Much to the delight of Liverpool fans across the globe, Crystal Palace scalped Chelsea on Saturday, and put a major crimp in the Blues' charge for the title. Having watched the game (hoping and praying for a Chelsea defeat), Palace fully deserved the victory, and LFC legend Mark Lawrenson believes that Eagles boss Tony Pulis should be - alongside Brendan Rodgers - a contender for the manager of the year award.
In his column for The Mirror today, Lawro hailed Pulis for performing a 'minor-miracle' at Palace, and suggested that the former Stoke boss deserves the Manager of the Year award just as much as Rodgers. He explained:
"If Rodgers wins the Manager of the Year award, Pulis should surely get an extraordinary mention. His success in masterminding Palace’s victory over Chelsea was simply mind-blowing. I thought it would be a tight match but I expected Jose Mourinho’s side to win".
It truly was a magnificent performance, and the scoreline actually flattered Chelsea, who could've lost the game three or four nil if Palace's players had better finishing skills.
For all the elation over the result, though, the reality is that Liverpool also have to visit Selhurst Park before the end of the season, and based on Saturday's evidence, the Reds could be in for one of their toughest away games of the season.
Liverpool dispatched Palace 3-1 at Anfield earlier in the season, but Chelsea also beat them at Stamford Bridge, so that doesn't really mean much. The good news is that Manchester City also face a trip to South London in the near future, and with any luck, Pulis' team will - as with Chelsea - inflict on them a title-damaging defeat (or a draw, which would also be great for LFC).
Pulis will be relishing the games against Man City and Liverpool, and he is probably already devising a tactical plan to frustrate both teams. It worked against Chelsea, but hopefully Rodgers will study that game carefully to establish how the Reds can avoid the same fate.
For LFC, it's simple: Win the remaining 6 league games and the 24-year title drought is over. A tough task, but based on current form, it's definitely achievable. However, when all is said and done, it's also conceivable that this year's title could, ultimately, be decided by...Crystal Palace.
Do LFC have anything to fear from Palace?
Author: Jaimie K
In his column for The Mirror today, Lawro hailed Pulis for performing a 'minor-miracle' at Palace, and suggested that the former Stoke boss deserves the Manager of the Year award just as much as Rodgers. He explained:
"If Rodgers wins the Manager of the Year award, Pulis should surely get an extraordinary mention. His success in masterminding Palace’s victory over Chelsea was simply mind-blowing. I thought it would be a tight match but I expected Jose Mourinho’s side to win".
It truly was a magnificent performance, and the scoreline actually flattered Chelsea, who could've lost the game three or four nil if Palace's players had better finishing skills.
For all the elation over the result, though, the reality is that Liverpool also have to visit Selhurst Park before the end of the season, and based on Saturday's evidence, the Reds could be in for one of their toughest away games of the season.
Liverpool dispatched Palace 3-1 at Anfield earlier in the season, but Chelsea also beat them at Stamford Bridge, so that doesn't really mean much. The good news is that Manchester City also face a trip to South London in the near future, and with any luck, Pulis' team will - as with Chelsea - inflict on them a title-damaging defeat (or a draw, which would also be great for LFC).
Pulis will be relishing the games against Man City and Liverpool, and he is probably already devising a tactical plan to frustrate both teams. It worked against Chelsea, but hopefully Rodgers will study that game carefully to establish how the Reds can avoid the same fate.
For LFC, it's simple: Win the remaining 6 league games and the 24-year title drought is over. A tough task, but based on current form, it's definitely achievable. However, when all is said and done, it's also conceivable that this year's title could, ultimately, be decided by...Crystal Palace.
Do LFC have anything to fear from Palace?
Author: Jaimie K
At what point did Lawro stop being the excellent cultured center back and become the rival spewing idiot he is today?
ReplyDeleteAfter Palace's win against Chelsea i also fear Liverpool tripping up at Selhurst Park, 13 straight premier league wins is a record held by i don't know whom, so Liverpool to break that record is gonna be tough and Palace could well end the chance of Liverpool breaking it.
ReplyDeleteI think the Palace result will have done us a favor in more ways than we would first have thought. I think had they not got a result like that we would have sleep walked in to that game like we have done with a lot of the supposed lesser sides. This result should ensure we take them seriously. But don't worry our attack is light-years better than Chelsea's and that will get us over the line against them. My only hope is that when they attempt to kick us off the field (as is Pulis style against us) that they don't get away with it too much and we respond the right way.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is Arsenal who hold what record.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest every game now and the end of the season is a potential to slip up.
ReplyDeleteIt is one of the things that makes the prem such a good league.
Great win for palace,such heart and commitment,they really put it up the chavs! The result really exposed chelsea's lack of a top striker,they've too many number tens and no one to put the ball in the net and the strikers they have got at the club have absolutely no confidence after moaninho was caught slating them off in public, Jose is looking more like a nasty clown with every passing game, the ball boy incident was a disgrace, to tell a child that his players will punch him if he time wastes,is as bad as it gets,if a person done that on the street,he'd be up on a charge and rightly so!
ReplyDeleteAny other manager does barring Fergie and that would be front page vitriolic crap in all the rags in the land. If it was AVB the mail would have tried to get him deported. But all Englands media love Mourinho because he gives them something easy to write about. He grinds out wins regularly in a boring fashion and he talks nonsense in riddles that they all slurp up. God I hate more than half of this countries sporting press.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I am concerned he still is that excellent cultured centre back I remember.
ReplyDeleteA agree this comment is a bit OTT but it does usefully serve to highlight what an excellent job Pulis has done with limited resources and a team that was heading for relegation.
Caroline scoring for WH tonight - he will be hungry to score against us at w/e and knows our weakness at defending set pieces in the air ...... any suggestions on how to deal with him ( clean ones please ) Oh dear Downing just missed a sitter !
ReplyDeleteThat bloke across Stanley park isn't doing badly either. If we achieve 80+ points (Looks more than likely we would) and Rodgers is the Manager of the Season by a country mile. Else it could be between Martinez, Pulis and Rodgers.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question LFC on current form have nothing to fear from any team cos in the words of Pep ' We are playing awesome ' and he welcomes us into the CL
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