Kuqing Up ControversyIt was inevitable. Palace's failure to offload Kuqi in the transfer window greatly increased the possibility of the player's return to the team, and against his favourite club, that's just what he did. The decision to do so is one that has been strongly criticised by all who saw him behave like a petulant little child. Kuqi had been cruising for a bruising long before he made the infamous gesture to the fans. Rather than looking at his own poor performances throughout his spell at the club, Kuqi instead chose to criticise the fans. It was against Ipswich at Selhurst Park that Kuqi also celebrated with the Ipswich fans. He celebrated a win. Against his own team. Kuqi was not and will never be a player committed to Palace. But here lies the problem. Neil Warnock's options had been greatly reduced - especially in the holding forward role - and Kuqi was taking a wage and not being made to work for it. Clearly, selecting Kuqi to play was not an easy decision - it was Warnock who said that he would never play for Palace again - but difficult times bring difficult choices. Kuqi didn't perform outstandingly. Nor did he produce the kind of insipid performances that Palace fans had grown used to. He was average, especially when compared to the endless running of Beattie. Will Kuqi turn it around? His previous record at Palace would indicate that he won't. But Warnock needs to be given a break as far as the criticism goes - he will ultimately pay should Kuqi's return to the abjectness that the fans had grown used to. For now, it's worth giving Warnock (and Kuqi) the benefit of the doubt - at least until our other options return to full fitness.
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Ode to boy wonderPalace have a striker, Vic Moses A Little DittyThere was an angry manager called Neil Who hated referees with zeal He had a voodol doll Of Graham Poll Just a shame that is wasn't real
Intolerable InjuriesWhat is it about Palace and injured players? Obviously, injuries are a part of the game - everyone suffers an injury at least once - but where Palace are concerned, it's not just the existing players who suffer - it's the ones whom we've spent hefty fees on that seem to suffer the most. Alan Lee is the latest player to follow in the footsteps of the many that have already taken one look at Selhurst Park and fallen down in agony. Before him went Ifill, Oster and Danns - and that's just in the last year. Do Palace actually give their players physicals? Do they go through medical testing to find out whether the player is likely to pick up an injury within weeks of signing or whether he already has an injury? Do they check whether the player's injury record shows a correlation? Paul Ifill's injuries have all come in the same way. John Macken was another great example of a player who had suffered regular, similar injuries. Clearly, signing fit players can be quite tough - there is after all a reason why Sheffield Utd sold us Ifill, and why Manchester City sold us Macken (although to be fair, anyone with a pair of functioning eyes could see why Macken was sold - he was awful!) But questions will be asked whenever a player who's just been signed falls down with an injury. I don't blame the players - it's not a choice that they make. At least Warnock isn't giving excuses or suggesting that the player will return soon - we have been very patient with Danns, and Ifill is finally looking like he might just be over the worst of it (fate tempted) but we generally have a good idea of when the player is likely to return. Unlike Danny Granville, who was weeks away from returning...for an entire season.
The Wrong ManAnother transfer, another useless lump. I make that four on the books, now that Palace have secured the loan signing of Craig Beattie from West Brom. My heart did a little flutter when I saw the headline "Palace swoop for Beattie" - daring to hope we'd got the good Beattie (aka Sheffield United's James) but alas, we're to make do with The Rubbish Beattie. Still, he's signed in time for Saturday's game with Ipswich! Rejoice! Earlier on today Warnock did go some way to making his transfer policy look half-decent when he made eyes at half the Arsenal reserve team. The way they demolished Sheffield United on Tuesday any of those pre-pubescent players would do a better job than TRB. Oh well.
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