A dull season at Selhurst last season and with very few new arrivals, particularly in attacking areas, things are not likely to improve much this season. Whether Simon Jordan is ok with that remains to be seen.

Crystal Palace
Last season – 12th:To listen to Palarse fans at the beginning of last season, they were doomed. So obviously they started the season well, had a bit of a dip mid-way through and then recovered enough to be thinking of the play-offs until quite late on. However, Palarse fans will admit, have admitted, that the football on offer wasn’t the best, while the mass exodus that has gone on since won’t have inspired much optimism for this season.

The bookies’ prediction for this season – 11th Best odds to win the league 17-1 (Betfred), worst 27-1 (Betfair).

The squad: If we’ve missed any of the Palarse departures out, apologies, but there’ve been so many that it’s been difficult to keep pace. With just three players signed so far, and talk of maybe one more, the mood amongst Palarse fans is of youth being the future. Well it worked in the late-1970s. As Rangers fans know, having watched half that period’s team of the 80s playing in hoops after Venners came to us.

The funny thing about talking to my Palarse mates has been hearing them say “didn’t need him anyway” as the departures started and then later watching them going quieter with each new loss. Now, they just look at you with a perplexed stare and shake their heads. The exodus started with Jobi McAnuff, Palarse’s version of Lee Cook, who jumped ship to Watford for £1.75m. He was followed by a procession, with Cullip-like centre back Darren Ward doing to Wolves for an undisclosed fee, reputedly about £750k and with five released or given frees. These included promising winger Jerahl Hughes, who’s gone to Yeovil, left back Danny Granville, now at Colchester, midfielder Tommy Black, to Sarfend, ancient midfielder Michael Hughes to Coventry and Hungarian keeper Gabor Kiraly, who has been snapped up eagerly by Burnley. Add to that the loss of left back Gary Borrowdale, also to Ian Dowie’s Coventry for a fee which is to be settled by tribunal, and you have the best part of a full team out the door.

Of course, according to manager Peter Taylor, all that has happened is some much needed resource management, to give a smaller and better balanced squad. Nah, my Palarse mates didn’t believe that either. Meanwhile, Palarse have signed three defenders. The most intriguing is Benfica’s 22-year old centre back Jose Fonte on loan. This is presumably work experience from Benfica’s point of view and the lad will certainly see football played in a different way to what he’s used to. He’s either going to be brilliant at bamboozling big thick English centre forwards or Palarse fans had better resign themselves to seeing him trampled into the dust by the likes of Burnley’s Andy Gray, or Coventry’s Kevin Kyle. Fonte is joined by two stepping up from lower divisions. Palarse have paid somewhere between £250k and £350k for 22-year old Lincoln defender Jeff Hughes, while they have picked up the similarly aged Tony Craig from Millwall for an undisclosed fee.

But never mind Palarse fans, you still have some of the quality from last season. Carrot headed midfielder Ben Watson will still be failing to clear the first man with his corners and free kicks and Clinton O’Morrison should still be tapping them in from six yards, assuming he finally signs that contract. The much fancied Tom Soares hasn’t yet been poached and our nemesis Shefki Kuqi will continue to rumble around up front. Injury free, Palarse still have a pretty good squad going forward but, Leon Cort aside, they don’t look much at the back.
Likely Star Player – Shefki Kuqi (Striker). Always does well against us

The manager: An all-time Palarse hero, Peter Taylor is still enjoying plenty of goodwill from the Selhurst faithful, who won’t have noticed anyway how dull the football is becoming. Taylor’s had some good results over the years.

Having spent a few years at Southend, he got Gillingham promoted to the Championship in 1999/2000 and that, plus his work in the England set-up, seems to have got him a go at Premiership Leicester. A half decent first season there had some predicting future greatness for him before it all went tits up and he found himself out on his ear early in the 2000/01 season. He wasn’t out of a job for long before he inherited the team Mickey Adams built at Brighton and promptly took them up to the Championship. Brighton weren’t big enough for him, though, and more to the point the Withdean wasn’t his idea of home, so he jumped ship in May 2002.

Five months later he was back at work, taking over at Hull, as well as running the under-21s still. Hull climbed from the fourth flight to the Championship under Taylor, before Tangoman came a knocking in June last year. Tangoman isn’t known for his patience, while he doesn’t look the sort to allow sentimentality cloud his judgement, so Taylor’s going to need some results from this squad. At least he knows not to jump ship from this job though. And if you’re fired Peter, please, please sue the arse off Palarse for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract.
Crystal Palace FC – Manager – Peter Taylor (Survival chances: 5/10)

Head-to-Head: Last season the computer arranged things so that the two sides played each other within a month. Rangers’ fabulous 4-2 win over Palarse was enjoyed by those of us that rub shoulders with Palarse fans for just three weeks before the 3-0 defeat, and that Nygaard miss, at Selhurst gave them bragging rights for a year. This season the league have done it again, but this time we visit Selhurst first. So, being an eternal pessimist, I can only advise those of you desperate to see a Rangers away win to book yourselves a seat in the Sainsburys end, or whatever it is they call the away end these days, on November 11. And, if you want to avoid a home defeat, Tuesday December 4 is a good night to be counting the pieces of that jigsaw you found in the loft this summer.

What do we think? The main squad looks pretty strong and will be its normal organised self. But Palarse definitely have a weaker look about them and an injury crisis could really put them in trouble. The loss of McAnuff leaves them looking a bit lacking on the inspiration front and pushing on to a top half finish doesn’t look that likely, but neither does a relegation battle. Palarse have a tough start to the season, travelling to St Mary Mead on the first weekend, before hosting Leicester, visiting Portman Road and then renewing their derby with Charlton.
Verdict: Bottom half. That start means Peter Taylor may find himself trying to avoid Tangoman’s office from about September onwards

All pictures (c) Action Images

Photo: Action Images

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