I score it 60:40 in favour of Watford, but could just as easily be 0-0, or 4-0 either way

I could be a pundit, me!

I've had a bet on Watford winning, and on Watford going through (just to be on the safe side)

I don't think Holloway was saying it to have a go at Watford as a club but saying it to bring to the publics attention what a stupid rule it is and that it needs changing.

"It's ok postman , he'll lick you to death" "That isn't really that comforting , I still end up dead !!"

To clarify to point about Holloway. It's not the mention of loans per se, we've been beaten with that stick all season, it's more his sudden outrage at who we had and how many. It was February and he claimed he had no idea. It did make him look a bit daft.

I can't really be bothered to go through the whole loan scenario suffice to say it's different from what most people on the outside think it is. Yes there's a lot (not just from Udinese!) but the main reason we have the loans was timing. The Pozzo's didn't take over until late in the summer and we needed players quickly. The vast majority of the loans won't play for their parent clubs again and we have first refusal to sign them (unless someone else comes in with a big offer). The Pozzo's have a huge pool of talent and they move players to where they think they'll be needed. Ultimately it's up to the player if he wants to move, there were a couple who turned down a move to Watford. Also it's not a loophole, bending the rules or whatever. FIFA's rulebook states international loans are free transfers. Anyone can do it

Back to the game, it's good to see you've sold out. Our season ticket only sales end tomorrow so we should see a few more shifted from then on. Just over 17k sold as of last night.

The formations that have worked against us this season are those where teams are set up to flood the midfield. Leicester did that for 1 and a half play off games but couldn't maintain it. In the 2nd half we battered them. Barnsley and Bristol City both stopped us from playing and beat us. Huddersfield and Blackburn both stood and watched and we scored 4.

Whatever happens I wouldn't begrudge Palace going up. A decent club run by people who want the best for it and with fans who are local. Also you were the best away fans we had at the Vic this season (bar a few of the fools who think it's fun to break things). Both clubs have had crap times in the recent past but both look like they have bright futures.

I liked Holloway at the very beginning, he was a bit refreshing, but I very quickly grew tired of his treatment of officials and his annoyingly unfunny jokes, despite always attempting to play the clown.

The reason Watford hate Holloway however, isn't because he spoke the truth. The reason is he made a whole load of misinformed statements, which the media jumped up on as fact:

The loan system stops academy players from coming through - we have had the second highest amount of academy players play in our first team this year (behind M'boro). You also didn't have more English players in your team than us.

Having so many loan playing in your team was wrong - we both had 4 loan players on the pitch just before his post match interview. In fact, one of his loan players had just netted the equaliser.

And the icing on the cake was that he hadn't even realised what was going on for half the season. How clueless do you have to be?

We like your team. You have been in a similar situation as us for many years. We have no problems with your fans and we think you will give us a very tight game Monday week.

But Holloway isn't sour grapes. He did not out us as he probably likes to think. He just ranted and acted the clown as ever, and thousands of idiots lapped it up as gospel.

Edited by miked2006 (17 May 2013 12.24pm)

I think equating his comments to one game does a disservice to the point he was making. It is an undeniable fact that your squad would not be permissable in the division above and that your squad only has the number of "loans" it does because of a legal loophole.

Personally I don't really care - you've borrowed some great players, some who really are too good for this level, but that's football sometimes.

It's easy to look at what he says the way you have but I guarantee you would feel different as an outsider looking in.

As for the point about academy players - who would be filling the void if the loans you have weren't considered the same as "permanent transfers" by the FL? However many are in your team, surely some are missing out?

You are right to look at the number of loans in our side in that one game - but again, that was not the point he was making. In fact at that time we had to leave a loan player out of the match day squad each week. The point he was making was that the quality and depth of your squad over the whole season was/is down to an international loan loophole. He didn't like it.

My own feelings are simply you have broken no rules and it still took a quality manager to gel that team together to produce the results you have got. You deserve to be in the play off final, as do we. I hope we win, not just because I am a Palace fan, but because I can see your situation as something that will not be allowed to happen in the future so would hate to see one team profit from it whilst it is permissable.

But it isn't the fault of the players, fans or management so I have no resentment on that issue. I just think you are writing Holloway off without really thinking about the bigger picture he was referring to,.

And for the record, as much as I say you would have a different opinion from the outside, I am sure mine would change from your position too.

Edited by Hambo (17 May 2013 12.38pm)

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Opinions are certainly split depending what side of the fence you're on. There was certainly some apprehension when these guys took over and then suddenly gave us a group of players many had never heard of. Most have worked out, some haven't and went back. The alternative this season would have probably been relegation with some proper donkey's and journeyman in the side. We were completely skint and most likely heading for admin.

Youth players have been given a chance this season. That said they would have played more games if we didn't have the connections we have now. But then if we had played them instead of the loans where would we be? Not in the play off final that's for sure. I can see how other fans look at is as an unfair advantage. We look at it as taking advantage of a situation and being able to compete towards to the top without risking the future of the club. Who doesn't want that?

The Pozzo's also stated that one thing that really attracted them to our club was the academy. We still have some great prospects coming through, some of the best we've ever had. The problem will be if we go up. How many Premier League clubs bring through wave after wave of academy products? Not many. Reason being it's quicker to buy now rather than nurture.

The way football in this country is going small clubs like Watford are being left behind and there was nothing we could do to try and keep up. We now have that chance.