Werder
I have left you an e mail re-my posting the Palace preview. Could you please check your spam as I need to post it today. Many thanks
I received a mail from you yesterday morning, which I replied late yesterday evening but I have no other mail from you since then - I will be out today from 14:00 to around 20:00 if you send your preview and can post it when I'm back.
Quick observations from yesterday, where I was celebrating Will Lankshear’s goal while walking through Edinburgh Castle and later nervously refreshing my phone while my other half was browsing in a vintage shop…
MINUSES
It seemed like a familiar story of hanging on following an opening where we couldn’t put them to bed. One must be wondering when, or how often, we’ll get two good Kim Hellberg halves.
There also seemed to be a handful of injuries during the game - it looked like the win came at a price. I was having uncomfortable memories of the Sunderland home game from 2007 where we lost almost our entire front line to injury and conceded a late equaliser.
And seeing Burnley choke against Bristol City like they did made the midweek game feel like a real missed opportunity.
PLUSES
The primary pluses seem to be the contributions of Lankshear and Radek Vitek, echoing Manchester United’s own No 7 and No 1 in 1995-96, Eric Cantona and Peter Schmeichel. In that even if the team is spluttering the win can still be theirs if the main men produce the goods.
IN BETWEENS
Some might ask if a thickness of the upright was the only difference between this game and Burnley, with our gaps in midfield (I’ll address this at another time) still noted. In response to this I would suggest that I think Roy Keane was right when he said that you make your own luck but you still need a few breaks, the kind that Tommy Conway didn’t get when he hit the inside of the post against Southampton last season.
That, and one point off the top following a victory away to a rival and with more than one opportunity to go top ahead of us? One might think that we are being very nitpicky and unfair. But as I’ve learned, it’s only easy to go with the “so what, the numbers are the right ones” narrative when you’re not watching, or experiencing it in real time with our level of emotional investment.
As always, some very good reasoned posts, with Si's as ever.
However, along with the issues most have at the moment, defensive midfield and the defence at times, my big concern is still upfront.
Lankshear is on fire with respect of goals per games. But, all forwards have spells where they do not score.
Who is going to step up and fill in any gaps. We are probably creating sufficient chances to win games, but they are not being converted.
As KP mentioned, Conway needs to do more with 12+ even from the left. Will Strelec even get the chance to get on the pitch long enough. Will Joseph (who was bought to add goals) contribute 10+
At the moment we look short in that department. Hopefully Cozier-Duberry may make a difference.