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Crystal Palace Fan View: Deja Vu as Eagles concede another late goal

Roy Hodgson has to be questioned for his decision not to make any changes as the game neared its conclusion
Roy Hodgson has to be questioned for his decision not to make any changes as the game neared its conclusion
To substitute, or not to substitute?

Let’s not be under any illusions, Bournemouth are a good side and they have a remarkable record at coming back from losing positions. But how many times is this going to happen for Crystal Palace?

While both of Bournemouth’s substitutes made the ultimate impact, both notching goals, we didn’t make a single change. When mistakes are made in the last few minutes of a game, by players who have seen very little rotation over the course of the season you have to wonder if the lack of changes was a good move.

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This isn’t a particularly new pattern from Hodgson, he has loathed changing things late in the game. Earlier in the year that was undoubtedly an effect of Crystal Palace’s injury list, forcing players onto the bench who, frankly, wouldn’t otherwise have been there. That’s still true to an extent now, Pape Souare has not been employed from the bench this season and academy player Daly was unlikely to feature but Kelly, Fosu-Mensah and Reidewald were all potential defensive changes that were overlooked in favour of the status quo.

It isn’t as straightforward as saying “we didn’t make a substitution and that’s why we didn’t win”, I know that. However, if there is a legitimate threat to our survival it is this inability to close a game out. Elements of that are that we’re not killing games off, but so too is losing points by conceding in the last 10 minutes of games.

All in all, did our performance merit a win? I’m not sure, and it really doesn’t matter. Why? Because Crystal Palace absolutely could have won, deserved or not.

Both of Bournemouth’s substitutions proved pivotal
Both of Bournemouth’s substitutions proved pivotal

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Plenty of points left to ensure our survival, but time is running out

We could, and perhaps should, have won two of our last few games. Had we done so we would be essentially safe but, instead, I find myself continuing to say a very similar thing – survival is there for us to grasp. However, the deadline is fast approaching and our feet are dragging in the mud as we reach for the line.

The table at this stage paints a favourable picture for Crystal Palace, but look deeper and it hides some stark possibilities. Southampton have a game in hand over us, which, even ignoring the ramifications of an encouraging performance against Arsenal, means a win would elevate them above us on goal difference. In 19th sit Stoke, a side we will play in the penultimate game of the season at the Britannia. Stoke have been poor this season, but that is not a game any team fighting relegation will be relishing. A Stoke win in that game effectively narrows the gap between us to a single point…

With Brighton, Leicester, Watford, Stoke and the surely-relegated West Brom to come, it would be difficult to ask for a more favourable run-in. However, draws just won’t do it and, at the moment, we are missing the clinical edge and concentration to turn near-miss draws into three vital points – and that is a worrying habit.