I'm starting to wonder if Roy has lost the players. If you look at the way we came out today, it was awful. Burnley had all the energy, we looked like we were still on holiday.

It's one thing if players screw up (they did), or if tactics are bad (they were), but if our players don't look like they are interested, that's a major negative reflection on the manager.

2017 Feb. (Van Aanholt) Palace 1 - 0 Middlesboro
2018 Jan. (Sako) Palace 1 - 0 Burnley
2019 May (Batshuayi, Batshuayi, OG, Van Aanholt, Townsend) Palace 5 - 3 Bournemouth
2020 Feb. (Van Aanholt) Palace 1 - 0 Newcastle

We are still to an unhealthy degree a one player team. Had Zaha been playing I don't think the first half performance would have been so bad, and Burnley would have set up differently. But we were unlucky in that some of their key players cam back, and as a result played much better than their meagre haul of points warranted?

Actually it they cannot do the basics in a match - and we all know that they can - then I do blame the Manager.
If that system of play last night came from weeks of planning then the planner should get the sack.
I have had enough of Roy. I would try for Eddie Howe right now.
With our talent we would do better under him every day of the week!

Edited by The Dolphin (24 Nov 2020 6.54pm)

With everyone saying how excellent Eze was again last night, I'm going to put my tin hat on and complain.......

Several times, when he took possession of the ball he sodded about twisting, turning and generally showboating, when there were players in position for a good through pass to be made much sooner. In most cases we ended up losing the ball because by the time he did come to play it through Burnley had every man and his friend back in defense.

I know Wilf used to be the same a few years ago,and Eze's only young, so maybe someone should have a word.

A stairway to Heaven and a Highway to Hell give some indication of expected traffic numbers

Amen

What amazes me most is that our best player of modern times is played out of position because of Townsend. What a waste.

(For convenient example: when Wilf played on the right at Turf Moor, two seasons ago, he tore them apart)

Spirit of 1974

PvA was half asleep all game, Dann looked like a man with Alzheimer's who couldn't work out where he was, Kouyate was full of errors, Townsend seemed to misplace 75% of his crosses and passes, Ayew was absent and Batshuayi looked like he had borrowed Bentenke's confidence hat.

In terms of average performances Clyne got forward fairly well and not a lot got by him. Riedewald played a few clever through balls but struggled to influence the game. I didn't really notice McArthur other than a rubbish shot.

Vicente our MOTM with Eze the only other player who stood out for me. The young lad had a lot of weight on his shoulders and looked our only real threat. A couple of times I wished he'd had the confidence to go for goal, but given it's early doors he does look extremely promising. I actually thought we looked most threatening once Schlupp came on and him and Eze alternated positions.

Last night was really about who got the first goal as we struggle if we go a goal down but have an astonishingly good record if we go in front (something like 24 or 25 games unbeaten when we score first). In the three years Roy has been here we have always struggled to break teams down when they sit deep, especially when Zaha is out. It is almost as if psychologically the team think they can't win without him on the pitch. Newcastle is likely to be another tight affair with very similar managerial styles.