deserted you, then you could at least haul your seemingly overpaid butt back up the pitch and help out defending, as per Messrs Zaha and Townsend, rather than standing there, statuesque, waiting for the perfect pass, which will never be delivered, because ironically, even if it were, you'd still somehow contrive not to connect with it.

I suppose that a somewhat fortuitous 39 points (17 goals scored in the last 15 mins, 10 pens from Luka) renders all of this somewhat academic; but it could all so very easily have been otherwise...

Some clown said get at them and if they run past us so what. Their third goal a prime example of what would have happened if we had done that all game. As for someone else saying our players weren't trying that's a disgrace because at this level players do try but sometimes you have to accept that he other team is just to good for us.

no need to be insulting Mr Tyler just because someone might know a bit more than you do about football and tactics.

PZ Eagle you know absolutely nothing about football. You would have us losing safely 1-0 every week by the sounds of things. Are you related to Roy by any chance?

No shame in losing to City.

However, I think the performance is indicative of our home form.

Gary Neville was spot on with his comments that we defended too deep and didn't go out to close down the city midfield. They almost had the freedom of Selhurst to try and pick out a pass, we just tried to cut it out. Sooner or later we were going to get punished.

Why Van Aanholt didn't go with Sterling for the first goal is beyond me, PVA isnt exactly slow. That being said Sterling took it really well, didn't give Guiata a chance.

I thought Palace looked more creative when Meyer came on. Whilst he may not be effective away from home, I wonder if he should be used from the start at home more.

Benteke isn't a lost cause, but needs play in a 4-4-2 formation. 4-3-3 doesn't work for him.