History would suggest that after another promotion to the
Premier League, the Palace rollercoaster would have another dip with relegation
straight back to the Championship. But that’s just what it is ….. history, stats
and the experts writing us off at the start of every top flight campaign but we
all know how we defied the odds last season.
"So, does this year provide us with a great chance yet to stop the trend?"
We must start with Ian Holloway. In a squad that will no
doubt severely lack top flight experience we make up for it with a manager who
has been there so recently, and was one point from being successful. Already
last season we saw first-hand Holloway learning from previous mistakes, with
our defensive record and his tactical genius in the Play Offs speak for itself.
The blend of attacking flair from a Holloway side and a more defensively sound
one could provide the perfect balance for us to finish in seventeenth or
above, and remember this will now be totally his team and his structure, having
had a full pre-season to get across his strategies to our squad.
Secondly we can look at the success of recently promoted
clubs with Stoke, Wigan, Hull, Swansea, Norwich, Southampton and QPR all
managing to stay up in the top flight for at least one season and some of these
clubs now being established Premier League teams. We should take heart from
this and not have the opinion that we will be rolled over every week. There are
good examples here of clubs who have not spend silly amounts either- Norwich
and Swansea being brilliant examples.
"What does this mean?"
It means buying well
in the summer and I believe we have done that very well so far, and in
potential signings of Gosling and Carlton Cole, two consistent Premier League
performers to add experience with the also well-established Jerome Thomas. Add
in some experience in our back line and another striker and we’ll be getting
close to a squad to compete not only on ability but also we’ve already seen the
tremendous spirit there is within the club that played a huge part in getting
us promoted; this will be hugely key next season in games
where we’re going to need to get over line and hang on to one goal leads.
Finally we have to mention us, the fans. Our home record
speaks for itself last season- nobody came to Selhurst last season thinking
they were going to have an easy time, and that was the rock behind our success
and it will be next year.
"This was down to us, all four sides of the ground getting proudly behind our team and letting the opposition know that there will not be any easy points on offer next season."
Of course going up a division will always be a big challenge
but it is one that in my opinion we should be excited and confident about and
that is just feeling that we are getting from the squad that we have no-one and
nothing to fear!
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