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Save up to 50% on the season's most stunning trends. Or keep it classic with an endless selection of bold gold styles, gemstone jewelry and eternally stylish diamond pieces. Now for up to 50% off, jewelry at bluenile.com, the original online jeweler, that's bluenile.com. Blue Nile.com. It's time to get your checking account to zero with free checking from PenFed. That's zero ATM fees, zero balance requirements and zero time spent waiting for your paycheck to direct deposit. Because you can receive it up to two days early. Open your account with just $25 and see how big zero can be. Apply online today at penfed.org/freechecking. Early direct deposit eligibility may vary between pay periods and timing of payers funding. To receive any advertised product, you must become a member of PenFed in short by NCUA. [Music] Yes, it's the five-year plan pod cast. The pod of 2016, we look back at Palace's defeat against Chelsea and ask what happened there. We always look forward to the trip to Southampton in the cup and Aston Villa in the league as well. We also go back in time in this week. So let's kick off and let's do it. Hello listeners. Welcome to this week's five-year plan podcast. Let's kick off, let's kick off, kick off, that sort of came out as I was doing in the year. That probably won't come back next week, but it is the first pod of 2016. Happy new year, Champs. Happy new year. Happy new year to all our listeners and our sponsors. And our sponsors. We'll get to them. I'm going to introduce you guys first. We've got Kevin Day. Oh, hello. We've got James Indicore. Hello. And Ali Street. Hello. How are you? How are you, lad? Well, it's stunned that we finally come before the sponsors. It's a new year. It's a new pod. Well, you get up to it in the week and it is entirely up to you. Let's introduce the sponsors then. We are sponsored a course by Vector Printing for your print and embroidery need to go to vector.co.uk and that's Vector Wither. Okay. Correct. And JCIS, the Global Research and Brand Consultancy from South London run by a Palace fan visit JC-IS.com. Good. Right. That's the admin done. Unfortunately, Palace's start of 2016 wasn't quite what we hoped because of the three-nil defeat at home to Chelsea. Have you ever used defeat on the party? Have you used defeat on the party? Yeah. Well, first time we've let in three goals on the party. And first time we've let in three goals for a while before that. I can't think of any of those. Probably the Liverpool game. It's double. My question though to you guys is that it's not a third game in a row without any goals for Palace. Is this a big concern ending? Oh, well, we said this last pod didn't we about the absence of Wickham and we knew he was going to be out in the Chelsea game. And I had a lot of calls for concern before the match generally so I'm not entirely disappointed that we got the result that we did. You know, we were surprised. Surprised. You know, entirely surprised. No, disappointed. I had 100 quid on Chelsea, didn't I? I did not really. I was not entirely surprised. Kevin's entirely right. We lost in the manner that we did or that the result ended up turning out the way it did. Even with the fact that we played OK, I thought in the first 20 minutes perhaps, you never saw our score in with the sort of front line that we had that day, you know, you had Campbell playing ahead of a slightly out of form again, Punch and Zaha on one side and Lee on the other. You know, they put in plenty of effort but ultimately it just never looks like the sort of dangerous attack that was going to have any form of penetration against Team Mark Chelsea even with their slightly under par performances so far this season. So what was the question again? We said last week a point would be a good result because you look at Chelsea's squad. They brought back Costa and Fabregas and we bought in Campbell and Lee. That's the difference. But the thing about the striker is it's been a problem all season but it's only really the standard had a stat thing about us. It's only when you realise that Wickham's the only striker that's actually scored. And that was what ends with the penalty that you kind of realise well, it's fantastic. It's amazing that we've done so well without the answer, but it's got to be addressed. But as we've said week in week out, the big problem is do you go for a temporary solution in January? Do you go for an aliboil solution or do you sit it out and think, well, we're not going to go down? Let's see how well we can do and try and get goals for me or something that's got to be done. Well, it did show as well how transformative Kebai has been this season, how much of an influence. He has as soon as you take out that team, albeit that James McConaughey has been fantastic for Palace since he arrived, apart from perhaps on Sunday. He looked a shade of his former self and Jevonak is not Kebai, I mean, it's obvious and it goes without saying but it really is a position in which Kebai's influence is very much needed now and for that reason, you know, he's not going to be able to play all 38 canes because suspensions will happen if you're that sort of combative midfield. That you will pick up injuries if you've failed as persistently as he is. Kebai will get another five yellows for you in a season, he'll get an amateur suspension. Easily so you then you need options and I've read quite a lot on Twitter about Palace fans saying, well, you know, the striker has to be the priority and I completely agree that we do need another striker but I think more body is needed in that central midfield berth as well. I agree. No, totally, I mean, I think that's where we're lacking a lot, we're lacking, we're really Miss Kebai obviously but there's nobody there to fill in any role in that midfield play, so it just looks like headless chicken. Well, that's why of all the inevitably we're going to get linked with players because we've got money and because we're, you know, a more attractive proposition for other players to come to. Shelby is the most interesting one for me, the one, if I had to pick one player to come to Palace this window, I mean, John Joe Shelby, he's a part of your body through a cholen and they both really like each other and also