FYP regular Sam Hesketh takes a look at the veterans that are allowing our young guns to shine...

With the great start to the season we've had being coupled with the recent EPPP debacle, the Palace production line has received praise left, right and centre and rightfully so. However, there are a group of players that haven't had as much good press [at least, from outside our fanbase] who are just as important to the team and just as responsible for our climb to fourth in the league. The old adage of having a strong spine in any football team has always been true and this season, Palace's experience in that spine has helped deliver solid results and impressive performances both home and away.

At the back, the duo of Jules and Paddy (pictured) have been excellent all season. Whilst this is merely a continuation of form over the last few years for Speroni, the improvement from last season for our Captain is nothing short of miraculous. I've been a fan of Paddy since he joined, but last year, for whatever reason, he just wasn't playing well. Concentration would be lost, rash tackles would be made and goals would be conceded as a result. This season however, whether alongside Tunchev or Gardner, he looks so much more solid. Strong in the tackle, good with the ball at his feet and showing himself more as a leader, he has chipped in with two goals [the finish against Ipswich was absolute quality] and more importantly has helped sure up the defence that this time last year was an abomination.

Another player who has become an integral part of the team is David Wright. Moved into the centre of midfield by Freedman and recently having signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until the end of the 2012/13 season, he has grown into the role over the past ten months or so and has gone from a utility man filling a gap, to a player that is surely one of the first on the team sheet every match day. This season he has improved again so that on top of stopping others getting through and hassling across the middle, his passing has moved beyond simply hoofing the ball up the pitch hoping it'll reach a team mate. He might not be the midfield enforcer that we've had in the past, but he's certainly a massive reason for our good form this season.

And up top, Glenn Murray. It was frustrating to see him injured against Peterborough at the start of the season, but when he came back, he looked like the piece of the puzzle we've been missing for quite a while. His finish against Blackpool, darting in at the near post to slip in Moxey's cross was superb and since then, even when he hasn't scored or even hit the woodwork, he's won headers, held the ball up and generally shown himself to have the all-round game we desperately need. Oh, and that goal against Brighton [you know, the match we won 3-1 down at their place?] was a touch of quality too wasn't it?

So yes, our youth team graduates are brilliant, absolutely no denying that. But the old heads around them have been priceless this season and will no doubt continue to aid the development of the kids as well as propelling the team to good performances and results along the way.
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Eagles fan and GP Martin Searle recounts his life and how the club he's come to love has had such an impact on the person he is today...

And when we were up we were up. And when we were down we were down

(and Palace don’t often do ‘neither up nor down’)

There are times when I try to pretend to myself that ‘it’s only a game’. That Palace are a mere distraction in the great game of life (whatever the rules and tactics for that one are supposed to be). Those times are short and infrequent, however. I usually very quickly remember how central Crystal Palace FC is to the very definition of who I am, more permanent than most relationships, enduring through career ups and downs and major life changes. There as a lifeline (or a millstone) through good health, bad health, ups and downs. I used to joke that one could end up with a different wife, but couldn’t change football clubs.

That came true for me…..

But shouldn't, at the least, the football be a Kiplingesque reminder to ‘meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same’ – keep me grounded (Palace should be particularly useful for that) when life seems to be going well; cheer me up when life is grot? But I’ve been reflecting on the fact that in 2011, not only does my life seem pretty good again after some rough times, but the football and the current crop of youngsters are really exciting me, in a way that I remember twice before. And that over the years, Palace’s fortunes and mine have often seemed intertwined.

The current form and crop of youngsters is exciting me as much as two earlier spells in my time supporting the Palace. And all three spells have coincided with good times in my life.

1976-1979 – The Youth Cup kids

Uni, everything new, ‘we’re not in Sutton anymore, Toto’, spending the first term making friends one spends the rest of life trying to avoid (not really, folks). Making the most of the august buildings of one of the world’s great seats of learning – the Granta, the Mill, the Free

Press, the Mitre……. First love. First –err, anyway…..

And at Palace (with me using my student railcard to the max to be at Selhurst Park, or using the local train to get to Lincoln City away and such like), two promotions, including the never to be forgotten Championship-winning night v Burnley, two great FA Cup battles v Liverpool, and two Youth Cups in three years. Sansom, Hilaire, Murphy, Nicholas, Walsh, Gilbert – and the relatively experienced Jimbo, totemic, and scoring a fantastic goal to seal a 4-1 win against Ipswich in late September 1979 that made us briefly monarchs of all we surveyed in English football.

