Monday 21 January 2013

The King is dead. Long live the King.


Saturday’s return of Crystal Palace legend Dougie Freedman may have opened a few raw wounds, but ultimately proved that the club moves forward with all of its support firmly behind Ian Holloway  



It was an occasion when temperatures were set to soar, yet with freezing cold winds buffeting the rickety frame of Selhurst Park and snow heaped around the pitch, the heat expected from Dougie Freedman’s return to Crystal Palace with his new employers Bolton Wanderers never truly reached anything above lukewarm. At times a testy first half saw tempers flare, but those looking for things to boil over in the sub zero conditions gripping South London were left disappointed.

The build up was dominated by Freedman, former player, former manager, returning to town for the first time since his unexpected and largely still unexplained departure in October. Aside from a smattering of boos and a rather animated response to his appearance from the Bolton team coach, it was good to hear that in 2013, when memories are as short as football fans tempers, that the Scotsman was not regarded by the majority of fans as a former legend.

As the saying goes, “he saved us three times”, and that carries a lot of weight, and yet, it also in a way explains why so many still feel confused and hurt by the departure of a man who had been the clubs saviour both on and off the pitch in recent times. After all, it’s never easy to have your heart broken. Freedman’s departure always seemed a strange decision. The club was flying high, a young and vibrant team climbing the league following years of financial, not to mention emotional upheaval. Leaving for Bolton didn’t seem to make sense. They were bigger, just, but not better, not at this point that’s for sure but then they were a club that in the last decade was an established Premier League name. Palace hasn’t hit those heights since 2005.

This wasn’t about Bolton however, it was about Freedman. It wasn’t just any manager leaving. Steve Bruce walked out on the club when they were top, but then Steve Bruce walks out on everyone eventually. Neil Warnock did a fantastic job and had built a side challenging for the Championship playoffs, albeit one on crumbling foundations. His departure was far from unexpected given the club was in administration and it is a particular bitter fan that holds a grudge there, but Freedman, he was part of the club’s very DNA. Or so it seemed.

Since his departure the Eagles have continued to fly, albeit with their wings slightly clipped over the last month or so. They sit fourth and appointed a manager in Ian Holloway that made a statement of intent; this is a team that the club hierarchy believes can go places. That is part of the mystery behind the move to the Reebok. On Freedman’s appointment, Wanderers were in 16th place, and today, several months later that’s where they remain. Was it the chance to manage a team that he thought could take him higher and match his ambition? In the long run it might be, but right now, no-one can say that the players at Bolton’s disposal, while perhaps higher profile and certainly higher paid are significantly better, so why leave?

Many fans have suspected it was about money; either in terms of a personal wage or transfer budget and while both probably came into play, I’d like to give him more credit than that. After the game Freedman’s comments were somewhat cryptic, revealing that the club directors in SE25 were perhaps unconvinced by his long term ability to take the club forward. Reading into his responses perhaps could lead one to thinking that the club was disloyal to him rather than the other way round. Once again, that’s probably unfair on everyone concerned.

What is certain however is that after Saturday, it is now the time for all parties to move on; both Bolton and Palace have good managers in place with the opportunity to make their respective marks. It is to Freedman’s credit that the his successor Holloway has been able to take on a talented young side that despite a few wobbles as of late is in a strong position to have a shot at promotion to the promised land of the Premier League.

For the early part of his reign the former Blackpool man was able to pick up the baton from his predecessor, changing very little as the team sauntered their way to the top of the league. Since those heady days there was inevitably going to be a drop off, and a slight downturn in results. Too many late goals have turned would be victories into draws but that is not down to the new man at the helm. Palace is a team that have come a long way in a short amount of time, a club possessing a small squad assembled at a far cheaper cost than many of its rivals. The late goals costing valuable points a symptom of the same players playing almost every minute. With fewer options to come in and take on the strain, some players have begun to show signs of a little burn out. Tired bodies leading to tired minds.

It’s why Holloway is working hard to reinvigorate the squad; a true tilt at promotion requires greater strength in depth. Saturday’s game saw home debuts for loan signings Alex Nimley and Jacob Butterfield, but one or two others, preferably on permanent deals would help to maintain a somewhat faltering momentum, when the feel good factor is still high. It’s a team that Dougie Freedman built and he always deserves his vaunted place in Palace history. Now is the time for looking forward not back however, and the future, happily, still feels unquestionably bright. Onwards and upwards with Holloway’s red and blue army.

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