he's a proper dynamic midfield play and even if he wasn't getting in the first team, if you got the car from Kebai and you got Shelby as well, he was a goalscore in midfield and he's really, really positive, he's always looking to go forward, always looking to hit a forward pass and that's exactly the sort of play we need. My instinct is that we should try and get through the season, some point spending taking risk on the striker now, unless although, I mean, the added by all thing, which has come up in the last 24 hours, I think does make sense if we're talking about getting on a paper play basis till the end of the season, that would be fine. But I think, I think, Jamie's right, I think the taken midfield player is the best option to go forward. The added by a lot of Palace fans have been vocally against that by all signing for Palace. Would you guys feel the same way, Andy? I'd like to tap in if for another reason to see the absolute meltdown amongst my staff. Andy does, does translate, I mean, the guy has, you know, there's, there's no doubt that he has some pedigree, there's no doubt that in the first few months every cup that he's been at, that he's performed, obviously you would not want to sign the guy on a four-year deal, you wouldn't even want to sign him properly on a one and a half year deal, but if you get him for six months to the end of the season while you're identifying other targets in the summer window and if you just ensure that you're paying him based on, you know, the games that he's playing and incentivise him to go and play matches and to score, I don't see why it would be that huge an issue. I mean, people spoke before he joined us of how Shamak supposedly had some sort of purported attitude, attitude problems and he's managed to fit in fairly well, there's, despite the fact that added by all has always disrupted for moves and despite the fact that he has then ended up leaving a lot of clubs with a lot of acrimony, there's no sort of suggestion that in the first six months or 12 months with those clubs that he was falling out with the dressing rooms or that other players didn't like him or considered him to be, you know, a bit of a bad egg. So I think he tends to see a little bit of oversimplification from some fans on the sort of added by all issues and I think it'd be a great short-term signing. I think there's a no-lose situation, I mean they tried to get him, Pargy was really, really keen to get him in the last transfer window and so obviously he rates him, he's not Sonogo, he's a proven Premier League goalscorer, if he only got you three goals for the rest of the season, that's three more than the strikers have got already and if all we're doing is paying his wages, I can't see where the problem would be, he's a proper player and also he's a sort of player that other players would go, well he's, you know, he's an international, he's a proven goalscorer in a Premier League level, I can't understand why Palace fans would be, and you have to trust the recruitment press, you have to trust Pargy in Paris, the days are long gone when we just stick a pin in a map and buy a player from wherever the pin lands, we've got a proper recruitment policy there, they're not going to bring anyone in, they've taught so long and hard, the players have taught long and hard about how there's a certain sort of player at Palace in the dressing room and they might disrupt that, Kebai hasn't disrupted it and Kebai is somebody who didn't have a brilliant reputation for being, you know, Mr. Friend the Mr. Mix it with the rest of the players, and he's earning a lot more than some of the players in that, absolutely, yes, so I bring, we need a solution and I'd rather go down the other by all route and pay 15 million quid for Charlie Austin now, I mean find by him in the summer and integrate him in over a close season, but... Wouldn't it be free in the summer, I think, wouldn't it? Well, for me it makes more sense, I don't know what's in school in the Premier League, but he's been playing in the championship when he's been playing, I think it would take Austin six weeks to get back to full Premier League fitness, by that time the season's more or less over, right? I think your point earlier about getting Shelby and Matilda is interesting, because like you say, one of our strikers has scored a goal and that was a penalty, our system actually, the way we play, maybe he relies more on midfielders, taking midfielders, like Shelby, breaking forward and scoring goals, James, like maybe actually that's the way Austin's team is. Exactly, but I think we've gained some like Adam Iori, he's proven, and also he will send shivers down some defenders by actually, you know, he's there, he's got a presence and I think he will raise the game of the players around him, there'll be a target there that people know can score and I think he will, and the other thing as well, he's been in the wilderness a little bit, I think he, look, he's a football, he's a professional footballer, whatever you think about him, he wants to score goals, he'll want to do well, he will try and prove himself, he will try and get the fans on his side, he'll try and get the team on his side. I think it's a no-brainer. He's certainly always been one to make sort of breaks ahead of the ball and to try and make runs into the box, if you look at the one game where, you know, he scored the most goals this season a bit against the terrible defence against Newcastle, there were plenty of midfielders making those runs in the box, whether it was from wide errors in Balassie or from deeper errors in Macaulay, in Macaulay, for the goals that we did score, so in some ways I kind of think it's a bit of a red herring, a striker being the panacea to all our problems thing, because I don't think it would be, we do need another striker because Fraser Campbell is not up to Premier League football, it's like a girl who knows, I just don't think we'll ever be fit for a sustained enough period for him to be a solution, so undoubtedly we do need another striker, but I think for the reasons that James outlines, I've got to think Shelby will be here too, if it's funny. Pargy was really talking gay luck, Pargy this week's been talking about how much of a missed gay list and how he can't wait to get