awww bless 'em.... they've had a hectic schedule recently and all the extra cup games was bound to take its toll their poor players eventually. ...umm, hello!!! (or am I just being ****erish? )
Whits is player of the season so far. Always looking (if not always managing) to bring the ball down, enjoying responsibility and looking Prem class. Hudson, much as I love him, still worries me. One thing is certain - I'd rather be in the playoffs with Malky than DJ.
Hudson in the programme today.. Q) Tell us something about you we wouldn't know ? A) I'm a 100m sprinter Q) Your best attribute as a footballer ? A) Pace I don't know why but I never had Huds down as a comedian.
It's all misprints Rhondda. His eyesight isn't that good and he can't see the ball at the other end of the pitch, he's a 100m SQUINTER. The second quote he was talking about bootware. He's very careful to ensure his boots don't come off, he makes sure he has a very good LACE. Either that or he wears frilly undies when he plays.. I wish these interviewers would turn up their hearing aids!
as for crystal palace, i know i said this somewhere here before but i dont care, they narrowly avoided relegation on the last day last season, they shouldnt get too cocky!
Some right bitter Palace fans on there. We were very poor for about 25 minutes and then upped our game. Palace were tired were they?? We played Wednesday. Fact is Malky has probably made us the fittest team in the league and when we stepped up the pace 2nd half we had them out on their feet. Tactically again Malky was spot on and Palace never looked at all threatening. We have the best manager in the league and in Whittingham the best player. There are a better teams in the league than us but I doubt there is a fitter side.
As I saw it: Palace worked hard, and closed us down quickly, and probably shaded the first 25 - 30 minutes, but apart from there no 11 they didn't seem to have much quality, they huffed and puffed but never really threatened, in the last 20 minutes we started to come back into it, and we were looking the better side at half time. I'd put the first half about even, but Palace might just have shaded it. Second half a different story, only really one side in it, we kept the ball much better and pressed further upfield. Palace were backs to the wall and fighting a rearguard action as we kept them under pressure......something had to give, and Kenny Miller should have done better with a one to one on the keeper, although the Palace keeper made a good save, and looked a quality player. Whether Malky gave them a rollocking at half time or our fitness started to tell who knows, but with Whitts pulling the strings in midfield and everyone working their socks off, you could only see one side scoring, as Palace were limited to a few long range efforts, and never really threatened. Kenny Miller reacted first in a goalmouth scramble to take his goal well. As always with City.....it's nervy at 1 - 0, but we were looking comfortable. Palace rang the changes with their substitutions, but for me they didn't work and smacked of a desperate last throw of the dice.........the Palace players started to resort to the more physical stuff, whether it was out of frustration, or because they were half a yard slower to the ball as our fitness started to tell who knows, one of the Palace "tackles" gave away a free kick about ten yards outside the RH corner of the penalty area, and the Palace defence looked to be lined up to defend a deep ball into the six yard box........Cue another Whittingham "wonder strike", right into the top corner, which gave the keeper little chance. 2 - 0 to settle the nerves of the City faithful, we replaced Gunnarsson and Cowie (who had both put in good shifts) with Mason, and gave Ralls a home debut, only cameo appearances from the youngsters, but neither looked out of place. Palace battled hard and pushed for a consolation goal towards the end without really threatening...........a good hardworking win against a Palace side that never gave up, but in the end were well beaten. If someone had offered 7 points from Leeds and Derby away, and a high flying Palace side at home, well I would have taken that happily. I don't like the international breaks, especially for meaningless friendlies, but with our smallish squad this one has come at the right time give the players a break, give Rudy, McPhail, Marshall and Earnie more time to get fit, and apparently Gunnarsson was taken of as a precaution yesterday having tweaked a hamstring, so a week off won't do him any harm...........all in all "a good day at the office".........that's how I saw it anyway Interesting aside: VT was sat in front of me on the level below with some Malaysian guests and he was bouncing about like the biggest loony in the ground when Kenny scored...........and I thought he was going to have a coronary when Whitts scored, they say the guy is "not really" a big football fan.......but he seems to be a huge Cardiff fan. Whitts got MOM rightly IMO, but every player put in a good shift. I know it's early days, but with a bit of luck with injuries, or failing that drafting in some new recruits to give us more strength in depth, well I can see this team keeping us well in the mix, and not wanting to tempt fate but I honestly believe we could be playoff material.
Enjoyed that read Proph VT seemed to be enjoying himself from the brief clips during Malky's post match interview on CCplayer
Got to agree with all that Proph - Palace were never going to win that one after the first 25 minutes had gone. They looked poor in the second half and didn't have an answer when we upped the pace. Don't know what Malky says to them at half time, but it must be a very different talk than the one DJ used to give. I'll take a 2-0 win anytime, but it should have been more. Kenny should have scored before he did with that one on one and Whitts first half bar rattler deserved to bounce in and not out. Our clean sheet was just reward for an excellent defensive display, and even allowed MacNuggets to get forward far more of late and turn provider as well as defender. The only thing I'll disagree with Proph is that Cowie put in an excellent 90 minute shift - he never came off. I thought he was fantastic all over the park. It was Conway (who was the only one who looked a bit tired to me) who went off for young Mason.
Cowie, Conway, all the same. Ddark haired Scots lads that run around a lot. Interchangeable as far as I can see. Still concerned with the lack of cover for those two. Luckily they are both fit lads and injury free. I won't say what I normaly say, but I'm still thinking it. I don't see any changes to the squad until January now. The international break may not be time to recharge the batteries as a lot of these guys will be in international squads. Next time VT is jumping about at a game, check to see if he drops his wallet. I'm sure there would be a couple of decent signings in the loose change he carries. Missed listening to the game on Saturday as I was in Scotland standing in the river Nith failing abismally in my attempt to catch any salmon. I did get to talking to a couple of blokes about our Scottish contingent. Possitive comments about them all, especially Miller. They were also surprised that Kev doesn't get more recognition. They seem to follow many of the Scots players (and managers) south of the border even if not internationals and seemed as interested in the Championship as the Premiership. Saying that, they did follow Queen of the South!
i agree about the improved fitness proph, last week in the sunday times they did an article on MM highlighting how he's pushed for the club to improve sport sciences and instill new scientific departments in the club, as well as being more in touch with the demands of modern football, whether it pays off we'll have to wait and see, but its nice going into this international break in good form unlike the last one when defeats to peterborough and hull left a sour taste
I really enjoy reading first-hand accounts of the games. Being 5000 miles away sucks sometimes, but reading your reviews really helps me get an idea about who's performing well. So cheers!!
Palace fans and pyrotechnics? Perhaps the police should be talking to them about the Croydon fire? Credit to them for keeping their chants up the whole game. Not many away fans manage that.
