I don’t think it was any coincidence that the removal of Schlupp and Hughes for Gallagher and Milivojevic meant we lost control of the midfield. Gallagher ran around like a headless chicken and Luka was just a headless chicken without the running.

I would have much preferred to see Kouyate come in to help out in the air and why oh why wasn’t Benteke when he came on marking their best header of the ball Calvert Lewin at set pieces/corners. If there is one thing he can do it is beat all and sundry in the air to the ball. It was left to Guehi who was hobbling anyway and was only about a foot below the striker when he buried the header.

Our set piece defending is appalling and needs work over the off season.

Some sober reflection on last night (sure I wasn't the only one unable to post comments due to server overheating?)

Wow! It took some doing to lose that match. We were playing some pleasing stuff in the first half after the original blitz by them.

But the second half ... we were all over the place and greatly suffered from the lack of a commanding midfield presence.
Someone with the confidence to hold the ball and slow everything down. A Christian Eriksen type who can place a telling pass.

If ever we needed the proverbial 'midfield general' it was last night. Luka, Hughes, Kouyate are NOT that person.

This must be number one priority for next season.

The manager's lack of experience was woefully exposed with his nonsensical substitutions if he did have a plan then bringing on Luka and then Benteke defied rational belief.

One of the most humiliating defeats I have seen in over 70 years as a supporter.

Man and boy Palace since my first game in 1948 sitting on my dad's shoulders

I think there's a little bit of emotional over-reaction there, not really surprising after last night. I'd got as far down the motorway as Stafford and my head was still all over the place. All in all, though, it was a special night; painful as it was, the atmosphere was unreal and you were just glad you were there. But bloody hell, it did hurt.

We lost for four reasons. Three appalling defensive errors and Mateta's failure to put away a fairly straightforward chance when we were (from memory) 2-1 ahead.

First goal Guehi is ball-watching and that's why Keane has a free hit inside the box. Second goal put it this way; Guiaita doesn't let that in. Third goal, the Everton player standing directly behind DCL boxes out Andersson who can't get into position and thus DCL has a free run to the ball before he scores. I don't disagree with your points; they're all valid. But they're not why we lost.

With regard to your points, there's nothing naive about bringing on a CDM (Luka) to shut down an away game you're leading with 20 minutes left. Plus, Luka was coming off a good performance on Sunday. It was the right move but it didn't work out. Benteke as I recall came on at 2-2 when the game was getting away from us and my thinking was that his defensive prowess (headers from set pieces) made him a more attractive option than Edouard. I might not have made that move myself but I can understand PV's thinking. Again, it just didn't work out. Sometimes that happens.

Edited by sydtheeagle (20 May 2022 7.42pm)

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

While there is some truth in that, Wilf in particular was about as ineffective as I've ever seen him and there were a number of times that the headless chicken actually ran blindly into the right space and Wilf simply failed to get the ball to him, or delivered it behind him, thus making the headless chicken look even more decapitated than he already did. Wilf had a horrible night.

Edited by sydtheeagle (20 May 2022 7.55pm)

Attachment: Goodison.jpg (1,293.71Kb)

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

That I do not disagree with whatsoever. Trying to put a defender in a forearm lock is not the correct way to tackle and yet he seems to spend an inordinate amount of time doing it.

There is that, and you are absolutely right. Am I allowed to say that frankly, Wilf was f***ing awful last night; as poor a game as I can remember him having in a Palace shirt? I'm not sure he really did a single useful thing all night. Strangely, though, it did underline the value of Wilf. Even when he is utter crap, defenders are absolutely terrified every time he gets the ball and he draws opposition players into his space like a magnet, thus (as often happened last night) freeing up room for Eze (who looks to be returning to form) to exploit.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.