Aston Villa got their season up and running last week with a comfortable win over Everton. Next up the Eagles whoโs points tally doesnโt do their recent performances justice.
I caught up withย @TheSelhurstTalkย to find out more about Palaceโs start to the season.
UTV PODCAST X THE SELHURST TALK
Palace have a had a misleading start to the season in terms of points with only one point picked up. However the performances have been very good, whatโs been your take?
Good question, yeah we have had a misleading start to the season, I thought the score line against Arsenal didnโt reflect how our performance was, however Arsenal are looking a very good outfit this season so it was always going to be a tough one.
The Liverpool game was a brilliant performance all-round, the formation 532 invited them on but the way palace dealt with it made it harder for Liverpool to breakdown, overall I think weโve had a great start performance wise albeit only have a point on the board!
@TheSelhurstTalk
Palaceโs transfer policy this season has been to add some much needed squad depth. However one of the best pieces of business Palace have done is bringing in Doucure. How excited are you to see what the Mali international can do?
Doucoure was our main target and all palace fans are pleased that we got him, heโs showed in the first two games that heโs got what it takes to be very solid, looking forward to seeing him a bit more!
@TheSelhurstTalk
In recent years Palace have progressed steadily. Do you believe that now Palace are armed with a young side and a talented manager you can push for European football?
I think having a young side will bring a great prospect for us moving forwards, Vieraโs tactics have shown heโs got some great knowledge and can read a game superbly, I donโt doubt that he can be the man to get us into Europe, but we have to take that one step at a time, as much as Iโd love for us to go to Europe I think a season or two before that could be seen to happen!
@TheSelhurstTalk
Finally, whats your score prediction?
I reckon 2-1 Palace!
@TheSelhurstTalk
OPPOSITION FOCUS | CRYSTAL PALACE: BETTER THAN EVER?
The story of Crystal Palace ever since their promotion to the Premier League in 2013 hasnโt always been the most exciting.
The Eagles have never been in danger of relegation, but they have also never pushed for a place in Europe. Palace have always looked at ease in the middle of the table, but the question remains. When is it appropriate to press on?
Let’s start with the club’s setup. A fan consortium led by Steve Parish rescued Palace from impending financial ruin in 2010, and they are still the current owners. The owners enjoy a positive relationship with the fans and are eager to invest in the club they support. That’s a good start!
Patrick Vieria, a former Arsenal legend, is now in charge. When Vieria was appointed, there were many unanswered questions. He was unproven, and Palace had a bad track record with unproven managers (ask Frank De Boer). Fortunately for Palace, Vieria has defied the trend and silenced his detractors.
The current squad is up next. Is this Crystal Palace’s best team in recent memory? It most certainly deserves to be mentioned. Palace have the ideal mix of youth and experience, with Eze and Olise demonstrating their abilities alongside the ever-present wind up merchant Wilfred Zaha. But, with more depth, the squad is only getting better, which brings me to transfer policy.
As per their transfer activity, Palace’s main goal this transfer window was to add depth to their squad. They’ve done just that, with ex-Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and Ebiowei joining the squad. However, Palace’s statement signing this year surpassed it. Doucoure joining Palace was a huge surprise given the size of the clubs reportedly interested in him, no disrespect to Palace.
The signing of Doucure epitomises what makes Palace’s transfer strategy so admirable. They are not afraid to take chances on young players rather than overpay for established players. This is also a successful strategy, as it has benefited Palace in the majority of cases. Consider Eze and Olise, who are thriving in the Premier League.
So if you ask me when is the time for Crystal Palace to start pushing on and aiming for those European spots. Well the answer is thereโs no time like the present as Crystal Palace look a stable club with brilliant foundations. The next step is ambition.
MY PREDICTION
Palace has been very good in their first two games, but they have lacked a clinical edge. I don’t think this will be a boring 0-0 if both teams play their best, as we are both capable of playing very good football. I believe the Palace fans will play a significant role in this game. I’m going for 2-2.!
AWAY DAYS
AUTHOR | ELLIS BURNETT
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive ellisburnett – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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