him back, which is slightly ironic because I don't think he'd be first choice, even if he is fit, and this sounds contradictory, but even if we were to get Addie by or Charlie Austin or whoever, I would still make Wiccan my first choice, I didn't talk sport on Sunday morning and they were really surprised when I said Wiccan was a big loss, just in terms of his lack of goals for him, but I think we saw enough of him when he was playing those five or six games, he would really make goals happen from other players, so I think he would be our first choice. The ideal scenario is Wiccan gets his first goal from open play, and then that gives him the confidence to, because he's not before I wear him, he's against Nuke, he had a couple of crag in Southampton. Well the time he was injury is that lucky because he's already stoked at the end. He gave Southampton, he had a couple of really good efforts, and one of those had gone in, who knows what much, you could say that, that's the no-go last season, but the fact he is as well, I think there are two ways to look, he can't be really negative about it and say, 'God, we need a striker,' or he could say, 'We're seventh in the Premier League without a striker.' Exactly, which was what was Amdi pointed out earlier on, I think we can't dismiss that fact, I think we've got to this point, and I think getting somebody into the end of the season is the right way to guard, I think going out and spending an obvious overpriced amount of money on somebody to three or four year contracts, not the right thing to do. Oh no, Walnut, you wonder whether, sure I could say this legally, Andy, because I'm already wandering out loud with him, making a note as well, whether near Walnut has some sort of deal with Charlie Austin, because he's determined to get into Palace, absolutely determined to get into Palace, you can't. No, I think we'll let that one fly again. Okay, good. But whatever the reason, he won't rest happy, and I like the fact that he's trying to say that apparently he's told all the tellers, he's telling Charlie Austin the Palace of the club to go to. I mean, you'd be amazed given that Charlie Austin's out of contract in the summer would be due a hefty sign on fee like they all are when they're out of contract and then sign as a free agent. If we then go, oh, well, you know, I've got six months left when I have the pick of my options anyway, I'm going to move now, I just, I'd be very surprised. And I think there are still the sort of question marks that we've said before about Charlie Austin. He's not played in a system like Palace is. He's had, you know, six month period in the Premier League of performance going goes, which is great and better than some alternatives that we've been linked with, but still it's sort of limited. I think if Austin came, he'd expect to be the first choice as well. I think I think we'd expect with the first, whereas with Adam Ior, because of his age and it's been around a bit, I don't think he would expect he'd be there, right, you're coming in, fight for your place. Exactly. Whereas I think Austin would just think, right, I'll come, if I'm definitely first choice, which he, hopefully he wouldn't be. Also, I think it's quite interesting, there's the same with Remy, it only really looks like it's Palace and Villa that are going for Remy and it would say with Austin, it only really looks like it's us and what's for them, maybe Southampton, it's always intrigued me when you look at the calibre of clubs, you think, okay, if we're in a three-way fight, we've taught them in Man U, then it's clearly a good player, but when it's clubs of our level that are battling to sign him, you kind of think, well, maybe he's not as good a player as everybody thinks. They talk about 15 million quid for him, that's a lot on money. Yeah. For Austin, sir. For Austin, yeah. Yeah, yeah. He's talking about a guy who's got, literally, six months to run his contract and 15 million quid for someone who will be a free agent in the summer, which has seen just ludicrous. Yeah. And I've been, you know, incredibly surprised. I'll be very surprised if it happened. Yeah, but obviously one of the reasons why Warnock's trying so hard to get him sold out, so the club get money for him, but still. Well, back to the Chelsea game. The other absent teeth were obviously could buy, but obviously Ballasti as well, and we talk a lot about Ballasti on this podcast and whether he is worth 25 million or whatever or not. And I think Sunday's trying a lot on the fact that when he's not in the team, we really do miss him, don't we? Yeah. And I'm one of those people who said I wanted to see what we would be like about Ballasti and wasn't that impressed earlier in the season, and we've all said the same thing. It's got a brilliant YouTube highlights package, but I think I was, oh God, I can say this. Not right. I'm not going to go all the way and say it's wrong, but I think he's not being there for your game. Because we talked about it. We did say why is it the party going to drop in when we were struggling for goals earlier in the season, when he was trying all sorts of permutations, and Sahar was in, punching him out, et cetera, et cetera. Ballasti was untouchable. We wanted why now, and now we know why, because he just brings that energy down, and he just defensively as well. He brings that strength, and he brings that out ball, the thing with Sahar is he's not an outboard, and he's a great player, but Ballasti's a real proper outboard. If you're in trouble against a really good team, Ballasti will buy, Ballasti will hold it, Ballasti will turn. Especially Ballasti recently, before he was injured, that was the only thing, because he'd become much stronger and much more direct. Do we know how he got injured? Yes, he's celebrating the goal. Was it celebrating the goal? He looked like he did it on the video. He was confirmed now. He swivelled his hip. It was a good goal. It was a good goal. I often swivelled my hip on a Saturday, but... Yeah. No, he fired your hip. But he was all right, he swivelled yours as yours as an advantage, please. But no, it was celebrating the goal, but we do really miss him. I think we'll all miss him as well. I think that's not what's good for the point. And there were two more things, like number