Round Table: Crystal Palace 3 Liverpool 3

Posted by Corkboy on May 5, 2014, 11:50:58 pm

So that was...eventful.

When a match like that is still swirling around in the after-eddies of the vortex that consumed Selhurst Park tonight and scattered all reason, it's hard not to indulge in some hindsightery. I will not indulge in such low pursuits. I will go lower, by adding some fetid "I Told You So"'ism. I watched this game on the tv and when Glenn Murray came on in the 70th minute, the camera followed him as he swapped instructions with someone, maybe Gayle. He clearly made it known that they were going two up front. I turned to my son and said, he'll bring on Agger or Touré now and go three at the back, he'll spot that. It would be the sensible thing to do, Palace were obviously going for it, stopper up the back and lance them on the break. When your full backs are already hugging the touchlines, two v two is a risk.

Now, with a classic appeal to authority, I say Carragher was right in his analysis, we are awful fuckers for dropping deep when we get spooked. And to do even worse to you poor souls, I present my view that Gary Neville was, again, entirely spot on in his view that we should have chopped down Bolasie before he got to the half way line and sucked up the yellow. You may hear a lot of chat about game management over the next few days but that is the sort of nous, the sort of know how that we are missing.

If City pick up three points on Wednesday night then this week will have been the microcosm of the season. Chelsea, unable to score and dropping points. Us, spitting out goals at one end, coughing them up at the other and dropping points. Manchester City will turn out to be the outfit with balance, the team who managed to defend well and attack well, to concede few and score lots. We've let in ten goals in the last five games. We clearly need to score a few more goals.

So, we go into the last game of the season with a very slim shot at the title (come on, the Villa!) and guaranteed Champions League Moneyball. Poor old us. I caution you, Rawkites. Do not indulge in what-iffery and if-only'ism. The league table is what it is. Tonight's result was no more significant than any of the other games this season where we've dropped points. Go back to the supporter you were last August and be proud. It is unlikely we will win the league but it's great being back at the business end. Onward and upward.

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