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Crystal Palace v Leeds United: Another lost opportunity - Gray
Andros Townsend in match action against Crystal Palace.
I would have taken a point at Selhurst Park before the match and I did actually think the game would be a draw.
But in the context of Crystal Palace going down to 10 men and us playing with a man advantage for about 50 minutes, it was a disappointing result.
It was an opportunity to pick extra points up. Yes, it’s always a tough match coming to Palace, but with the way things went, I’ve got to say it was an opportunity lost.
For me, the sending off of Sean Scannell was pretty harsh, to be honest. The referee was pretty fair to us on Saturday...I think the Palace fans thought he was anyway.
But it was a soft dismissal for the two yellows and Simon Grayson and our coaching staff would agree with that. I think Glynn Snodin said as much in the after-match interviews. Palace would have been pretty aggrieved with that.
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Looking at the game, I thought Palace started brightly, while we had a lot of possession and Speroni made a couple of great saves for them.
Andy Lonergan pulled off a few decent ones for us as well while Martin missed a good chance to put them 2-0 up just before the sending off.
In the second half, with the man advantage, I thought we huffed and puffed a lot without really creating a lot of clear-cut chances.
Our final ball into the box was pretty average. On one or two occasions, we got into good areas, but we just lashed the ball across the box, instead of getting our heads up and having a look and picking someone out. We had opportunities to do that and never did and that’s what costs you if you want to win games. Many of the balls into the box were pretty average.
In the first half, Andros Townsend did okay, playing on the right side. Every time he got the ball, he tried to cut inside on his left foot. For me, I’d rather see him playing on the left side, his natural side.
But I don’t think there should be too much pressure put on the lad as he’s only just joined really. He did well against Burnley, but in the two times he’s played in the league, it’s been against 10 men.
You are hoping when you are playing against 10 men, that you have the players of sufficient quality to expose teams. We managed it against Burnley, although let’s not forget that basically we only got back in the game through an own goal and a keeper mistake.
Looking at the Palace game overall, Speroni didn’t have that much to do to say they were down to 10 men for over 45 minutes.
Disappointing
It was another disappointing afternoon for Luciano Becchio up front. I said before the game that we’ve somehow got to try and start getting the best out of him, as he was such an important player for us.
This season, it’s just not happened for him and he doesn’t look the same enthusiastic player we had last year.
Whether it’s his injury that has caught up with him, I don’t know.But we’ve definitely got to start trying to get the best out of him. But if he’s going to lead the line, he’s got to do better, with Saturday being another game going by without him and the strikers scoring a goal.
We need Luciano to be playing like he did last year in terms of leading the line and occupying defenders and never giving them a moment’s peace.
At the minute, the thing about it is he isn’t even winning as many headers as he used to, as well as holding the ball up.
We’ve got to try and get the best out of him; but whether that’s possible or not, I don’t know. The coaching staff will no doubt be working with him every day in a bid to get things right with him.
Overall, the point was decent, but a missed opportunity in some respects. Yes, it keeps us up there. But the only thing about it when you look at the Championship table is that the more you drop points, the more teams come into it.
Now, instead of a couple of teams around the top six, there’s five or six and they will all be thinking they have a chance.
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Comments
There are 13 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
sunsetoneuk
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 03:28 PMAs mentioned before, SG has done wonders with no budget. But average players can only really reach average levels of performance. Apart from perhaps 2 games, when have we actually dominated a game start to finish, in a convincing fashion this season? Unless there are new owners, or Ken changes his tea, I think we are destined to mid table obscurity for best outcome. The really worrying thing is what happens if this policy continues through the summer? We could be facing Barnsley, Hull, both Sheffields and possibly Huddersfield next season!! I think it will be a free for all, and our current policy will have terrible consequences for the clubs standing. The number of mediocre games delivered at home this season could be a regular and humiliating experience next season. I don't want to be a negaitve voice, but the reality of current board policy is stark. The future could more than just orange. It could be flaming red!!
OzTyke
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 12:28 AM#10 Paz, I reckon Bates IS being ruthless. He's dug his heels in over the wages budget, and I believe his bloody mindedness could cost us dearly. Yet again we are being linked with all sorts but really who believes that anyone with a price tag or on a PL wage is going to come to us right now? So far we've secured Pugh, loaned a kid off Spurs, got an American lad who might not even be allowed to work in the UK, and two triallists one from the Welsh conference and one from the land of the vuvuzela. Wow, talk about underwhelming! I wish them all the best of course, but Grayson has had to bring in cheapies and hope one or two gambles come off, rather than going for proven quality which many of our rivals seem willing and able to do. MOT
gizzard
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 08:44 PMsunday mirror article:grayson out! warnock in! it makes sense and about bloody time! warnock has the most promotions in history! grayson maybe a young up n coming manager? questionable? but what this wonderful club needs right now is a proven manager with a lot of promotion credentials! step in mr warnock,we need you!
paz
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 08:43 PMEvery game its the same old story ..... another opportunity lost. In business to be successful, sometimes you have to be ruthless. Whilst we would all like Simon Grayson (as a Leeds fan himself) to lead us back to the Premiership, that ain't going to happen. The writing for this season is already on the wall, so Bates live up to your business acuemen and get a top quality replacement in now so that we have a good chance of automatic promotion next season.
Borderreiver
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 05:15 PMI get the impression, through his lack of investment, that Ken is just treading water hoping for someone to step in and buy the club - it could be a long wait.
we r leeds,we r proud
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 03:59 PMit seem obvious eddie,that ken bates lack of investment at the start of the season and lack of investment in this transfer window,is now showing and proving that no investment means no progress,this is something ken bates was warned about on these pages before the season started . marching on together.
kaj.svendsen
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 02:47 PMLiam's got a point, but I would hope that Becchio is tough enough to take some criticism. I would love to see him and Rossco click up front as they are a perfect match on paper. Saying that I bet both of them can't understand each others accent, Scottish and Argie mix, no wonder they’re not scoring ha ha ha!
Liam123
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 02:36 PMoriginal koppite - Your just an idiot that nobody takes any notice of, so I am hardly worried about being added to your numpty wum list.
original koppite
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 02:21 PMLiam...Yes and maybe pigs can fly...You're such a negative Wum...
Liam123
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 01:18 PMMaybe Becchio has gone off the boil since the public denouncement by Bates not so long ago?
Marti
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 01:10 PMAny chance you could at least attempt to edit whatever he says down the 'phone to you instead of printing it verbatim?
HG Leeds Fan
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 01:05 PMIt seems to me that we have problems all over the field at the moment, with the exception of the GK. After watching the way Swansea dominated so much of the match against Arsenal yesterday it really shows how far behind we really are. Getting Becchio fit is massive. Without Becchio back in form our season is finished. McCormack is a striker who feeds off a front man and knock down balls - without the front man, McCormack can't score either. I think letting Keogh go back to Wolves may be a mistake. I agree that he didn't score much but he was good enough on the ball to feed McCormack. Something needs to give up front. Ironically our defence has improved in the last couple of games - how ironic is that.
woodwhite
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 12:40 PMEddie is right it was a missed opportunity - strikers need to find their shooting boots and fast. Just shows how important Jonny Howson is to the team.Seems goals have dried up since he got injured. Sooner he is back the better.
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