2012 EPL Thread

[Cory]

Carzola looked fucking brilliant. Everyone else made me sick to my stomach. Going to be a long season.

[Cory]

Confirmed Alex Song has left for Barcelona.

[Rob]

Try being a Palace fan!

#FreedmanOut

[Dorling]

Try being a Palace fan!

#FreedmanOut

I hope that hashtag is sarcasm Robert!

[Rob]

No not being sarcastic in the slightest, it is time for Freedman to go, negative approach in the transfer market, negative tactics and his belief that 3 strikers with a combined total of 15 goals last season is shocking. He is a Palace legend and for his time at our club as a player and as Paul Hart's assistant he saved us on multiple occasions (I can think of 3 different times), but as a manager he is not positive enough.

Yesterday we sat back and defended a 1 goal lead for 55 minutes. And eventually we faltered because it is virtually impossible to sit back with 11 behind the ball and NOT make a mistake.

[Dorling]

He's a young manager and he's learning. Last season he improved on the season before it - who's to say that he won't do the same this season?

Who would you get to replace him? Teams and supporters need to exercise patience - Palace won't get promoted this year or next year, and likely the year after that. Look at Derby. Clough is now the longest serving manager in the Championship, his results have improved steadily, his financial control is excellent and a good crop of youth players is now coming through. They're outsiders for the playoffs at the moment but if they continue their upward curve they'll get there.

The grass isn't always greener. Have some faith and get behind Dougie, I'm sure he'll do you right. Besides, this is the WORST time to get rid of a manager. Your season is over if you do it now so you need to stick with him.

[FXBlade]

Look at Derby. Clough is now the longest serving manager in the Championship, his results have improved steadily

Because nothing says 'steadily improved' like throwing away a 4-1 lead at home to draw 5-5 and lose on penalties in the cup or sitting behind a comfortable two one lead and conceding in the 90th minute a few days later to draw 2-2 in the league..

Ha ha.. Sorry am just not a derby fan (local rivalries) and if the continue like this then they will be relegated

[Dorling]

Because nothing says 'steadily improved' like throwing away a 4-1 lead at home to draw 5-5 and lose on penalties in the cup or sitting behind a comfortable two one lead and conceding in the 90th minute a few days later to draw 2-2 in the league..

Ha ha.. Sorry am just not a derby fan (local rivalries) and if the continue like this then they will be relegated

Come on now, we all know that it's the league table at the end of the season, not the start, that counts. You could say the same about QPR who have lost an aggregate of 9-0 on the first day for the last two years but they achieved their goals last year.

Stability is the best recipe for long term success.

[Flins.]

I don't think Dougie has done a bad job, and calling for his head on day one of the new season is a tad harsh. Not sure you can really attribute negative business in the transfer market as solely the mangers problem, unless you're in know with what goes on behind the scenes.

A lot of Burnley fans were thinking the same of Eddie Howe last season and through this summer, obviously selling Jay-Rod was inevitable and we've not signed someone to replace him. Our squad has progressively got smaller since we got relegated from the PL, but so has our wage bill, our outgoings. Pretty much every player is on the kind of wage that befits this league and we've got a young, talented squad now that can only get better. Not trying to compare Howe & Freeman as I think they are very different managers in their approach tactics and what not, but I think you can only play the kind of football that suits your players.

Cracking start to our season though, and one derby win in the bag, bring on Blackburn!

[Rob]

HARSH?! Hah, we have won 3 games in our last 23... He is too negative, there are plenty other options out there that we could go with for something new. Better now with the transfer window still open than in 12 days after Freedman has not replaced any of our top players that he has sold.

This isn't a rash decision, this is something that has been gaining momentum after a poor end to last season. If i'm honest, it was a poor 6 months. After we beat Man U, the season went rapidly down hill. And that won't improve at all if you don't replace 2 of our fantastic players. When CPFC 2010 came in they said (2 years ago) that they had the financial backing to produce a play-off contention side within 2 years.. They haven't spent a penny for Palace since they arrived, and they really, really need to.

From what Steve Parish has said on twitter and to the Palace fans on the BBS, he has reiterated time and time again that Freedman has a budget, but he just isn't spending it. And if he's going to continue to be so negative in the transfer market and as negative with tactics as he has done for the past 23 games (that's over half of last season), then he will have to go.

I'm not saying he isn't young and inexperienced, but that's what Lenny Lawrence is there for, and apparently that assistance has counted for fuck all because Freedman needs to take a few more risks. After having Jose Baxter who looked very sharp on trial for us and Alexis Allart who scored 16 goals last season for his club and deciding they are too unfit, despite having given the likes of Calvin Andrew, KG Dikgacoi, Owen Garvan, Peter Ramage and Aaron Wilbraham the benefit of the doubt over his management of Palace.

We need strikers and wingers to replace those that have left and Freedman appears to be utterly reluctant to do so.

[Adam Wrong]

This is all irrelevant ...

Top of the league. Top of the league!

[Rob]

Well joint top

[Cory]

Heres to RVP sitting on the bench.

[Adam Wrong]

Alphabet

Well joint top

[FXBlade]

Heres to RVP sitting on the bench.

First game and has trained with them what 3 days?

Bitter arsenal fan