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Pre match mood : Really upbeat, 3 points in the bag
Prediction : 2-0
First half : Palace were certainly the better team in the first 15. They looked quick and sharp. After Hudson's blunder I really thought Palace could capitalise on this and have us in real trouble. But we looked threatening going forward also and I never for a minute thought we weren't going to score. Chopra's first touch had deserted him today. Two weeks ago he would've been putting those chances away. Bothroyd was in bone idle mode again !!! and our midfield was AWOL again.
Second half : Soon became flat, turgid, lifeless and scrappy. It really reminded me of many of their home performances last season where they looked busy but nothing was happening. Ledley again was anonymous and really starting to piss me off. Begs the question, how much we were missing McPhail (now there's something I never thought I'd write). By the hour mark, Palace looked like they had settled for the point (and who can blame them, the way they play). Burke was the only one again who looked like he wanted the ball, and when he had it he was prepared to run at the Palace defence. McCormack's appearance looked hopeful, but after 10/15 mins he was trying to hard, and sitting on the shoulder of the Palace centre halves waiting in vain for a cleverly dinked ball over the top which quite frankly was never going to happen.
Thumbs Up : Coming back from a goal down I suppose. Again Burke looked sharp with his unrelenting desire to run at the defence. Why can't some of the others take a leaf out of his book?
Thumbs Down : Jay 'Bone Idle' Bothroyd. I honestly don't like slagging our players off, but the massively inconsistent way he's playing at the moment is a real concern. His absence on Tuesday against Coventry may be a godsend. And crap refereeing.
Crowd highlight(s ) : The lone voice who tried in vain to start up 'I'd rather wear a turban than a rose'. It was never going to work but it was a good laugh watching him try.
Man of the Match : Purely based on his first half performance, Whittingham. Second highest goal scorer who seems to think he's a centre forward.
CCFC Verdict : We never play well against the uglier teams in the league. They get stuck in, but we never do. We should've and could've won that game fairly comfortably. Yes, N'Diaye should've been sent off, but I'd rather see City play against 11 than 10 (remember Reading at home last season). After scoring 10 in the previous two, something was going to give. A good City performance seems to hinge on so many different variables all coming together at the right time. It's like the planets realigning to create something celestil. When we're crap, we're all crap. When we're good, we're all good. There's pressure on for Tuesday's game. Another draw will be disappointing.
Visitors Verdict : A typical Neil Warnock team. Hard, gritty, unpopular, and totally lacking in any skill. Palace have no money to make any big signings, they make do and mend with what they've got. They're ugly and uncompromising and they know it. and take pleasure in it. Their big amateurish lump N'Diaye personified the team. They're not going up and they're not going down, but they revel in the ability to put a few noses out of joint week in week out. Nobody stood out. I thought Freddie Sears was distinctly average, and Neil Danns couldn't hit the preverbial barn door. Unfortunately Palace are one of those Championship teams we all have to put with.
