Dougie Freedman Reaction - Palace

"We worked very hard in defence, it's a credit to the lads work on training ground, I am happy with where we are going and there are signs of a team working together to a cause."

"Today our game plan nearly worked. But what we are trying to do here won't happen in 12 games."

Why did you not play Sordell?
"Can Marvin do 2 games in a week? No. He is not conditioned. Marvin Sordell is certainly getting there but he has not played two games in a week for over a year.

Are you happy with the fitness of C Davies? "Not entirely happy with him. He has worked hard, getting in better condition but not going to rush him. He is certainly up for it."

Are you happy with the last couple of games performances?
"I have been happy with 7 or 8 performances while I have been here. Fans are terrific and I feel that on most performances we are getting there.
I was humbled that I got an applause and felt it was good from the Palace fans.
I felt our defending was good, our positioning was good. We nearly got there on the counter.
I feel in this division you can't open up you need to have a solid base which will allow the front men to go on from there.
We are trying to get Craig Dawson on loan, my hat is still in the ring."
"Lee has screws in his leg and he feels it sometimes. Sometimes he needs to rest."

So lees fucked...

And another draw...

What happened to the team selection doug?

Fuck off...im sick of it.

2 clean sheets on the bounce, ok 1 was the FA cup but they all count.

I've written off any chance of a play off spot but certainly top half fininish is not impossible, Watford away is going to be a huge task.

Arron.
Its not the point about the draw, we clearly cannot score goals and DF refuses to do anythinh about it - we play a blinder in the cup and...bang, no turning point, just more or less the same old players and same old megsonesque defend at all costs tactics. Im getting sick of it.

I'm sick to fucking death of hearing Sordell/Davies/Lee etc aren't fit. Sometimes quality counts in this game, just stick 'em and and see what happens. Only at Bolton could a player score twice and then be left out.

Im forced to agree with nat...

I have tried so hard not too, but im afraid I do.

That Wood fella at Leicester hadn't played for months, yet was thrown straight into the Leicester team and has scored a bagful. Sometimes you just have to hope quality shines through.

I know he said Sordell isn't fit enough for two games on the bounce but surely a player in form is a player in form. So he might not be 100% but can his fitness really be that far off? He played well against Sunderland and didn't struggle in the game with fitness, surely a young guy can manage to go again 4 days later?

By the way, Sordell was considered fit enough for team GB and Eng U-21s, why not Bolton?

Sordell's unfit because he's spent too long not playing. So to get him fit, we have to continue to not to not play him.

What's illogical about that?

If he can't manage two games a week at his age then we're completely screwed. He could surely have managed 60 minutes and sub him then with t'other Davies,or Ngog or Afobe or Eaves. Dougies logic is becoming a bit of a joke.

Is playing 90mins (or whatever) harder than a day's training?

I'm not saying that training is the same as playing a real match but is the effort they put in the same.

If Sordell cannot manage two (or one and a half) games a week what is he doing in training?

chipbutty wrote:Is playing 90mins (or whatever) harder than a day's training?

Im not saying that it's a valid reason by any means, Im as confused as every one else by this Sordell thing.

But 90 minutes is far more tiring than training, you can be fit enough to train but not 'match fit'.

Natasha Whittam wrote:That Wood fella at Leicester hadn't played for months, yet was thrown straight into the Leicester team and has scored a bagful. Sometimes you just have to hope quality shines through.

This is not true, Wood had played 19 times for Millwall this season before going to Leicester.

Taken from a Palace board...

Sordell's treatment is the same as Murray last year. Good player/goalscorer just what every team needs and he refuses to play them.
You need to look back at Dougie's influences to understand him I think. He said some time ago that he wasnt afan of Spanish football, arguably very open and attacking, but he was a big fan of Italian football and even went to study Italian tactics. For me, this is the main reason he is so defence minded.

One of the main complaints, maybe the biggest, under Coyle was our inability to defend.

If we're trying to make that a priority i don't see any problem with it.

Away from home clearly he wanted a more defensive line up.

I'd have thought Sordell coming on a bit earlier would have been good though. But at the end of the day a point away to Palace is a good one. I think i read thats the first time they've failed to score at home this season.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:One of the main complaints, maybe the biggest, under Coyle was our inability to defend.

If we're trying to make that a priority i don't see any problem with it.

But at the end of the day a point away to Palace is a good one. I think i read thats the first time they've failed to score at home this season.

I agree, 0-0 against Palace away is a good result. Id rather be more defensive than too attacking, no one has ever got very far.. and certainly hasn't sustained success by being an all out attack team.

Id of liked to seen Sordell on earlier, and Lonergan on (didn't matter in the end) but to the people who say they would have been happy losing if we had gone for it.. I can't imagine you were happy when Coyle threw Eagles on last season against Newcastle when a draw was in sight.

If you can't win, don't lose, thats how good teams are built.

Thats how we got into Europe.

0-0 away from home is never a bad result. Some people like to moan though.

You bellends are missing the point.

If this was the start of the season I would accept that a 0-0 at Palace is a good result. But it's over halfway through and we're 12 points off the play-offs. This is not a time to be playing for 0-0 draws, especially after a pitiful 1-1 home draw with Millwall.

We gave our play-off rivals Watford two points yesterday. Next you'll be telling me it isn't vital we win at Watford in a fortnight.

Bernard Dennis Park wrote:0-0 away from home is never a bad result. Some people like to moan though.

When you start the day 10 points off the play-offs and end it 12 points away that is a bad day in my book.

When did we lose our balls?

Natasha Whittam wrote:You bellends are missing the point.

If this was the start of the season I would accept that a 0-0 at Palace is a good result. But it's over halfway through and we're 12 points off the play-offs.

Exactly, were not near the playoffs.. were 16th.

You seemed to realise that before the season begun, but now you think we should be?


4-0 prediction and still not happy...