one, the fact that Ivanovich was given a Tory time by Ballasti at the bridge earlier in the season, and aside from a set of a fairly high-paced and frenetic, very short opening, sort of 15, 20 minutes, we didn't really trouble them whatsoever in terms of the back line. And when Ballasti plays, he generally now requires double marking, and he generally takes a fair amount of attention from the defence, and consequently, it doesn't mean that everything is always having to go through Zohar. It felt on Sunday like the only attacking outlook we were going to have would be through Zohar. Tringy, as much as he puts in effort, and as much as he's got nice feet, doesn't ever seem to me like he's going to have a huge penetration against the fairly physical defence. And I think Chelsea were fairly aware of the fact that if we were going to get anything against him, it would have to calm down Zohar's side, and he gets targeted because of it. And when Ballasti's back in the side, you just have a bit more in the way of variety and a few more options. You've got balance as well. Yeah. But I also think it makes the back four defence 10 yards deeper, because they're so worried about giving Ballasti space to run into. So when Ballasti's not there, they can push up, and that puts much more pressure on our midfield players. So basically they're winning the ball back higher up the pitch, because Zohar just hasn't got... He hasn't got the pace or the physical power that Ballasti's got to frighten... You also don't... I don't think Wilf has that unpredictability about him. No. Ballasti has. The great thing about Ballasti, which is also the frustrating thing about him, is the unpredictability. And if you're a defender, and he's coming towards you, you don't know what he's going to do. He's going to push it past you. He's going to try and run around. Do his little feet thing. But he wins a lot of 60-40 balls in that area. He wins balls that he's got no right to win back, just for his physical strength, which is something that Wilf can't do. When you're battling for a loose ball in that final third, Ballasti will often come up for it. So obviously, it's January. It is, yeah. It turns into open. So that's sort of incisive. It's probably the most accurate number. It turns into open. It turns into open. So obviously Ballasti isn't linked with moves to clubs, other clubs. Now that we've kind of appreciated how much we miss him, would you accept 20 million? Or is he worth 25? How much is he worth to pass? I'm actually surprised that it's gone really quiet on the Ballasti front. And I don't know whether that's because clubs know that we're not going to let him go. Because I can't see any logic, whatever. He would go or we would let him go at this stage of the season, really, because I don't think none of the clubs who were trying to win the title would think Ballasti will be the missing thing that will get us the Premier title. And none of the clubs at the bottom six can't afford him. Leicester? No, no. It's just cool. It's just like tomorrow. Leicester. Why would Ballasti get a Leicester? He wouldn't have done that. He wouldn't have done that. I mean, I did read some of that. Ballasti was linked with Intermountain. I don't know what that was. He's like a rubbish robot. He's like a robot. He's like a robot. I almost think an agent implanted that, so. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, you've seen it. Three months ago, he answered to your question, and he yelled by anybody's hand off for 25. But now, no, I think I would be very upset to see him. I think what Ballasti's done as a recap of it, he's become more of a team player than he put maybe in the last season. I think he was very much about him what it seemed as though it was. He was more of an individual. I think that's why we had those thoughts at the beginning of the season. But now, as Kev was saying, he goes back and he fights the ball, and he wins those 60-40 balls. And also the fact that other players miss him, I think it's proven that he's a team player. I would like, I think we should keep holding him. Well, I think the other thing as well is, I think we're really lucky that he's an established Dr. Kongo in the national. If he was fighting for an England place, then I think they might be an argument with his agents saying to him that you need to be in a more glamorous club. But he's not. Why would he move? He's the thing. And he knows that next season with the TV money, he'll probably be on big wages. He's got as much chance of winning some of the palaces as he has any of the other clubs. And the fact is if he does go to a man's city or a Chelsea, he's not going to be playing. Simple as that. I'd be flabbergasted, if he may. Just the dynamics aren't there in terms of him. Unless he's absolutely desperate for me to the extent of saying, I'm not going to play. There's absolutely no indication that he is or would do that anyway. Even players, he won't move now for big money to big clubs like John Stone's Everton in the summer. They're not guaranteed these moves because clubs don't always need to cash in. I just don't see that there be more economic value and palaces taking 25 million for Balassi than having to scrabble around in January, trying to find an equivalent player for an equivalent sum. Elsewhere, we just make very little sense. So he's playing for a manager that clearly loves him. He's playing for a manager who's preferred number one system almost revolves around him in a sense because it's quite clear that, you know, Qibai and Balassi are probably his first two names on the team sheet. I imagine you were probably quite happy with Hennessy's performance for that. I was exactly different from Hennessy. Well, I mean, he made exactly the same error for the third goal as McCarthy made for the man's city goal earlier this season, for which McCarthy was absolutely hammered by Palace fans and yes, it hasn't ended up ultimately changing the impact of the game, the outcome of the game, but it was still fairly poor. I think really blaming for the first goal, I mean, I think he's got to come to the near post because chances are that Costa is going to shoot from that position. And generally always word, it's not entirely Hennessy's fault that none of the defenders have actually trapped