When the team sheet landed at 2 o’clock, it had the feel of a selection made from the last players standing. 6 changes from the rout on boxing day, no Teemu Pukki on the sheet, two goalkeepers and one sub short on the bench. I feared the worst.
For the opening minutes, City looked bright. Within 20 seconds, Pierre Lees-Melou had a half-chance with a shot from outside the area, Sam Byram won a corner and Adan Idah made a good chance on the right but his cut-back was to no one.
After 5 minutes, Palace made their first attack. Ayew down the right was challenged by Dimitris Giannoulis and the ball was out for a corner. City dealt with the first ball in but as it was returned, Kenny Mclean clashed with Will Hughes and referee Tierney pointed to the spot. From the replay, Hughes made a lot of it – somehow sent tumbling by McLean’s static back leg. Eduardo made no mistake from the spot.
The effect on the City players was palpable. Clearly rocked, they spent the next 10 minutes struggling to get the ball into the Palace half. In that time, Ben Gibson received a yellow card for a tackle no one watching on TV got to see, whilst Hughes smashed through the back of McLean yet received not even a ticking off.
City didn’t help their cause. Twice in two minutes they gave the ball away in simple situations, first Lees-Melou and then Gilmour meekly surrendering to the robust Palace midfield.
It took until 25 minutes for City to move forward. A brace of long balls from Gibson, the first falling victim to confusion between Placheta and Byram, the second well taken by Idah was played wide to Giannoulis, then Christos Tzolis before the young Greek was fouled.
The resulting free-kick was awful, Palace broke and Byram was forced into conceding a yellow card to prevent the breakaway.
Farce then broke out as the referee had communications issues. Whilst he was having these fixed, Hughes was shifting the dead ball inexorably forward. Tierney had spotted it and moved him back – but only about half of the ground he had gained.
From the free-kick, City got the ball away to Idah in a wide position who won a corner for City. The first ball was cleared but only as far as Lees-Melou who played a great ball in to find Jacob Sorensen, unmarked at the back post. The Dane dreadfully miss-hit his shot, with the goal gaping, and 22 seconds later, City were 2-0 down.
A move from back to front ended up wide on the Palace left. With Giannoulis chasing hard to make ground, the ball was cut back to Mateta who got to it in front of the City left-back to make it 2-0.
Five minutes later, it got worse. Palace got forward in numbers. The Canary defenders looked visibly afraid to commit to a tackle in the box – perhaps understandably given recent decisions given against them – and Schlupp lashed a shot across goal, giving Gunn no chance.
For a short period, City threatened a response. Placheta cut in from the right, found space for a shot but hit it straight at the Palace keeper. The same player then did well again, and Gilmour and Byram combined well before City won a corner.
Palace won the ball and again, within moments were on the edge of the City area, this time Giannoulis popped up in the right-back position to prevent the move going further. At half time, City left the pitch, visibly dispirited, to the background of boos from the travelling support.
The second half began with Brandon Williams replacing the luckless Giannoulis – the Greek appearing with his foot in a protective boot. Again, City started well with decent energy, but Palace had clearly stepped off the gas.
City huffed and puffed in the second half, looking more effective in all areas. Gilmour began to have an influence on the rhythm of the game whilst Placheta once again looked most likely to create a chance. When he is on the right though, he appears indecisive when in threatening areas – perhaps not helped by the lack of a target to aim at.
On 62 minutes, Gilmour fed Tzolis on the left, who had been largely anonymous, and his cross was met by Placheta. His rasping shot was well saved though.
Five minutes later, Tzolis was off, replaced by youngster Jonathon Rowe for his City debut.
City continued to create half-chances, Lees-Melou hitting a cracking volley that was deflected wide, but then should have done much better when the debutant Rowe cut the ball back to him.
On 79 minutes, Placheta make way for Josh Sargent in a final effort for City to find an elusive goal, but in the final minutes, it was more likely to come at the other end. Gunn finally had a save to make, a double effort with his legs.
In the final minutes, Lees-Melou played Idah in on goal. The Irish youngster was sent tumbling but nothing was given.
City looked like what they were. A patched up, makeshift side bereft of confidence. They had moments, yet conceded all too easily on the counter. There was effort, for sure. Idah at least offered a physical outlet up front, Byram played well overall and Giannoulis was unlucky to pick up an injury.
