Blackpool

[TKIZ!]

[Lord Kangana]

Fabian DeFreitas scored arguably the clubs most important goals of the last 30 years.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'll always remember him fondly for the goal he scored in Belgrade.

Great night. And I'd definitely rather be a Croat than a Serb!

[BWFC_Insane]

Fabian DeFreitas scored arguably the clubs most important goals of the last 30 years.

Damn straight and provided one of the best possible footballing moments you'll ever see.

And for that reason he'll always be a legend in my eyes.

I loved that goal, Stubbs striding out, pass into Thommo, Thommo with one touch then a defence splitting ball, then Defreitas......

Listening to the roadrunner commentary still gives me goosebumps!

[Lofthouse Lower]

Fredi Bobic scored arguably the clubs most important goals of the last 30 years.

fixed

[David Lee's Hair]

Fredi Bobic scored arguably the clubs most important goals of the last 30 years.

fixed

Ah but without De Freitas there would have been no Fredi Bobic....

[Lofthouse Lower]

is he his biological father??

[Raven]

I think that was probably one of the most important wins we have had and Branaghans Penalty save was more important as that was the turning point

[BWFC_Insane]

I think that was probably one of the most important wins we have had and Branaghans Penalty save was more important as that was the turning point

The save was crucial, absolutely. But not the turning point for me, as that was in the first half and we were still 2-0 down with less than 20 minutes to play.

I think our manager provided the turning point after which Stubbs ran over to just in front of me and gave a gesture to the crowd to say "come on louder" and at that point you knew it was "on".

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Fabian DeFreitas scored arguably the clubs most important goals of the last 30 years.

Damn straight and provided one of the best possible footballing moments you'll ever see.

And for that reason he'll always be a legend in my eyes.

I loved that goal, Stubbs striding out, pass into Thommo, Thommo with one touch then a defence splitting ball, then Defreitas......panicked, shut his eyes and hit it !

Listening to the roadrunner commentary still gives me goosebumps!

Fixed that for you...

[BWFC_Insane]

Fabian DeFreitas scored arguably the clubs most important goals of the last 30 years.

Damn straight and provided one of the best possible footballing moments you'll ever see.

And for that reason he'll always be a legend in my eyes.

I loved that goal, Stubbs striding out, pass into Thommo, Thommo with one touch then a defence splitting ball, then Defreitas......panicked, shut his eyes and hit it !

Listening to the roadrunner commentary still gives me goosebumps!

Fixed that for you...

Ha, it was a super goal. And he was a talented lad Defreitas. Not sure he ever quite had the workrate required though. To be fair I believe he had some sort of rare illness in the pre-season he came and he never fully recovered from it. Mind the season after in the premiership he showed the odd glimpse of brilliance, not many times like but still!

[Tombwfc]

If we're talking Andranik 2.0.....

The fact a top 7 finish was still on until Evans nobbled Holden will define the season for me. If Holden had got back up, we wouldn't have conceded that goal (I'm convinced of it, he was tracking runners all day).Chalk up another point, maybe compete more confidently at Wembley. What ifs. We showed in good chunks we're good enough to compete towards the top rather than the bottom.

And its not been relentlessly, mind-numbingly boring. For that I'm eternally grateful.

You are right in that Holden getting injured was the turning point. I suspected so at the time. I didn't expect it to make quite as much a difference as it has.

Does show that the club made a mistake not getting that extra midfielder in either in the summer or more likely in January when we'd had a glimpse in December of life without Holden and it looked pretty grim!

It hasn't made as much difference as you think it has. Holden is an above average Premier League midfielder, an inspired free-signing and an apparently lovely bloke. However, if he was capable of defining our side to the point where we're top 8 with him/relegation form without him, he'd be on for next years Ballon d'or.

Incidentally, in our other 'mini-blip' this season (assumed to be from when we beat Blackburn at home, to beating Wolves), he played five of those seven games.

As for Petrov, in an ideal world we probably would get rid. However, I doubt there will be much chance of that. IMO, our only option is to blindly hope he comes good.

My very rough maths suggests that with Holden in the siden this season our PPG is 1.46.

