“yes bathonian you must have been at a different game!”

“I think I must have been at a completely different game as I totally disagree with a few of the comments made so far.
City did not deserve a point out of the game, yes they were the better team for the last 20 or so minutes but in the first half especially Palace dominated the game and should have gone in 2 or 3 up. Quite ironically they were playing like the colour of the shirts depicted - like Brazil! Zaha was like a little Pele totally destroying City with every touch. Pearson did hit the bar but that was it, every other time City had the ball it was like watching a pin ball machine as there was no control of the ball and it was constantly given away.
I agree with some of the comments about Kilkenny and Pitman, both should have started - as soon as they came on there was a renewed confidence and desire in the team and the slowly got back into and then duly dominated for a period.
The atmosphere at Ashton was not improved, despite the best efforts of the stadium announcer. I sat in the Dolman for the first time, I THINK I was in block D 3-4 rows back and the whole game I just had to listen to group of spectators just constantly moaning and groaning - which, for one, will ensure I never go in the Dolman again and secondly will not help the team play any better.
I would have given the man-of-the-match award to Wood upfront, despite being given no support for 70mins he kept soldiering away and doing what he could with the scraps he was given.
The expectation of the fans need to be realistic, if City are recruiting players that are surplus to other Championship teams they are not going to lit the skies up over Ashton. Mcinnis is attempting to stave off relegation, not win the league - they are going to lose as many matches as they win but I do think the player are there to save the club. Just need to get the line up and tactics right.”

“piledriver.

"If Maloney comes in plus Scotland that will hopefully add some creativity & goals but Maloney has hardly played this season."
When you refer to Scotland, what do you mean ........... all of them? :-)”

“I had been saying most of the 2nd half that we deserved a point and that was before their dubious penalty-Great comeback and justice on a palace side that were happy to time waste even at 1-0.
The first 25 mins however, we did look like a beaten and relagated side, though Zaha was in a different class and McGivern just couldnt cope with him.
For me, the game changed with the enforced withdrawal of Skuse and brought about some much needed creativity. Wood played much better once he had support and Pitman has to be played from the start.
Saturday has us away to a side that are finding points hard to come by at late and taking all 3 will leave us level on points with them.
McManus does look a good addition.
Finally a comment about yet another ref who came with his text book firmly under his arm-There were 9 bookings (7 ours) but the game was neither dirty nor bad tempered. This did demonstrate also his inconsistency which was on display most of the evening.”

“good result in the end, especially considering the ref allowed the palace strikers to back into and barge our defenders when they were trying to head the ball all night.
I still see why Derek has to persist with the 4-5-1 which others clearly cant. Its because of our central midfield problem. No two can play there as they are either not good enough passers/too weak physically or injury prone/not fit. That goes for skuse/kilkenny/elliott and cisse. Hence he has to play 3 central players.
We maybe able to solve this problem however as Chris Wood was a tower in the air and held the ball up superbly last night. We could just bypass the midfield and knock it long to him, which was what we did in the last 15 and looked dangerous for it. Palace couldnt cope with him and they are a big bunch of units! i just hope the fans would be happy for us to play this way(??)
i also agree that Pearson had a good game again but looks more effective out wide.”

“As far as the Academy goes-Close it and reduce the ridiculous number of caoches at AG.We can sign younger players developed by Prem teams and focus on a top quality squad of about 22 players inc two keepers.

Tactically we need to play with two strikers and we have now scored 27 goals in 31 games.Add our dreadful defending (5 conceded in the last two games despite going one up top) and it's no surprise we're candidates for relegation with a pathetic GD.

If Skuse has broken his toe, he'll miss at least two months and it could be all over by then.Hopefully Cisse will be fit soon or we'll have no defensive midfielders at all.

If Maloney comes in plus Scotland that will hopefully add some creativity & goals but Maloney has hardly played this season.

If Pompey lose 10 points that'll be seven clubs in the relegation shake up:

City, Pompey, Posh, Millwall, Coventry, Forest & Doncaster”

“BinRelegated.
Well, if he wasn't embarrassed, he should have been.
He didn't bring him on until the game was all but gone. It was an act of desperation.”

“BinRelegated.
Well if he wasn't embarrassed he should have been.
He didn't bring him on until the game had all but gone. It was an act of desperation.”

“@ Marmeliser

I think that's a fair point made. GJ took alot of stick for not playing kids, yet successive managers have also done the same. It seems to me that the quality just isn't there yet over the bridge in Cardiff they manage to produce quality (Ledley,Ramsey etc) as do Southampton (Walcott, Bale and Oxade Chamberlain)

I said at the time that I believe GJ clearly believed that the quality wasn't there and that the academy as a whole needed a major overhaul. Its sounds daft, but I would pay a good sum for someone like Cruyff (or A N Other Ajax related person) or someone like Liam Brady to spend a few days reviewing and reporting on our whole youth set up. It would an expense now but likely to pay dividends in the future as something is clearly not right.”

“but it has to be embarrassing when a striker who can't get a regular start comes off the bench and saves his bacon.
------

I doubt that he finds it embarrassing as he was the one who made the change, presumably to get goals!”