Gilmour showed what he could do if given time and space – precious commodities in the Premier League – yet on the other hand, Tzolis was on the periphery of the game whilst Lees-Melou struggled to make an impact when City were without the ball.
We were also treated to the comedic sight of Placheta and Gilmour marking the likes of Mateta at corners – a good foot taller and easily able to brush the two City lightweights aside.
Dean Smith has a problem. A big problem. The cupboard is bare – injuries, illness and Covid will deprive him of the ability to freshen the team up, yet he desperately needs to find a goal from somewhere. The cameo of young Rowe gives at least a little spark of light, but it will take way more than that for City to even hint of a win.
I used to be unconvinced by the argument that there was a conspiracy among referees to do us down, but I’m now beginning to be swayed by it. What is VAR for, if not to check the contentious decisions? Referee Tierney was very quick to award Palace the penalty, and VAR certainly didn’t appear to check it. TV pictures clearly showed Maclean playing the ball, and Hughes’s theatrical jump into his leg. In the previous game, they missed Maclean being heaved over by the shirt collar as a corner was swung in, yet saw Aarons’ slight contact with Ronaldo in the game before that. It’s beginning to seem as though it’s written in the rules that they have to give a penalty against us in every game.
The second half performance was better, though whether that was because Palace eased off or not, I’m not sure. I thought Rowe did himself no harm at all when he came on, and set up a good opportunity for Lees-Melou, which was wasted.
Here’s a thought. How about the clubs hierarchy grow a pair and demand forcibly the postponement of the next game. Perhaps they could take a lead from the rest of the Premier league. Or doesn’t it fit in with self funding?
If we didn’t know it before, we are surely doomed now.
What continues to be so baffling however, is the ease with which so called bigger clubs with much stronger squads, (this time Newcastle), are able to get matches called off because they have so many injuries and covid cases……
Yet, little old Norwich have to soldier on with a reserve keeper playing; and 2 more keepers on the bench – which overall is one short anyway…
One rule for the rich???
O T B C
Good job Palace had three of their best players missing.
What a sorry site our self funding club has become.
Can anybody brighten my 2022 up by explaining how this group of players will be able to hold their own in the championship.
Rather than hurl abuse at Gilmour fans should be addressing their anger to the real culprits in all of this, the owners.
Our current predicament makes the Chase era look like dreamland!
And out of their three best players missing, they brought two of them on from the bench, while we had to bring on an untried 18 year old, we’ll though he performed.
Your comment about Mateta is a good one , he stands at 6’4″. ,Palace have a couple more of these big units. Every team we play seems to have some .
We don’t. Defensively only Hanley and Gibson are over 6′ , with Sorenson and Byram making 6′. So our taller players are still giving away a 3-4 inch height advantage.
What baffles me is that Webber clearly stated that amongst the lessons learned from the last relegation was that we needed more ‘athletic’ midfielders. What we get is PLM – tall but not a powerhouse, Normann – best signing when fit, and Gilmour……who must surely be the antitheses of the stature of player required.
Although there was abit more fight in this game its now 2wins in 40 every bad statistic goin we top the lot unlucky with some injuries and illness yes but alot of the 2 out of 40 was with “better”players then we have now need to beef up the squad big style so brittle everywhere 5ft nothings in midfield who can’t tackle are getting us nowhere . Idah suppose to be our striker between two wingers spent more time on the wing with the ball then they did .tzolis I’ve seen 3hrs of prem football has managed one cross hardly a whizz kid on that showing be another rout sat 40happy new year to everyone
It’s getting so easy for refs in our games – give all the decisions to our opponents. We were looking good until their first corner- which should have been a goal kick and led to the ridiculous penalty decision.
TV timed the hold up by the ref at over six minutes but only five were added on at half time when there had also been three goals and injuries.He blew after five exactly.
In the second half we had the pitch invasion hold up but only three minutes were added,a Palace player was down for all of the first minute and the ref blew exactly on three.I’d say that’s ten minutes of the game lost.
It must affect the team with all our key players missing.
More embarrassing than the performance was the disgusting behaviour of some of our so called fans.Its going to make things even tougher