“It is only a cup. It is only a cup. It is only a cup," writes Tom Hughes.

If I was a spiritual, meditating man this would be my mantra at the moment, repeated every night as I drift to sleep. Because try as I might, I have gotten carried away during the heady run Palace fans have enjoyed over the past few months. I remember half-ironically joining in the “que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be, we’re going to Wembley” chants after we’d taken the lead in one of the earliest rounds at Selhurst Park. I was half-laughing at the absurdity of the idea. Then, unbelievably, I found myself sincerely bellowing the same chant as we led 1-0 against Cardiff. Suddenly the team are within touching distance of a final at the iconic home of English football.

I would love this season’s cup accomplishment to instantly herald a glorious new era for the club. A period started with a stroll through the Europa League, knocking out Barcelona en route (the Spaniards surprisingly dumped out of the Champions League at the group stage). We’ll storm the F.A. Cup while seeing off the Carling Cup with mainly our under-16s and one hand tied behind Lewis Price’s back, at the same time as securing automatic promotion to the Premier League by mid-February.

Yet sadly we have to be realistic, even if realism for a Palace fan closely resembles pessimism, and is an all too familiar feeling. You don’t support a rollercoaster club if you expect constant smooth headway and open top bus parades through Croydon. So it is important to remember the recent administration-stricken turbulence. In fact, it is as important to remember those unspeakable days as it is boring to repeatedly harp on about them.

But how do we avoid a sense of deflation if next year we’re not achieving something comparable that will fill Selhurst with 22,147 people on a cold January evening? To not be named next season’s contenders for relegation for the first time in years would be a start. Maybe even touted as promotion hopefuls. I know I’m talking like this season’s over (“and we might still get promoted this year!” you scream at your computer) but I’m trying to be sensible.

No Scottish managerial idol is better equipped to keep expectations at the right level. Under the leadership of Sir Freedman the league will remain top priority, and if next year we’re eliminated from domestic cups in the first round it must be taken on the chin. The players used against Crawley and in following rounds were never expected to do as well as they did, and therefore the cup is a brilliantly unexpected bonus. If we’re not pushing for promotion in the spring then that’s fine, as even an improvement by three or four places in our final league position will be a pleasant signal that the club is changing.

A flash in the pan cup run is not the sign that fortunes have changed, whereas becoming a side frustrating to play against and hard to beat is. No longer do we look like a defeat or two will have us stuck in a mucky psychological rut, but the team are becoming resilient and confident, bursting with.... bouncebackability. (I’m so sorry).

The young players are looking more mature, and the lengthy new contract signed by Wilfred Zaha recently is a very positive sign of growth, proof that a promising young player can finally have faith we’re still going to exist in six months as well as pushing on to bigger and better things. The academy’s diligent production line shows no sign of stopping assembly of bright adolescent talent, and in many areas of the pitch we have several players contesting for places where once we couldn’t fill the subs bench. I think other teams call this “squad depth” or something.

Every football fan is greedy and aspirational by their very nature. Nobody wants to take a step backwards, to go from such an exciting cup run to league mediocrity. However, more patience will be key to seeing this remarkable cup foray translated into the bigger picture. If Freedman can instil the required patience in the fans and in his players – I’m looking at you, Clyne - then similar league progression is bound to follow sooner rather than later.

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