Wednesday, February 28, 2024

A bit safer

 

In a post not long ago, I noted how Crystal Palace followers usually become concerned about this point in the season that their team of choice might be relegated back down to the Championship. But they softly said good-bye to the dean of the Premier League coaches, Roy Hodgson, and welcomed a new coach, Oliver Glasner. Glasner watched as CP got a point from a draw with Everton, and then coached the Eagles to a 3-0 win over Burnley, aided by a clever play when a Crystal Palace player enticed a Burnley player to pull on his jersey as he closed in on a scoring chance. This resulted in a red card, meaning that the offending Burnley player is tossed from the game, and the team has to play the rest of the game with 10 players, including the goalkeeper, thus providing an advantage to the other team. After two adroit substitutions, the Eagles started twitching the twine of Burnley's goal with the ball. (Wow, that was good.)

Three points later, Crystal Palace is now situated in 13th place with 28 points, tied with Bournemouth on points but ahead on goal differential by one goal.  The relegation zone starts with Luton Town's 20 points, and below that Burnley and Sheffield United are already packing for the trip down. Now, I'd actually like to see Luton Town and their cute little field stay up, and they could, but it's going to be interesting. 

Next up for Crystal Palace:  Tottenham Hotspur, who should be the victors. However, their next two scheduled matches are against the aforementioned Luton Town, and then the on-dangerous-ground Nottingham Forest, who should have had a player named Robyn Hude at some point in their history but never did.  (The match vs. Newcastle is postponed and TBD when it is to be contested.)

Go you Eagles!






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