Without Holden in the side our PPG is 0.73.

I suppose you could argue thats a "coincidence". Funny how when he's got injured it was predicted.

As opposed to arguing what? That Stuart Holden is so good you're having him down as being the sole difference between us getting 55 points over a season, or us getting 28 points over a season? Iniesta wouldn't have that kind of impact on our team.

Losing Holden has contributed in some part to our poor form, but as part of our general midfield crisis (At the conclusion of this season Holden will have missed 12 games, we've been able to play Davies and Muamba in the centre for just four of those). As for you predicting it, if you predict doom at every opportunity....

[Lofthouse Lower]

If we're talking Andranik 2.0.....

The fact a top 7 finish was still on until Evans nobbled Holden will define the season for me. If Holden had got back up, we wouldn't have conceded that goal (I'm convinced of it, he was tracking runners all day).Chalk up another point, maybe compete more confidently at Wembley. What ifs. We showed in good chunks we're good enough to compete towards the top rather than the bottom.

And its not been relentlessly, mind-numbingly boring. For that I'm eternally grateful.

You are right in that Holden getting injured was the turning point. I suspected so at the time. I didn't expect it to make quite as much a difference as it has.

Does show that the club made a mistake not getting that extra midfielder in either in the summer or more likely in January when we'd had a glimpse in December of life without Holden and it looked pretty grim!

It hasn't made as much difference as you think it has. Holden is an above average Premier League midfielder, an inspired free-signing and an apparently lovely bloke. However, if he was capable of defining our side to the point where we're top 8 with him/relegation form without him, he'd be on for next years Ballon d'or.

Incidentally, in our other 'mini-blip' this season (assumed to be from when we beat Blackburn at home, to beating Wolves), he played five of those seven games.

As for Petrov, in an ideal world we probably would get rid. However, I doubt there will be much chance of that. IMO, our only option is to blindly hope he comes good.

My very rough maths suggests that with Holden in the siden this season our PPG is 1.46.

Without Holden in the side our PPG is 0.73.

I suppose you could argue thats a "coincidence". Funny how when he's got injured it was predicted.

As opposed to arguing what? That Stuart Holden is so good you're having him down as being the sole difference between us getting 55 points over a season, or us getting 28 points over a season? Iniesta wouldn't have that kind of impact on our team.

Losing Holden has contributed in some part to our poor form, but as part of our general midfield crisis (At the conclusion of this season Holden will have missed 12 games, we've been able to play Davies and Muamba in the centre for just four of those). As for you predicting it, if you predict doom at every opportunity....

Can he put in a shift?

[BWFC_Insane]

If we're talking Andranik 2.0.....

The fact a top 7 finish was still on until Evans nobbled Holden will define the season for me. If Holden had got back up, we wouldn't have conceded that goal (I'm convinced of it, he was tracking runners all day).Chalk up another point, maybe compete more confidently at Wembley. What ifs. We showed in good chunks we're good enough to compete towards the top rather than the bottom.

And its not been relentlessly, mind-numbingly boring. For that I'm eternally grateful.

You are right in that Holden getting injured was the turning point. I suspected so at the time. I didn't expect it to make quite as much a difference as it has.

Does show that the club made a mistake not getting that extra midfielder in either in the summer or more likely in January when we'd had a glimpse in December of life without Holden and it looked pretty grim!

It hasn't made as much difference as you think it has. Holden is an above average Premier League midfielder, an inspired free-signing and an apparently lovely bloke. However, if he was capable of defining our side to the point where we're top 8 with him/relegation form without him, he'd be on for next years Ballon d'or.

Incidentally, in our other 'mini-blip' this season (assumed to be from when we beat Blackburn at home, to beating Wolves), he played five of those seven games.

As for Petrov, in an ideal world we probably would get rid. However, I doubt there will be much chance of that. IMO, our only option is to blindly hope he comes good.

My very rough maths suggests that with Holden in the siden this season our PPG is 1.46.

Without Holden in the side our PPG is 0.73.

I suppose you could argue thats a "coincidence". Funny how when he's got injured it was predicted.

