Crystal Palace Thread [R]

[Ballzack]

Today it’s Palace-Arsenal; I’m wishing upon hope, but it would be the upset of god knows when, if Palace were to thrash them. A dream, perhaps, however, you have to dream once in a while.

[bigbrooklynlou]

Er. Arsenal destroyed us. We beat Birmingham ... again and we have Man U this weekend (ugh). But we're 4 clear of the relegation zone (!) and can still stay up if we play well against the other releagtion contenders later on.

Plus Steve from Fox Football Friday pegged us as going down and considering his great skill at prognosticating, we'll do fine ...

[cmblfc]

Palace is much much better than the current relegation zone teams. I just dont know that they are as good as the middle of the pack teams.

[bigbrooklynlou]

Palace is much much better than the current relegation zone teams. I just dont know that they are as good as the middle of the pack teams.

CM, considering that CP was pegged by all the pundits to go down, and the fact that Jordan did not spend any money during the transfer window, them managing to stay up is more a testament to their desire as a team than anything else. Hopefully between the SKY sports money and what they get for Routledge when he goes, they'll be able to buy a semi-decent midfielder or two during the summer break.

[bigbrooklynlou]

I'm still buzzing about Palace drawing Man-ure on Saturday. 10 men down and they took everything Man U could throw at them for 30 minutes. The team did every fan proud.

A couple of items:

Aki Riihilahti's website - http://www.akiriihilahti.com/
You gotta love a Finnish mid-fielder with a sense of humor ...

Zoo interview with Aki Riihilahti (my favorite response in blue) ...

Zoo Magazine spoke to Crystal Palace's Finnish midfielder Aki Riihilahti a few weeks and he spoke about life under our Manager of the Year, Iain Dowie. Here, he answers further questions on Palace's season so far.

Q - You were out of contract in the summer. Were you ever close to leaving?

Who could throw away a chance to play Premiership football under a great manager?!

Q - How has Iain changed you, personally?

He has changed my career, my views on sport, life and leadership.

Q - How closely does he monitor what you do off the pitch, like diet?

He gives us guidelines and help in whatever we need, but in the end of the day he trusts us to be good professionals.

Q - Does he apply any sort of scientific theories to football?

Mostly mathematics - if you score more than the opponent, you'll have a good chance of winning.

Q - How long are his team talks and how much does he focus on tactics?

He works really hard to go through every detail tactically during the week, and then before the game he gives his motivation speech, which is often very inspirational.

Q - How key are Kit Symons (assistant) and John Harbin (fitness coach) alongside Dowie?

They are very important for the whole picture. The management team is well balanced with different kinds of knowledge and responsibilities, combined with good leadership skills, hard work and grey hair.

Q - Who's the toughest player you've come up against this season?

Jermaine Jenas was impressive.

Q - Who'd be your Player of the Year?

I've got to say Andy Johnson.

Q - Was winning the play-offs your finest achievement?

No, enjoying my life, being happy is my finest achievement so far. Winning that promotion was one of my finest moments in football though.

Q - How confident are you of staying up?

I've never doubted it and the force is strong in us. We believe we are able to stay at the top level.

Q - Who's the biggest loon at the club?

There are couple of borderline cases, I'm one of them.

Q - Has anyone tried stealing Gabor Kiraly's magic pyjama bottoms?

Why would anyone else want to wear them?!

Q - Who do you room with on the road, and what's their worst habit?

The other Finnish player [Joonas] Kolkka eats too much bread, that is not good for the room air.

Q - You often mention in your column that you don't have a girlfriend. Been lucky lately?

It's not like I'm advertising it but yeah, I'm still single.

[ChicagoTom]

Nice win today! There is hope after all of you staying up. I am a Fulham fan and realize we are in the thick of the relegation battle, but I just wanted to take a minute to say how great I think Palace has done this season.

Coming into the start of the season, I thought Palace would struggle to reach 20 points by the end of the season. That is obviously not true. Between Iain Dowie's managerial skills and the goal-scoring prowess of Andy Johnson, Palace finds themselves with a life line with three matches to play.

More importantly than that, I have been impressed with the way Palace comes out and plays hard football every match. Watching Fulham sometimes this season, I wish we would have some of the same intensity that Palace has showed game in and game out. That to me, is a credit to Dowie. He has the players believing and playing hard all the time.

The results have not gone your way, but you have left everything out on the field every match this season. I want Fulham to stay up and I am confident they will. After that, I really hope you guys stay up as well. You deserve it more than anyone else!

Cheers and good luck!

[THFC1]

I hope Palace do stay up so we can take back the points you stole from us :p
I live 5-10 minutes away from Selhurst Park so i really do hope they stay up. I also would like Tottenham to sign Routledge, i think he has alot of ability, it is his first season in the Premiership & he is already a England U21 international.

