Christ. That's probably the most even handed and honest article I've read about us in a long time. Cheers Stan.
Looked at the predictions of each of their writers - one thinks we'll be the only promoted club to be relegated (really don't get that when Palace are far worse).
I don't understand this. Palace finished 3 places below us last season, and a long way behind points wise. If the best three teams were promoted they'd be playing Championship football this season. They wouldn't even have made the playoffs were it not for their good form early in the season. More recently they did nothing but lose, up until the playoffs of course. Since then they've lost Murray for half a season and Zaha permanently, so they've got no one to win all their penalties and no one to convert them even if they did. Take those penalties out last season and they'd have been mid-table. Since then we've added some brilliant quality to our side to move even further ahead of them. They've spent a fortune on a bottom-half Championship striker. What are the journalists seeing in Palace that makes them think they're better than us now? I just don't get it.
Why always the pissing contest,whenever a newspaper is mentioned on here. I don't give a ****,whatever you read,and i'll read whatever i ****ing want
I just can't see how Palace can stay up. I'm not saying they haven't got their strategy right, because they will be stronger even if they do get relegated. Cardiff and us are backed with a lot of money - I know the Allam's have spent a lot of it already! - but they know that a few million invested in a player can lead to them getting that back in increased prize money. Bruce is a fantastic manager. I was saying we wouldn't go up at the end of last season after our appalling nerves but he analysed what could be done and changed Brady's role. This season he will be able to improve things if something doesn't work out. Phil Brown cracked under pressure - I don't think Bruce will.
I didn't think people read one newspaper any more. I look on newsnow.co.uk and scan most of the non-subscription news websites plus some purely football sites.
Thanks for posting that article Stan. Cant say I have read such a refreshing article for years. Its a very good read from an honest man in football, a rarity these days.
Really puzzled by the media and football fans in general (check out all their predictions on the BBC live text, most place us bottom) predictions of us doing worse than Palace and Cardiff. We have the most experienced manager when it comes to the premier league. We've spent money, albeit not silly money like Cardiff, but we have done some very good business in this transfer window. We were a far superior team to Palace last season, and dare I say it, had we had the goal scorer we so desperately needed last season we would surely have finished comfortably as champions. No one in the media or the public seems to have any hope for us, and I know I might be a bit blinkered but I really do think we have a fighting chance of staying up. Irritating to see us being written off before we've even played a game. But then again, being the underdogs last season didn't do us any harm...
