The Day After

As always I like to do my post match analysis a day later.

It allows me time to think, rationally and subjectively.


This was always going to be a potentially dangerous game for us, with Palace in great form and coming so soon after our FA Cup exit.

And so it looked from the off, with Palace looking quick and really up for the game.

We seemed to have started with lead boots, second to every ball and spraying misplaced passes. Completely baffling was how BOTH Wanyama and Dembele decided to have off nights together. Normally both are rock solid and reliable, but last night they couldn't seem to settle and deal with Palace's midfield. Maybe this was Allardyce's plan, get in our players faces and rattle them, if it was, it did indeed work at least in the first half anyway.

Wanyama always treads a fine path with his tackling, most of this season his timing has been impeccable. I think the only reason he stayed on the pitch last night was the fact Moss realised he booked him initially when he should have talked to him.

Dembele just seemed out of sorts and not his usual assured self, he was disposed last night more times than he has been in his previous 6 games put together.

Poch was right to substitute both players last night, and change our formation as well.

What the h3ll was up with Walker last night, at times he looked as though he hadn't ever seen a football before, let alone know what to do with one.
Let's hope he has got all his brain f arts out of the way before Sunday

I thought Davies looked much better and whilst not spectacular, he looked assured and used the ball really well.

Verts & Toby were fairly solid as they normally are, with Hugo not having too much to do in goal. Dier I thought had a solid game too.

Another player who seemed a bit out of sorts was Dele, he just didn't seem to be quite right last night. In fact virtually everything he did failed to come off, even missing a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the second half. However, I think we can forgive him and the others mentioned so far, considering how well the have played this season.

Kane worked hard for the team and even though he didn't score, had in my opinion an okay game.

Eriksen was his usual cultured self, busy and stylish, directing things in his own inimitable way. As for his goal, great strike and just what the doctor ordered

I know Sissoko is not highly thought of both the majority of us, however I think he did okay last night considering. He brought a different angle to the game and did not make many mistakes, he even occasionally looked very good

Son was a breath of fresh air, he always gives everything and even though he sometimes gets his feet in a muddle and this was not his best performance, he does change the dynamic of the way we play.

I think Allardyce has done a good job in helping Palace to stay up, even if they do pack their defence. Sakho is a quality player I wouldn't mind seeing at Spurs. Why he is out on loan when Liverpool's biggest problem is defending baffles me

Interestingly, Davies took the corners from the left side last night and did well with most of them. I think corners are one of Christian's Achilles heel, with a lot of them hit too low.

Overall, considering as a team we probably only played to 75% of our normal levels, and playing the team with the 2nd best (behind us) currently in the PL, to come away without conceding and all 3 points says a lot about the tenacity of this team.

In the past we would have not won and indeed most likely would have conceded and lost the game. This team has a steely resolve to it, certainly more than any Spurs team I have seen in decades.

Finally on Poch, full credit to him for changing things at half time and switching to a back four, plus pulling both our midfield dynamos and avoiding potential suspensions in our tricky run in.

I still think Chelsea will take the title, but we will not be too far behind them at the finish.

COYS