[Frankfurt Blue]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crystal_palace/4604863.stm
Striker Jon Macken has left Manchester City to join Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee.
The 27-year-old, who signed for City for £5m in 2002, decided to continue his career elsewhere after being told he had no future at Eastlands.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have fun with him. Hard worker, but seems to forget how to score. :(

[bigbrooklynlou]

CP News:

Eagles get Milwalls' Ward (-1.5 mil)
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=280868&CPID=10&CLID=31&lid=&title=Lions+confirm+Ward+deal&channel=championship)

Considering how much Milwall and Palace hate each other, the fact that their player of the year goes to Palace is verrry interesting. Should be a fun set of games...

Eagles sign McAnuff (-.45 mil)
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=280762&CPID=8&CLID=31&lid=&title=Eagles+set+for+double+swoop&channel=championship)
Basically a cheaper, less annoying version of Wayno, who can hopefully take corner kicks.

Eagles sign Macken (see above)
Excellent signing. Should be the partner that the club has been looking for AJ but could not sign last year.

Routledge finally goes to the Spurs (+2.5 - 3 mil)
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=285288&CPID=8&CLID=31&lid=&title=Spurs+agree+Routledge+fee&channel=championship)
Wayno goes. The money we got for him basically paid for Macken, McAnuff, and Ward. Bye bye Wayno. It was fun. Enjoy getting splinters on the Spurs' bench.

Bolton coach McDonald joins Eagles
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=287285&CPID=8&CLID=31&lid=&title=Bolton+coach+joins+Eagles&channel=championship)
Huuuuge signing. Almsot as big as the player signings. McDonalds tactical brains to Dowie's strategic / motivational vision. Dowie and McDonald, can together, make one of the best coaching teams in football.

AJ wants to leave Palace
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=286540&CPID=10&CLID=31&lid=&title=Jordan+blames+Sven+for+AJ+saga&channel=championship)
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=286029&CPID=10&CLID=31&lid=&title=Johnson+wants+Palace+exit&channel=championship)
(http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=286090&CPID=10&CLID=31&lid=&title=Johnson:+Decision+was+mine&channel=championship)

According to owner SJ, Johnson is not going anywhere. The logic being that even if we get 10 mil for him, we get 25 mil for getting promoted. So theres a big financial plus to keeping him and letting him tear up the Champions League. That said, if someone does offer some insane amount of money for him, he will get sold since the club basically got him for nothing as a make weight in the Morrison deal a few years back. If he goes, it will be come January. Though I love AJ, I will not go bonkers if we lose him. It happens. My big fear is that we lose Kiraly. Strikers you can get. Good keepers are VERY hard to find (see Man U, Villa, Arsenal, etc)

[THFC1]

.

Routledge finally goes to the Spurs (+2.5 - 3 mil)
Wayno goes. The money we got for him basically paid for Macken, McAnuff, and Ward. Bye bye Wayno. It was fun. Enjoy getting splinters on the Spurs' bench.



He wont be getting any splinters with us, he will be a starter, a winger with pace and skill is what we have been crying out for.

[bigbrooklynlou]

He wont be getting any splinters with us, he will be a starter, a winger with pace and skill is what we have been crying out for.

THFC1, I hope he does well for the Spurs. Whatever you all do, don't let him take corner kicks....

[THFC1]

LOL, i don't think he will be our corner taker, Reid or Carrick is most likely.

[bigbrooklynlou]

Freedman inks extension

http://www.holmesdale.net/page.php?id=82&story=2699

Not a 'sexy' signing, but a good one for the club. Dougie bleeds Palace. Though he did not contribute much during last year's stay in the EPL (thanks to Dowie's fixation on the 451) he has scored 96 goals for the team in his career and will hit the 100 mark sometime during the season. Due to Dougies age and the addition of Macken, his days of being a main striker are gone, but he can contribute off the bench.

McAnuff eager for the season to start

http://iccroydon.icnetwork.co.uk/crystalpalace/news/tm_objectid=15688306%26method=full%26siteid=53340%26headline=mcanuff%2d%2d%2di%2dm%2d%2djust%2dthe%2djob%2d-name_page.html

He knows that we are the favorites to bounce back up into the EPL and is looking forward to getting out of the Champions League with us. All I can do is pray that he (a) plays well and (b) does not get the nasty habit of previous Palace wingers (Routledge and Gray) to bolt from the club at the first sniff of another club's interest.

[bigbrooklynlou]

Shipperley and Ventola gone

http://iccroydon.icnetwork.co.uk/crystalpalace/news/tm_objectid=15706938%26method=full%26siteid=53340%26headline=shipps%2dsails%2dout%2dof%2dhis%2dpalace%2dchapter-name_page.html

His goal sent us up to the Premiership, but after an injury plagued 04/05 season punctuated with weight / training issues as well as being on the wrong side of 30, Palace and Shipps part ways. Hopefully he will land a spot with another Championship or Div 1 side. We'll miss you Shipps.