It wasn’t to last, of course. The decline culminated in 1980/1, a season of four managers, financial problems, and relegation (not for the last time), with Venables leaving in murky circumstances then coming back to relieve us of a bunch of coaches and players…….. My life was doing relatively better, although really hard work was taking up more of my time. When we played Burnley in the last game of 1982/3, and Ian Edwards’s goal secured a 1-0 win, when defeat would have sent us down further, I was working at Dulwich Hospital without the option.

Life for me for the mid-80s was one of ridiculous work patterns, and when I did manage to be off-duty AND be awake, any attendance at SP was likely to be rewarded by irredeemable shite. Usually a 0-1 defeat midweek (although there was a particularly lovely 0-3 v Grimsby that I managed to slot into 60 hours with two hours sleep), and if Kevin Mabbutt was injured (usually), there seemed little hope of scoring. These of course included the M-years. Sorry, can’t type the name in full.

One morning in 1986, I drove away from Epsom Hospital to start my GP training year. The rising sun was in my eyes, and it felt like a new beginning, new positivity and energy. Meanwhile, over at Selhurst, ‘Sir’ Stevie Coppell was putting together a team of young hopefuls, non-leaguers, never-quite-made-its, and instilling tremendous team spirit.

1986 – 23rd September 1991 – The Wright and Bright years

Everything in my life seemed to be coming together. The GP Training year made me sure I’d made the right career choice, a practice came up in Wiltshire, a house in a lovely village was found. OK, it was 100 miles or so from SE25, but I negotiated that I’d go to one Palace game a month. Well, that’s 12 a season, obviously. Plus cup games. And play-offs. And other really important ones… And in amongst that, starting a family.

On the pitch, heady times. W and B, Captain Courageous, Charlie Chaplin, Dave the Mod, 89 Play Off v Blackburn, Thorn and Young, [skips past Anfield], Villa Park, Wembley [skips past replay – except to say that my first-born arrived between the two games], finishing third in the League, winning the ZDS – raising a can of Young’s Ordinary to the Palace fans in the next car (Dad was driving, before you ask) in a symbolic Sarf London moment of celebration. And then ‘the day the music died’. For me a moment stuck in my mind like the news of JFK and of John Lennon. And another descent started, with some false dawns.

I wouldn’t say that this time there were parallels in my life, although my Dad managed one immediately posthumous influence at Spurs in 1997 when he kept the lino’s flag down for our offside winner. But he failed to avert relegation that season. And certainly I was bumbling along OK through our Goldberk / first administration times.

In 2004, Palace went up at Cardiff, and on the face of it, my life was more successful than ever. But a deep unhappiness had set in, and then everything started to crumble. May 15th 2005 was one of the worst days of my life, played out simultaneously in SE7 and in North Wiltshire.

The years since have for both Palace and myself, contained times when our very survival was in doubt. And in both cases where the outcome might have been different but for intensely loyal supporters helping further resources of inner strength and resilience to be found. And in many cases I’m talking about the same people. Because Palace is like that – an intensely loyal ‘family’ with some really special people. And so….

Now

My life is full of hope and positivity. I have health and love, had a great wedding this year, with a wonderful lady, and have two daughters who are doing well in their lives. And on the pitch – well, I’ll probably be giving it the kiss of death with this piece. But as I pick up my ‘Scannell’ home shirt to travel to SP, having just hung out the ‘Joniesta’ Amex shirt I wore to play football last night (‘it’s just like watching Brazil’, they teased), looking forward to seeing Wilf hypnotize defenders, to applaud the dependable Clyney, enjoy the passion of the lower Holmesdale spark the rest of the ground, with a Palace legend in charge, I really feel that another great era is upon us.

I’m not delusional enough to think that my mood influences Palace. But quite probably, my dependence (there is no other word) on Palace means that if they are doing well, it makes me more positive in what I do generally. Sad, isn’t it? Isn’t it?

Anyway – I’m PALACE TIL I DIE!!!!!!

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What do you think? How have Palace played a part in your life? Let us know! Comment below...

