Joe Allen headers. Hope. Luis Suarez picking the ball up out of the net. Ridiculous, ludicrous belief. Deflected shots. Dwight Gayle. More disbelief. Dwight Gayle again. Luis Suarez tears. Everything is over.
That sums up the heartbreak of Selhurst Park last season for Liverpool, after which nothing has quite been the same. The game was a big one then, and it’s a bigger one now. With increasing pressure appearing for Brendan Rodgers, his job isn’t going to save itself and he needs to start picking up results fast if Liverpool are to turn their season around and claim a Champions League place once again. Similarly, Neil Warnock has seen his Crystal Palace side suffer a horrendous dip in form in recent time, and will also need to see an upturn in form if they are to beat relegation.
To preview Sunday’s game I spoke to Tav of Eagles Element (@EaglesElement) and Palace Stats (@PalaceStats).
Can you tell us about the main dangers Crystal Palace can pose to Liverpool on Sunday, and who you think the real danger-men for your side are?
I think one of the main dangers is not of a particular player; it is the spirit of the players overall and after recent results the whole team will want to change their fortunes and begin a climb back up the table and at least pick up a respectable result against Liverpool on Sunday. Neil Warnock has been working with his defenders throughout the international break and he’s confident the worst of our defensive woes this season are over, do I trust him in that or not? It’s too early to say.
As you asked for real danger-men, I would say that Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie respectively are their own threats on the wing if they can produce the football they are capable of in pace-fuelled runs with neat passing and crossing, providing opportunities for their team-mates . I’d also say though that in terms of defensive threats to Liverpool’s attacking motion, Mile Jedinak will play a key part towards the back of midfield as so far this season he has put his body on the line for his team and will no doubt continue to do so.
What are your thoughts on Neil Warnock’s start to the season, and do you think he was a suitable replacement for Tony Pulis?
To be brutally honest, I was on the border when we appointed him – I had a fair amount of respect for him when he was last at the club but throughout this season, I am slowly losing hope and think that he is hiding behind a wall of words that make things seem better than they actually are on the pitch.
It’s fair enough to criticise the decisions that referees make but he can’t hide behind that excuse all the time, a manager has to take the responsibility at some point and at the moment he has failed to do that; he has noticed he had to do something to improve the side defensively but as that has only just happened, my thoughts are still reserved in him improving the team as it was.
I don’t think he was a suitable replacement for Tony Pulis, to be honest not a lot of people are but in the position we were in and the low amount of interest in the job that there was, there wasn’t many other people we could turn our interest to. Neil Warnock has a lot to prove and if he fails to prove it soon enough, his time at the club may be slowly running out.
Having amassed only 9 points so far, do you think you can repeat last season’s post-Christmas form and beat the drop?
You can never tell what could happen in the next seven months but last season proved that anything could happen, I would like to think it will happen but at this moment in time, I think it’s less likely that we will repeat that form. If we were to, a lot of changes would have to be made in terms of the way that we play and the decisions that Neil Warnock makes.
Overall, I’m not sure.
Who are your tips to face relegation come the end of the year?
I would have to say at the moment it is more open than it was last season, at this stage last season you would have said Crystal Palace and Sunderland were clear favourites for relegation but they both avoided it. As far as I’m concerned, it could be anyone with the yo-yo league that it is.
If I had to pick three teams though, I would have to say QPR, Burnley and Aston Villa.
Do you have any particular areas of your squad you’d like to see strengthened in January?
One aspect we need to improve in January is in our attacking department; in the past few seasons, it hasn’t been our strong point and if anything puts us near the drop this season it will be the amount of goals that will be scored this season. Last season we managed fine without scoring many goals, in fact we played more games than we scored goals but we got away with it because of how well our defence played last season.
Against Manchester United, there was somewhat of a change and I think the players noticed that too so I hope it does help us build into better performances but I think without a doubt in my mind we need a striker who can score goals on a regular basis and possibly a more experienced creative player in the Premier League who can create things instead of wasted opportunities game after game.
Some Liverpool fans will be interested to hear how Martin Kelly has fared since his summer move to Palace, how do you think he’s settled in?
I think he has fared very well since he joined the club and he has settled in with a bunch of players that can help him improve his football. I think the fact he has fared well can be seen in his constant selection by Neil Warnock week in, week out – I think it must be added as well, I can’t remember many times he has disappointed me this season; if anything he has impressed me in all of the games that he has played.
He was a good signing and one that I think has proved very useful.
When looking at the current Liverpool squad, who do you feel poses your side the most threat on Sunday?
I think Raheem Sterling is one of the key threats for Liverpool this weekend, he has been in good form this weekend and has created a number of opportunities; he has scored three goals and helped his team mates to three goals, leading the goal scoring tables strangely enough alongside own goals scored on your behalf.
There a number of players that I think can make a difference for Liverpool but Sterling has done a good job in making a name for himself so far this season on the pitch.
Do you feel now is a good time to be playing Liverpool, with Daniel Sturridge suffering an injury set-back and our recent poor form?
I don’t believe that there is a good time to play any team as anything bad can make a team stronger and playing an in-form side create over-confidence. Sure, the absence of Daniel Sturridge does help is in more ways than not as it does take out another attacking threat for us but there are capable replacements for him with the depth there is in the Liverpool squad.
In terms of your recent form, we’re coming off the back of five games without a win so I think both teams will be going out on Sunday and trying to make a point to everyone else in respective to where the two teams sit and their ambitions for the season.
Finally, can we get a score prediction from you?
It will be a close game on Sunday and I think the weather will also contribute as well, with it due to be wet throughout the game. It won’t be as stunning as the last encounter between the two teams but I’m going to go with a 1-0 win for Liverpool.
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It’s difficult to disagree with the idea that Sunday’s game may not be one for the ages, and is likely to be settled by a slim margin. I agree with Tav for this one, and being an optimist too I think we can get a 1-0 win. Where the goal will come from is another question, and one which no one knows at the minute; hopefully one of our strikers can finally step up in the prolonged absence of Daniel Sturridge.
