Crystal Palace v Bournemouth Sat 27th August 15:00

[SALTIRE]

Match chat.

 

[Skinner]

Drop Pardew and we'll this

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Both teams haven't started well. We had Morecambe in the cup in Wednesday and made 10 changes, with the idea of getting the backup players to perform and give us some selection decisions. In fact we stumbled past them 2-1, which is hardly going to give our recent league starting 11 nightmares about losing their place. That said, I'd very much want to see Nathan Ake, Maxi Gradel, Lewis Cook at least come into the side.

We had the better of Palace last season including a win up there, and neither side seems to have changed much since. I very much hope we can get something from this. Hope Benteke isn't fit to start because he'll cause us chaos.

 

[PDS]

Benteke is going to ruin us; any high ball into the box is already greeted with a calamity of errors and sheer panic, let alone with a striker who's actually good in the air in there too.

Hoping we start King as a 9, with Gradel and Fraser either side; a lot of pace in that team and it might be better for us to cede some possession and be a bit more direct and counter attacking.
Either way, it boils down to being more ruthless in front of goal (That Ibe chance against West Ham last week should have changed the game) and cutting out the ludicrous mistakes at the back. I've long since given up on the latter, so we really need to be clinical when chances come up.

It's a horrible psychological blow if nothing else to go into the international break on 0 points.

 

[JimJams]

Gradel on the bench. Tut tut.

Think Wickface and Bentekkers may be isolated up top.

 

[PDS]

Absolutely gutted.

Near-perfect first half, the football was quick, skilful and creative. Josh King was pulling all the strigs and Palace couldn't cope.
Not sure what changed at half time, but we spent the entire 45 in our own box. It was hard to watch and Palace really should have scored earlier (they didn't half miss some sitters). We didn't deserve to win based on the second half, but it looked like we'd done enough/lucked our way to three points. Yet again it's a late goal and yet again it's a bloody header too.

Play like the first half and we'll be more than fine this season. Play like the second and it will be a long, long season.

Also Mike Dean, oh dear. Summed up by us gettig a free kick for Benteke being offside, in the Palace half....

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Gutted not to hold on, seemed like we'd done all the hard work and stood firm through the storm of pressure, and that Palace had run out of ideas. Alas it had to be a stoppage time header, of course it was.

First half from what I gather was the best we've played since Southampton at home all those months ago. The job now is to build on that, onto West Brom.