Inter Milan loan Ventola has the potential of being a great striker. Unfortunately he was injured early in the 04/05 season. Palace offered a pay as you play contract which he turned down. He's going back to Italy to play for Serie B Atalanta.

[THFC1]

I hope Palace keep hold of Johnson, although as he says it is a World Cup year but it is in the interest of Palace to keep him. I think Palace will be up their at the end of the season, the midfield (Soares, Hughes and Riihilahti) impressed me when they played Tottenham last season especially Soares. I'm not sure whether Dowie will stick with playing a 4-5-1, i personally think he will play 2 strikers. McAnuff is a good signing, i do think they paid over the top for Darren Ward though but you have to trust Dowie's judgement.

[bigbrooklynlou]

Peter Crouch sold to Liverpool

Peter "Freeek of Nature©" Crouch has been sold to Liverpool for 7 million £. Thank you Reds for making our attempt to bounce back to the EPL that much easier. With Crouch's leaving, fellow relegatees Southampton are pretty much officially gutted. Because both Norwitch and CP controlled their spending during the January transfer window in case they were relegated, both are in a position to immediately bounce back up to the EPL.

Southampton - IN
Dennis Wise - Transferred on a free
Dave Bassett - Assisting Harry Redknapp for at least 1 month with coaching
Sir Clive Woodward - Joining Saints in the near future in a Director of Football capacity
Darren Powell - Signed on a free from Crystal Palace

Southampton - OUT
Aladiene Yahia - On loan at St Etienne who have option to buy in the summer
Anders Svensson - Contract not extended, joining Elfsborg
Andreas Jakobsson - Heading back home to Helsingborgs for £500,000
Calum Davenport - Returned to Spurs after loan period expired
Christian Damiano - Contract terminated by mutual consent
Graham Le Saux - Retired
Henri Camara - Returned to Wolves after loan period expired
Jamie Redknapp - Retired, bad knees
Jason Dodd - Transferred to Brighton after his contract expired
Jelle van Damme - Loaned out to Werder Bremen
Jim Smith - Contract not extended.
Jo Tessem - Contract not extended, returning to either Norway or Sweden
Kevin Phillips - Signed for Aston Villa for £1,000,000
Mike Williamson - Signed for Wycombe
Olivier Bernard - Released from 6 month contract - Destination currently unknown
Peter Crouch - Sold to Liverpool for £7,000,000
Steve Wigley - Left the club to join Man City

Southampton - ON EDGE
Nigel Quashie - Suprisingly quiet
Antti Niemi - Being chased after
Claus Lundekvam - According to Norwegian newspapers is in talks with Celtic. French outfit Le Mans also interested. Lundekvam is the team Captain. Ugh.

Now Southampton does have a good youth/reserve team of youngsters. The future's bright if they can get rid of the high earners that do nothing (Redknapps unnamed 'useless' players), but in the short term expect a struggle. In the long term, once they clear the books, they may bounce back up.

[Quirky_Birky]

Crouch may have gone, but Southampton have an extra £7 million in the bank - and going on Redknapp's track record, he could put whatever part of that is made available to him to good use. Crouch is quite good with the ball on the floor for the lanky sod that he is, but poor in the air considering.

Anyway, don't write off the rest of the Championship teams - we made that mistake last season (along with Leeds and Leicester). Just when you've got used to Premiership football, you come crashing to earth with a bump and have to play "gritty" football again. Anyway, you're welcome to 2nd place in the Championship, behind us ;) (wishful thinking).

[bigbrooklynlou]

Crouch may have gone, but Southampton have an extra £7 million in the bank - and going on Redknapp's track record, he could put whatever part of that is made available to him to good use.

I believe its actually 3 mill up front, with the other 4 deferred or baced on incentives. Not exactly the pay day everyone imagines.

Anyway, don't write off the rest of the Championship teams - we made that mistake last season (along with Leeds and Leicester). Just when you've got used to Premiership football, you come crashing to earth with a bump and have to play "gritty" football again. Anyway, you're welcome to 2nd place in the Championship, behind us ;) (wishful thinking).

Well, Leeds got smacked because they almost went bankrupt and became the example of what not to do if there is even a remote possibility of getting relegated.

I'm so looking forward to the season; gritty and all. As for the Wolves, they should do well. Kudos on getting Fuller.

[THFC1]

I think it will be between Wolves, Norwich, Palace & Southampton and outsiders maybe Leicester & Plymouth, all though Plymouth may have trouble scoring goals.

[bigbrooklynlou]

THFC,

Shoot me an email at greekfire@hotmail.com. I need some info about buying tickets for a TH game this fall. I'm a headin' to the UK for 2 weeks of footie spectating and would like to catch an EPL game (besides the 4 CP games I plan on watching)