Could they be the team to start the half term slide from the top six this season allowing the annual dark horse to stride in? (No burger jokes please) Just been summing up some penalty stats. ( In other words I'm bored) In these last 27 games the current top six penalties for count looks like this: City - 3 Hull - 2 Leicester - 2 Middlesbrough - 2 Watford - 5 And finally Palace an incredible 11. Two of those against us. Could this good fortune dry up in the second half? Of the 50 league goals scored by Palace 22 have been contributed by Glen Murray. Compare his total to our highest goal scorer Helga 7 league goals from 48. Add to this the possibility that one of their key playmaker Zaha could be leaving in a few weeks. Just speculation but what do you think?
Well done ITI. Interesting stuff. I picked Whitts to score tomorrow on the basis we are due a penalty not having had one since Watford. Much of Palace's penalty total is down to have 2 good, tricky wingers who get in the box often and know how to fall over, as does Murray. If Zaha leaves then the ability to score from that type of play will diminish as will their overall attacking threat.
CBA to look it up but don't you play them soon? They had the best away performance against us this season at home and deserved to win by a couple of more goals. But they do seem to rely on that front 3 of Murray (who I think is in a purple patch that is just extended because of the amount of penalties they get, literallly, Zaha and Bolasie throw themselves into players when in the box. No desire to score themselves) Zaha (who will go) and Bolasie. Their defence is suspect, too. I think they and (unless they can keep going the way they have) Watford could drop out. But who will the dark horse(s) be? I can't name anyone.
Palace surprised me the first half of the seasom, but I thought then it wouldn't last. When Freedman went and Holloway came in, I was certain of it. Holloway over-achieved at Blackpool. Him and the club fell out of love early on this season. I can't help liking the bloke for the way he handles the press, but recently he's been getting my back up with some of his comments. He's starting to whinge big time and challenging Dave Jones for the National Whinging Championship - that's a sign that he's losing the plot. It's already been said how much they rely on the two wingers and Murray - even if they all stay there, I doubt they'll repeat the first half of the season results - it's started already. Palace should still compete for a playoff spot but no more than that. Cardiff, Hull, Leicester and perhaps Middlesbrough will be there at the death for the two auto spots. As for the dark horses, I did suggest Derby at Xmas time but they seem to have gone off the boil this last few games. I can't see anyone outside the current top 6 being consistent enough at the moment to dislodge the leading pack.