the run from Oscar and it's not Hennessy's fault that Delaney dived in probably a little bit too rationally to try and clear the ball and cut it out. But, no, certainly, for the third goal, it was a poor error and one that if you're going to be completely objective and even handed about it, you should treat it exactly the same as the error against man's city. Second goal. I saw someone on the BBS say that Hennessy should be better that second goal. Are you kidding me? I mean, it's one of those. It only looks like he should be better with it if you put it on super, super, super, super slow-mo. And even then it looked really far, so I'm just absolutely unbelievable here. It's one of those where he's generated such power that it's almost beyond the goalkeepers of hand before he's had chance to sort of react or move in. I thought you were going to mention Hennessy's footwork there, but you haven't in that. Do you know what, following last week's game, the swans you won? I did go back and look at Hennessy's footwork for the free hit that he saved that everyone was applauding for. It takes a little step the wrong way before coming back to Saver. So there you go. Well, that makes it even more impressive. It's even better. It makes it even better they have to recover from his own era. Oh, look at that, he's so good that he made it. Maybe he did that just to... Maybe that's the purpose. That's the purpose, yeah. That's from a goalkeeper point of view. It depends where he set the wall up from, it depends at the body shape of the person taking the ball. He might have been reacting to the body shape of the... He's just doing on purpose to be a shot. Why don't the free kick somebody put some blindfold on him? He did it for you. It might have been such a good three kick that he was sold, it was going that direction, it was good enough to change the direction. So there we go. The thing with the Chelsea game is that a depleted Palace had the result you'd expect against. And let's be fair, you just have to look at Chelsea's team and the fact that they got one of their new managers, one of the best managers in world football. So it's not a result we should be ashamed of in any way, shape or form. It's just disappointing in the context of the season so far. We're not making excuses, obviously, but Kevin Friend, the referee, did have a rather inconsistent performance. Well, that's pretty polite. I was going to say it was quite charming in some ways to see that in the face of Palace putting in a slightly incompetent performance, he showed solidarity in an utterly incompetent performance, bereft of any form of sense. So that was great. I don't know what he was thinking. Freed with those Michael challenges. We spoke last week about the Shelby Challenge in the first five minutes of that Swansea game and albeit that we said, well, it's a yellow card after that, you can kind of understand the ref doing that after sort of two or three minutes. The Michael Challenge on ward was after about what, 15? But it came after the Delaney's yellow card. Came after Delaney's yellow card, so he's already got his book out. It's just a clear yellow card all day and the challenge on MacArthur later on in the half, it's a stamp on his ankle. Michael was fantastic. He played really, really well and dictated the play throughout in midfield, just a very, very good performance for him. But he shouldn't have been on the pitch and it's, you know, we would still be trying to score now if we'd have carried on that. There's no way that we could have anything but kneel kneel, but ultimately their best play I shouldn't have been on the pitch. We've had this conversation before. We're too nice at the moment. We've gone from, we've gone from the team around our reputation for being a bit mouthy and crowded and we're not doing anything like that at all. That's another reason why we missed Kabai, because he gets his foot in as he's proven. But all these, but not, we're just not talking to referee and not, you know, do no one's getting any referee. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, for one minute advocating that you should do that. But when part youth, whatever reason, probably for the England job was clearly told us to be more of a sport in tune than we have done in the past, I'm afraid that goes against you sometime. Because if you'd made the first, that first challenge, you'd make more of fuss about it, like other teams would do. Other teams would make sure the referee knew, other teams would be going, "How come?" Well, like Costa did when Delaney made it back. Of course, yeah. So, yeah, and you have to do that. Yeah. Because if referee, if referee thinks they don't seem that fast, yeah, exactly. I'm not going to call this, they don't seem, I won't, I won't share this yet. So you have to, you have to, and the crowd can play their part in that as well. But we're not, there's certain quietness in the moment, it's not an intimidating factor about Palace fans at the moment, it kind of needs, and I'm fairly convinced a lot of it is to do with the fact that the party wants the England job, and that's why he's so quiet on the top side as well, he's not, and he's ever so polite afterwards, you know, which is great, and it's lovely, and it's nice to be in the fair play award, et cetera, but referees need to be- Well, you can get in Europe, can't you? Well, you can, but referees need to know, though, because at the moment, we're simply not, you know, goodbyes are getting bad, it's not working everywhere, it's not like referees are letting everything go, it's like we're getting booked, and players aren't for- I know, so I mean, Chelsea had 15 fouls, zero on a card, Palace 12, three, like even the stat itself seems unbalanced, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, at home team as well, it's just like- Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Do you touch on the, just the last bit apart, when you touch on the crowd there a little bit, I know we lost at home three nails, obviously, it's not going to be the easiest kind of point. Does it feel the last few weeks that it's been a little bit flatter? Yeah, I think we were, I was talking about it with my kids all the way back, and we all feel as though this whole season's been a little bit, I mean, obviously, there'd