Behind every good attacking team is an even better defensive one

Behind Palace’s impressive attacking array of Murray, Zaha, Scannell and co is a defensive unit of Julian Speroni, Paddy McCarthy, Anthony Gardner, Dean Moxey, Nathaniel Clyne, David Wright and more doing an equally as impressive job, helping Palace keep five clean sheets in October.

In McCarthy, Palace have an impassioned leader who throws himself at tackles and headers he should have no chance of winning. In Speroni, the Eagles have a dependable goalkeeper who pulls out at least one world-class save per match. Kudos must go to defensive coach Tony Popovic (right).

In Clyne, Moxey, Parr and Ramage, Palace have full-backs unafraid to support in attack but equally as driven to do their defensive work, and in Wright, Jedinak and Dikgacoi Palace have a defensive midfield trio capable of cutting out the oppositions creativity.

Two draws, four wins - an unbeatable month

It has been a truly ridiculous month for Palace. With the incredible high of the 3-1 win over Brighton Hove Albion at the end of September (with Palace being the first league side to win at the Amex stadium, in case you didn’t know...), most Palace fans would probably have accepted a little more inconsistency in October. What we got however was an entirely different outcome.

Following Palace’s impressive draw with long-ball West Ham, the Eagles went on to win away games at Watford and Ipswich with a win against lowly Bristol City sandwiched in between. Palace then beat table-topping Southampton with a convincing 2-0 scoreline in the League Cup, followed by a tough 0-0 draw against Reading this weekend.

Most impressive in all of this is the way in which Palace got these results. In the majority of cases, the games Palace won this season would probably have ended in draws, while the draws would probably have ended in defeats -- there is a temerity to this Dougie Freedman-led side that we’ve not seen for some time, and long may it continue.

Zaha's too good for you

Dan Wimbush over at Reading fansite The Tilehurst End has been kind enough to answer a few questions ahead of the weekend's Championship clash. FYP caught up with the Royals fan earlier in the week...

How have you been enjoying Reading's season so far?

This was always going to be a hard season to 'look forward to' considering the play-off final defeat and the departures of Zurab Khizanishvili, Matt Mills and especially Shane Long. The first few games were enjoyable, snatching a late draw with Millwall and also beating Sven & Mills up at Leicester - but then things took an ugly turn. We lost five straight games, the defence looked flakey at best and memories were turning back to the aftermath of our 1995 play-off defeat to Bolton, that saw 3 seasons of fighting, then succumbing to relegation. Thankfully we made a couple of signings and shook up the team, with the signings of Kaspars Gorkks & Adam Le Fondre looking particularly inspired as we've now gone unbeaten in 7, though only 3 of those have been wins.

You recently had a good run out against league leaders Southampton. How do you rate your chances?

The Southampton game showed that we've nothing to fear from anybody in this division but that we're still our own worst enemy. We're still a fairly young and new team and while the work rate and passion is there, we're still lacking a bit of class when we get the ball and still concede silly goals by switching off at key times. Fortunately the team is very much going in a positive direction, slowly grinding out results and moving clear of any relegation worries. I still think we're one or two players away from really being play-off contenders but as Palace and Reading have shown in the past, you're never out of contention in the Championship and one good run can make all the difference. Regardless, if you put a gun to my head and asked me to make a prediction of where we'll finish this year, I'd say 9th or 10th.

Which Reading players could cause Palace a few problems come Saturday?

Right now Adam Le Fondre is looking in fine form, with four goals since he joined at the end of August and already looking settled at Championship level. Le Fondre's already struck up a decent partnership with Simon Church and the work rate of both of them will keep your defence occupied for most of the game. Elsewhere and if he starts Jimmy Kebe is always a threat and on his day is the best winger in the Championship. Sadly teams have somewhat figured this fact out and that, combined with a niggling injury has largely kept him quiet this season. However you can never rule out Jimmy turning on the magic and causing massive problems for the Palace defence.

Which Palace players are you wary of?

Zaha and Scannell have always impressed me when I've seen them as has Darren Ambrose. Ambrose is one of those players who seems to have moments of magic out of nowhere and has always caused us problems in the past. Generally though Palace have built up a reputation of being a hard-working commited side without big egos or big stars and it's nice to see that type of play rewarded with a good start to the season.

Prediction?

Going to be a tight one, but I think Reading will end up sneaking this 1-0.

You can follow The Tilehurst End on Twitter at @thetilehurstend

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