As opposed to arguing what? That Stuart Holden is so good you're having him down as being the sole difference between us getting 55 points over a season, or us getting 28 points over a season? Iniesta wouldn't have that kind of impact on our team.

Losing Holden has contributed in some part to our poor form, but as part of our general midfield crisis (At the conclusion of this season Holden will have missed 12 games, we've been able to play Davies and Muamba in the centre for just four of those). As for you predicting it, if you predict doom at every opportunity....

Tom there is a distinct difference between saying we can't afford to not have Holden given the system we play and the cover we have to saying Holden can double the PPG of any team.

To us he was crucial, not because he was the greatest player ever, but because he was as good as we could get to play the required role in a 4-4-2. And after him we have nobody suitable to play there!

[truewhite15]

Our poor form is a consequence of everybody getting knobbled at once, not because Holden specifically is missing. Holden is a big miss, yes, but had Sparky stayed fit, we'd have been alright. Had Ricketts been fit, we wouldn't have been wankered so much at the back against Sto...St...nope, still can't say it. Had Muamba not been playing for the last God knows how long with a tight hamstring, we wouldn't have been conceding goals like a dam with a hole in it lets through water. It's a team thing, not just Holden, and what it comes down to is unfortunate circumstances, sheer bad luck and a lack of quality in depth.

[Annoyed Grunt]

SSN are saying Holloway has left to manage Palace.

[BWFC_Insane]

SSN are saying Holloway has left to manage Palace.

Hmm wouldn't have minded Holloway, more proven at this level than Freedman to an extent and good at bringing through young players.

Did ask at the time whether we could have tempted him from Blackpool and the consensus seemed to be no. I suggest now it looks like we might have been able to, though at the time that looked unlikely.

Wonder whether in hindsight we've made a mistake and should have got Holloway?

Time will tell.....

[Whookam]

SSN are saying Holloway has left to manage Palace.

Hmm wouldn't have minded Holloway, more proven at this level than Freedman to an extent and good at bringing through young players.

Did ask at the time whether we could have tempted him from Blackpool and the consensus seemed to be no. I suggest now it looks like we might have been able to, though at the time that looked unlikely.

Wonder whether in hindsight we've made a mistake and should have got Holloway?

Time will tell.....

Yep, can't help but feel that Crystal Palace have done quite well out of the managerial merry-go-round.

[Worthy4England]

SSN are saying Holloway has left to manage Palace.

Hmm wouldn't have minded Holloway, more proven at this level than Freedman to an extent and good at bringing through young players.

Did ask at the time whether we could have tempted him from Blackpool and the consensus seemed to be no. I suggest now it looks like we might have been able to, though at the time that looked unlikely.

Wonder whether in hindsight we've made a mistake and should have got Holloway?

Time will tell.....

Yep, can't help but feel that Crystal Palace have done quite well out of the managerial merry-go-round.

I think whilst we were without a manager, nothing would have convinced me that Holloway was a good long term bet.

Now we have one, I might have been tempted to give him a go..

[Ianmooreslovechild]

SSN are saying Holloway has left to manage Palace.

Hmm wouldn't have minded Holloway, more proven at this level than Freedman to an extent and good at bringing through young players.

Did ask at the time whether we could have tempted him from Blackpool and the consensus seemed to be no. I suggest now it looks like we might have been able to, though at the time that looked unlikely.

Wonder whether in hindsight we've made a mistake and should have got Holloway?

Time will tell.....

Yep, can't help but feel that Crystal Palace have done quite well out of the managerial merry-go-round.

I like Holloway but I'm not sure he'd have been the right man for us at this stage. He's very much like a successful version of owen coyle. Wonderful attacking football and no idea how to defend. It can get you up but wont keep you there.Freedman seems steadier and may long term have more to offer.
Palace fans are understandably happy, theyre going to have fun for sure.Keith Hill is now firm favourite for Bpool(coyle 3rd favourite!)
It's quite possible given the domino effect created by Bolton/Burnley/ Blackburn that coyle will be back in work quite soon. For all his failings here I hope he is. He may well do a good job at a smaller team with less expectation/pressure.