be moments. But I think on Sunday, it was a classic example of we're up against a big team, it's a local derby, it's Christmas time, we go one-nil down, it's like, right, come on, come on crowd, you know, be loud, be proud, be proud of us, it didn't really happen. I was trying, I was very hoarse after the game, I know I looked like a horse. I know, it's a little quiet, it is a little quiet, it doesn't seem to have that further. I don't know whether we're relying on the fanatics too much, and if they're a little quiet, we all are. I don't know, I don't know. I think there's also a slight, the Southampton performance and the Newcastle performance not we're standing, our home record is still poor, and I think it's still a slight nervousness about Palace fans with us, and we've talked to, we're blueing the face better, you're rectified, we obviously don't know, we would have told them, but I think there is a nervousness about Palace fans at the moment for home guys, and I think that would probably be the same for the ballman, for what for games, two games at the start of the season, you'd mark down as a guaranteed three points, or you'd be looking for them and go and crank it, it's a relegation battle, we need to win those, but there'll be two teams at Palace fans to be gone, they have really good teams, they could beat us at home, so we're quiet from the start of the season. There's also an argument though that if the special Sunday, if the players don't, if we don't look as though we might be scoring and pushing forward a bit forward, then the crowd is not going to get behind you, if you have a sustained pressure for like five, six minutes, then the crowd is just going to go, go, go, go, go. Yeah, and my Chelsea scored on Sunday, that was the first time that Palace has gone behind this season, where the players haven't looked like, we can get back in it for me, it's in the end, it's like, wow, I think we're beating him here. I was thinking of nervousness, does it also feel because Palace is doing so well, does it feel like there's a bit of a nervousness in being to heart the league, we're sort of used to being down the bottom and dragging our way out and that's when Palace fans do their best to get behind the team because we're struggling, we're doing so well, is it kind of like uncharted, nervous territory for Palace fans? I think, uncharted, I think, there is an element of that, we haven't got something, in the past two seasons, we've had something to resist, we've had something, that defiance is not there because it doesn't need to be there, but not, it's slightly, yeah, maybe we need to get the Champions League to get that sort of back to the War and the Dog thing, I don't know what it is, maybe it's because we are so comfortable that you kind of, that sort of frees on us, has disappeared a little bit and then, because when you go into a game knowing that the free, if you lose, that's what it doesn't matter, it makes a big difference to the atmosphere, so, yeah, I mean, we're sat here having had three games over Christmas, we've got two points and not scored, but yet, most Palace fans would not be that desponded because we're sat 7, and that's a very weird situation for any football fan to be in. Well, last two seasons, we've relied on a sort of siege mentality, and now, it's comfortable, Palace, as a club in terms of League position, they're comfortable, and the fans I guess are a little bit comfortable, you know, no one then feels the need to be, I guess, quite as fervent in their support outside of certain blocks of the home style, because, you know, we're going to be all right, you know, you're not now worried that we're going to go down. Yeah, and I suppose, as, you know, the longer we stay in the Premier League and the newer our fans become, the less, you know, we've got a record number of season tickets this season already, that'll probably be high next season, and, you know, a lot of those new fans will be people that haven't been there through thick and thin, who don't know what it's like to be in a bad situation, and don't know the sort of etiquette of getting behind a team and it's a funny sort of way, and they don't go to a point of doing well in the Premier League. Yeah. Yeah, it actually sounds like it's all doom and gloom, but it's not. It's not. It's not. And this is one of the things I was saying to people all, you know, after game on Sunday, it's like, we're all like, oh, it's not doom and gloom. We're seventh in the Premier League, you know, we're doing, we're doing well. We may be punching a little bit above our weight. I think some supporters and some fans may be expecting more, but I think, you know, I think most of us, most of us, you know, 95% of us are realistic, you know, but we talked about this end as, on the last part of last season, when you were still recovering. I had friends down from Russia, well, yeah, I guess, I don't know, we have friends from Halifax. I know it's, we know your euphemism, don't worry. But we did talk about the fact that how sad it would be if they're already Palace fans have talked about being disappointed. If we don't finish fifth or sixth, it's like, no, anything above 10th is a British season. It's a factor. It would be a shame if the season peated out because fans are going, oh, well, we should be, as we say, this chart, you know, it's charted in athletic diseases. Well, what I don't want to happen is, you know, we've often spoken on the part about Alan Pardew. It often goes all these runs of five, six, seven games and at the moment, he feels that we're on a bit of a downward spiral in terms of how we haven't scored and I know we haven't really lost one out of three, but he just, I just hope, I mean, I know we'll talk about the games coming up later on, I just hope we can pull ourselves out of it, which I'm sure we can. We can do. We can do. and into part two. - Oh, beautiful, beautiful. - And into part two. - And into part two. - 55 projects takes. - You know way more than any better than this year. (laughing) - And into part two where we've got questions from our listeners, so join us in a bit. (upbeat music) Welcome back listeners to the Five Year Plan podcast. - Hey! - Nice. - The first pod of 2016, but still sponsored by Vector Printing for all your print