February 15 2006

Gary Borrowdale

Jamesey reflects on life, the universe and the Palace enigma...

It is a strange admission but I am not happy at the moment.

Looking at the facts of the situation, we are currently fifth in the Championship and have gained an away point at Sheffield Wednesday (Feb 11) and a home win (QPR, Feb 14) in four days.

That looks like good news to the typical football enthusiast.

It's not that my expectations are all that high. It's just that many of our best results this season have been fortunate and, increasingly, I just can't get terribly excited (apart from the first half against the Hoops but more about that later).

I am not even complaining about a journey of several hundred miles to Sheffield and back to see a miserable 0-0 draw. Sport is sport and although it is a branch of the entertainment business, goals and glory are certainly not guaranteed.

Anyway, to lighten up a little, I thought our first half performance against QPR was one of the best displays for ages.

And, to rub my nose in it, the two outstanding players, in my view, were Wayne Andrews and Gary Borrowdale - two performers who, to put it mildly, have not exactly filled me with euphoric bliss this season.

They both had blinders and Wayne is obviously enjoying a deep wing position and his first touch control has improved beyond belief.

Likewise, Gary Borrowdale had a storming game and at last gave us all a clue as to why his international youth career continues to prosper.

In fact, we looked so superior in the first half that I could see a couple more goals in the second and was already daring to think about heading this column, "Valentine's Day massacre". OK I was always a sucker for the cheap cliché.

But, as we now know, it was not to be. Whether Hoops caretaker manager Gary Waddock is a better motivator than Iain Dowie and somehow turned his team around, we don't honestly know.

There appeared to be little motivation in the Eagles' second half attitude. We conceded, lost our impetus and were fortunate to collect three points (yet again).

Well, I have dusted off my old combat fatigues for the journey to Bermondsey on Saturday and I fervently hope that we don't produce a performance like the second half against Rangers.

Don't be deluded by Millwall's lowly position in the table. They'll be on fire to turn us over good and proper at the New Den.

So please, Iain Dowie, Bob Dowie, Neil McDonald, John Harbin and the bloke who warms up the goalkeepers (and takes crosses and dead ball kicks that our players could only dream about), get your motivation kit in gear or the worst will happen...

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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