2010/11 End of Season Review; Crystal Palace Edition

There is life outside the Premier League when it comes to English football (yes, really) so our next end of season review dips its toes into the murky world of the Championship and gives us the low down on another turbulent 12 months at Selhurst Park

1. If your clubs season could be summed up perfectly by likening it to a celebrity who would that be?

Britney Spears.

Suffering a highly public meltdown and having to attend dozens of court dates led many to believe that the end was nigh. An ultimately disastrous relationship with a flashy man contributed to a dramatic collapse.

Ultimately the downward spiral was averted at the last minute, and things have since looked up. Survival was achieved. There’s a new man in town and a comeback and move up the charts is on the card. Still, you can’t help thinking things are still a bit precarious and another breakdown could always be just a moment away...

2. Like everyone who’s anyone (and Darron Gibson) Collins Beans is on Twitter. Give an appraisal of your season in 140 characters or less

12 months ago just existing was the only aim, framed against that staying up was job done...but, several areas need big improvement to move forwards.

3. How’s your [delete as appropriate]; Manager/Head Coach/Caretaker/Director of Football/Sporting Director/Head of Player Recruitment/Technical Adviser/Strategic Soccer Coaching Co-ordinator/Executive Director (Football) performed this season?

Happy for them to continue?As ever at Palace I have to answer this question in multiple parts given it’s rare for us to ever start and finish a season with the same man in the hot seat. First out of our pair of Scots then, Mr Burley.

When he was first appointed I was a happy man, not least because he wasn’t Paul Hart...I thought he had a proven track record at the level, was a safe pair of hands and would play good football. He worked hard to change the style that had been fostered under Neil Warnock and while it was certainly more aesthetic we redefined the term ‘soft touch’ in most of the games. There was a seeming incapacity to install a real backbone to the team and in most games it looked like you could drive one of Boris’ new Route Masters straight through the middle of us. What was arguably most worrying (and would probably have taken us down) was the fact that conceding one goal would mean the roof falling in.

In contrast, I could not be happier with the current incumbent, his fellow countryman and former assistant Dougie Freedman. Now, the manager would have to do something pretty spectacular to become unpopular with the Selhurst residents (I’m thinking taking out a super injunction to stop a ‘sleeps in a Brighton short’ story) however he has not just relied on his terrace hero reputation, he has done a genuinely damn good job, taking the club out of the relegation zone, whilst fostering real team unity and a determination where everyone fights and battles for the shirt again.

4. Who are your teams star men this time out?

At the beginning of the season you could have pre populated this and said “Julian Speroni”, given his general awesome form (the best ‘keeper outside the Premiership) and the fact he has been the club’s player of the year for the past three years in a row...however the man who has really stood out has been right back Nathaniel Clyne. Playing every minute of every game Clyney was a real star and proof that *whisper it quietly* heavily investing in our excellent academy is the best thing that a certain Mr Jordan ever did.

Honourable mentions should also go to midfield dynamo Neil Danns for another all action season driving on from midfield (sadly it might well be his last at Selhurst) as well as winger Sean Scannell. He may not have played all that much, but whenever he did he was explosive and could be pivotal to a good showing next year.

5. And who would you pay to have an all expenses one way loan trip to MK Dons?

In a ‘this is going to appear really harsh’ kind of way I was continually left frustrated by David Wright. It’s harsh as he gave everything for the cause and when played in his natural fullback position he was perfectly adequate...it’s the fact that the manager seemed wedded to the idea that he is the new Makalele playing him in virtually every game as a holding midfielder when he can’t pass. At all. As I say harsh given his efforts but we cannot afford him playing there next season.

Indeed central midfield was (is) a bit of a problem area given that summer signings Owen Garvan and Andy ‘Dirty’ Dorman could be summed up nicely by the phrase ‘lightweight’. You know I mentioned the bus you could drive through the middle of the team? Whilst both showed many nice touches, displayed good passing and in Garvan’s case a cracking long shot, these were no compensation for the fact that both were unable to assert any type of control over a game whatsoever. It’s no surprise that neither saw much playing time after Freedman took over.

6. Indulging in some Fantasy Football, who are the name(s) that would take your team to that magical ‘next level’ next season?

Lionel Messi quite like’s playing in blue and red stripes doesn’t he...

See above, a central midfield player who can both put his foot in, yet also put his foot on, controlling and passing the ball. A player that is able to dictate play and take charge of games is the biggest overall improvement that could be made. I really think that one or two (if we can’t find both these key skills in just one player) additions in this area could radically improve the team. I’d love to get Ben Watson back but if we’re being realistic then even though he is getting on a bit, when I saw Julio Arca playing for Middlesboro this year his passing and use of the ball was still spot on. A veteran like that would be ideal.

I wouldn’t complain if we signed up Anthony Gardner permanently and if we could get star man Darren Ambrose fit for a whole season rather than shining intermittently then that would be like a new signing.

Finally as has been my wish for the past six years or so (ever since we sold AJ basically) some more firepower would be nice but then I guess that’s why we’ve nabbed Glen Murray from our good friends down on the coast in Brighton...

7. Which opposition players caught your eye when you played them this season...and who had a bit of an Ali Dia?

The best team we came up against all year was without a doubt Swansea who gave us two 3-0 hidings where I don’t think we ever saw the ball let alone got it anywhere near their goal. Former Palace loanee Scott Sinclair was in particularly devastating form. Oddly we took four points off promoted Norwich (our ONLY away win all year) but their playmaker Wes Hoolahan was a real class act and I’ll definitely be interested to see how he goes in the Premiership.

Other players that stood out in games against us were QPR’s Paddy Kenny, Reading’s Shane Long and Jimmy Kebe and as noted above Julio Arca still retains excellent ball playing skills.

Watching Championship football week in week out the standard of defending sometimes makes you want to weep. Ibrahima Sonko gave such an inept performance against us that it turned comical (and inspired a whole newspaper piece). Similarly Paul McShane displayed all the prowess of an ironing board not once BUT TWICE (for both Hull and Barnsley). Finally, big name loan signings like Yakubu and Craig Bellamy were spectacularly ineffectual in the games against us.

8. Finally, in 12 months time your club will be...

Not leaving survival quite so close to the last minute again...however a season of improvement will probably bring the thrills and spills of mid-table mediocrity rather than a concerted push for the playoffs.