and embroidery needs, go to vector.co.uk. That's Vector with her. - Hey! - Hey! - And of course, JCIS, the Global Research and Brand Consultancy from South London. Visit JC-IS.com. - Whoa! - It's question time from our listeners. We've got a lot of questions. I apologize, I can't read them all out. I'm gonna pick a few out for you guys. - Why don't you say one week, I've just got eight questions. I'm gonna read them all 'cause they're brilliant. - 'Cause we get out. - No, 'cause you're disappointing. Inevitably, people are disappointed 'cause they're sitting by the way. - Because then if folks promise to read questions out and I don't, people are gonna be even more disappointed. - Don't you know what? - They're gonna do it heavier. - They can damn well deal this. Back on podcast two and three, where we had to make questions up. - Shh! - Not always sending them in. - No one noticed. - I don't think anybody would send them in for pod one, would they? - No, no, no, pod one was recorded by him on his Fisher price. - Vector phone. - Anyway, thank you. - I'll use my wine code, I won't get any of it. - Right, the first question. First question, thank you. - No, no, so yeah. - What was the rest of the time? - Can I use your dictaphone? - No, use your finger though, be what it was. (laughing) - Right. - Things we did in the '70s. - Part two. - You went all bad. - Right. Mark Carlton. - Hi Mark. - Hi Mark. - It's the first question of 2016. - Ooh! - Well done for you. - Oh, I don't know. - It's a few questions. He says, "Why is punch never dropped?" He was terrible on Saturday, and hasn't played well with six or seven games now. - Who do you drop it for? I suppose it's the answer, but it's a good question. He's not been the same this season, but I don't think as many games you could point to when he say he was outstanding. - I think he picked up a little bit, sort of three or four games a game for a few games. I think he can't. He wasn't very good on Sunday, but no one was very good on Sunday. And he was a little bit under par for the previous two games, but quite a few players were under par for the previous two games as well, just 'cause a lot of them look quite tired. If you're playing every single game at a Premier League level, eventually fatigue's gonna catch up with you. Pargy seems to love punching, so I think that's probably your reason. Partially that and partially what Kevin says that who do you drop in for, it showed on Sunday. - Thanks, thanks. - Okay. - That in the absence of a player like punching, perhaps out on the wing or at number 10, you're looking at either an incredibly injured and unfit shamak or chung on Lee coming in if it's out wide or to on a match. And most people don't seem to rate one or more of those three. So I just think that there's a lot of unfair criticism of Jason Punch in it. - I think it's partly, it's sort of crawling over here, 'cause the second part of last season, he was sort of, he was the creative heartbeat of the team, basically, and he had that responsibility. And now it's hard to tell really where he's meant to be playing 'cause he's not, he obviously clearly likes that for one of a better world quarterback sort of role, and there's no room for in there in front of McCafford and could buy, he's not an out-and-out number, so I personally prefer him when he's playing out wide either side, I think there's an argument, I don't think there's a hard tearing up in the treason moment, I don't think there's an argument for punching out there. So I think he's punching's really effective coming in and off the thing. He's got a bit more devil in the tackle. And I think Jason Punch in fit and well and good should be in our team, but at the moment, it's not firing also, but he still brings you something, he's still got that air of unpredictability, you can understand why he's there, but again, it's a good question, it is a good question, but I think at the moment the answers are simply because we haven't got anyone else to. - But you mentioned that there's positions there, he has been played in a number of positions, and he played number 10, he's played wide, but up front for a little bit, I think, away from us. Is he a victim of the fact that actually, he hasn't really had a extended stay in any particular position? - I don't think so, no, I just think he's a little bit, our thoughts to be honest, now, whether we spoke right before in the pod, whether he's feeling, you know, he's not maybe the main person in the midfield, now we're brought in Dubai, I mean, it's feeling a little bit. I don't know, I don't know, I just think he's under the weather, I just think he should be dropped. But then again, you know, as Ken said, who'd you bring in? - Yeah, I mean, I think it's, he's got primitive experience, but the other thing as well is at the moment, is dead ball delivery is not brilliant either at the moment, because that was the one thing where you'd say, no matter how well he played, he's always going to put a brilliant three-kick corner in, and I have a reason of doing what he's posted, always a real lack of imagination in our set pieces at the moment, because we were scoring a lot of goals earlier in the season, mainly for him, for his delivery, but that's one of those. - I've got a step, actually. - Great ball. - Yeah, I've got a step. We have scored the third highest amount of goals from set pieces, not including penalties. In fact, if he'd put penalties actually joint first, first buzz, and we're the only team yet to let in a goal from set pieces. - Yeah, yeah, which is great, which is great, which is really good. The indication of how resilient that set about partnership is, which is why they're probably, as we've said before, sort of over, performing based on the number of shots that are coming in. - Yeah, I don't know what the reason stats are for set pieces. Blassie's against Newcastle was probably the last set piece goal, was it? - Probably the one we had to do, yeah, probably. - But since then, we haven't looked. - Certainly, we haven't a little light at all. - I can't tell you on Lee's goal, I think it was a very well-worked set. [LAUGHTER] - That's a good point. - Been balled out for about 10 seconds. - What's the good point on it? Is that count as a set piece? - I think that's all right. - There's