Yes a very good point ! If we didnt have it there today Wilfs goal would have been rulled out for offside as the linesman had his flag uo and they would have had a penalty as the ref gave it and was rulled out .

Yeah, if only we had it in the cup final, it will be useful on may 7 at wembley against United, third time lucky!

The past few years I've gone into the season with the hope that we could finish top half.

There were two targets in reaching that:

A positive goal difference
More wins than defeats

Currently we are top half, and are achieving both objectives!

Almost a third of the season gone and I'm enjoying it so much. Honestly, I can only recall a few games the past few years where I've actually consciously enjoyed the experience, because most wins have been excruciatingly terrifying to watch. We have had some incredible results, but mostly I've felt emotionally drained by the end of the game because the victories have been so tight. Then, more recently, performances have been lacklustre and utterly under-whelming. December last year we played Villa and Liverpool, and these were absolute shockers. And I am comfortable to admit it now, but that win over Brighton was embarrassing. I took no pride in winning that, even if they are our rivals. They deserved to win.

I hope these points make sense! I love my team, and I always back the manager, and I always back the players, and I don't expect them to be the absolute best. But there's no doubt a malaise had set in, the spirit of 2010, which had been inherited by successive incarnations of the Palace first 11, had entirely dissolved.

Fast forward a year: We control games. We control them well. We are imperfect, yet exciting. When we win, we are great. When we fail, we know we had a go. Now we have an identity. We've not had an identity since Jedinak and Delaney left. Now we are youthful, energised, exhilarating, empowered by a can-do attitude.

I really, really hope we have succession planning in place for Connor Gallagher. He deserves an England cap and could be worth 5 places to us. Dougie needs to be earning his wage right now, and ensure this is not another false dawn. Who will be winning the ball back in their third next season?

Wolves were like Newcastle (defending in numbers, falling over) but with better players.

First half was very attritional, Palace had more possession but didn't create a lot, Wolves had less possession and created nothing of note.

Second half was better. Edouard (one great run into the box from the right stands out) and Benteke both had their moments and Wilf got into it more after an anonymous first half. Gallagher and Jimmie Mac immense again.

Olise is such a good player, he wasn't on long but I remember a lovely little run taking out two or three of their players then sliding a pass out wide. if PV is ever able to shoehorn him and Eze into the team we are in for a real treat.

Good to see 'game management' at the end, keeping it in the corner, we haven't always done that well.

A well deserved three points.

Great post. Agree 100%.
I would honestly have preferred relegation to the last few years , have been going through a sense of habit /loyalty. I’d be standing there thinking ‘I’ve got 3 young kids, why am I here wasting my Saturdays watching this negative sh*t’.
2 defensive midfielders at home to Watford zzzzzzzz
Like a breathe of fresh air now. The new players are great , but the likes of ward , MacArthur are like different footballers, the manager and his staff should take massive credit.
Go into every game now expecting a result, after last weekend , we can match anyone.
Loving it.

Imagine the noise we would have with the new stand -just saying!