got to be a phase of play. - Is it? - Yeah, it's not that count. - That's a good question. - It's a good question, yeah. - Just finally, I'm punching. Obviously, the second half of the season has now started, so, obviously, he's been a second half of the season player last two years. So maybe, you know, we'll just see him hopefully come into some form now. - That feels like I'm sort of a... - I don't know. I don't think I want anything. - I don't think I want anything. - When the Lassie and Wickham's fit and McArthur and goodbye and playing, and then I don't know where... I just don't think there's room for punching to play, where he wants to play, for him to be the main, because clearly, he was so happy in that, that sort of playmaker top dog role last season, and there just isn't room for him to be like that, and it's... - I think he can still create a little bit of chaos as a number 10. The thing you've got to take into account a little bit is that he's only had a few games this season, where he's had a fit, Connor Wickham ahead of him, on Sunday, for example. He's trying to feed balls into... - The Fraser Campbell. - Fraser Campbell, when you get out. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - It's in a denser damn panel. It's having this kind of trouble to make Fraser Campbell look good at Premier League. - Fair point. - Good point. Fair point. OK. - Very topical as well. - Well, yeah, cos he's... - I don't think Fraser Campbell has just become round. - Yeah. Right, the next question is from Gordon Farqua. - Hi, Gordon. - Hi, Gordon. And he says, "Do we love Johnny Ester too much?" Obviously, he came back from loan, didn't he? - Do we love Johnny Ester enough? - Oh, ooh. I'll put a caveat on that, do we love Johnny Ester more than his ability, and what he offers a team? It's hard to tell. We haven't seen him play for a long time, haven't we? We only saw him for, what, 10 minutes, 15 minutes? It's hard... Obviously, we love Johnny Ester cos he's one of ours. You know, he's come up through the ranks and he's a worker, and every fan likes a worker, you know, and he's got a little bit of magic of it now and again. Is he Premier League standard? Probably not, to be honest. I think we'd talk. It feels old-fashioned in the way. Talk about him now. It feels like the old pods. - By your name, as they talk about Johnny Ester and to back up some questions, then. - It feels like he talked about players like him and Bannon, but... Cos I was sorry, cos he's one of his players. We talked about that other mid-war option, where you've got somebody running at the heart of the defence, like he does really, really well, but he wasn't... He wasn't first-choice pick for the Thorists for a time. He wasn't... I don't think we'd love him two months. I'd love him to be at Palace, I'd love to be part of the squad, and I'd love him to have the chance to develop into a Premier League player. - It's... - I don't think Alan Podge will love them. No, I don't think he does. - Judging by his comments after the game. - Yeah. - What do you say, I didn't hear them. - It's just that he hasn't seen him... Basically, I haven't seen him enough of him. I haven't seen enough of him, and I know you a lot all of him, but I've not seen him come on. - I miss there are a lot of footballers who sort of peak at a very early age for a number of reasons, some, because they think they've already attained sort of footballing excellence, and they haven't really got anything else to learn. Some, because they have too many injuries and aren't able to play in our first-thing game, some, because they get farmed out online, because their club ends up developing fast, and they have, you know, with Johnny, there's just too many things that have been going wrong for him over. And yes, he's still young if he were to stay fit for three or four seasons in a row and to get football at a decent level, I think he's got something there. I don't think he's necessarily going to be, you know, a top half Premier League player, or maybe not even a bottom half Premier League player, but there's certainly an ability to become a good footballer there, certainly at upper championship level. And I don't even think we should read too much into him not making it into the Ferro side. Ferro's been very up and down, and they've got a manager, I can't remember his name, who picked Jermaine Easter-Ed of, you know, Maria, for a period. I think, I mean, Johnny Espa is really unlucky in that he got that first really bad injury, a time of his career when he looked like he was developing into a really top-class player. And the other thing is, well, I hate to say this because it shouldn't be, but his physics against him as well, a little bit in Premier League football, and it shouldn't be, but it just stands out. It's just like, we're a bigger, stronger team than we ever have been. And Sunday, he just doesn't look like he physically is cut out for it at the moment, which is a horrible thing left to say because I don't want football to turn into the battle of the strongest and the best, but the moment which it kind of is in Premier League football. Well, unless you're an absolute magician like David Silver or Santique, as all of a sudden, those guys have developed their technical ability for years and years. But having said that, again, he's a sort of player if you've got on the bench from the last 15 minutes of that injection of energy. And just like, because he can at any level, just running at defenders, he's just confused and he does that, he will do that. And also, the other thing is he'll win the penalties as well. And also, he'll lift the crowd. Like, the first time the first crowd really lifted up Sunday when he came on. Yeah, yeah. OK, good question, eh? It was a good question. The next question is from John Dodds. We can't categorically answer any of these questions to be first. I don't think anyone's going to be happy because they think that can be solved by the battle. Do we love to be surprised? Do we love Johnny Williams too much? I'm going to ask the boys, I don't know how to answer. Turns out they don't either. OK, well, let's see if we can answer this next question from John Dodds. He says, is Wilf's lack of finishing the reason he's not making the England squad? And is it wrong to expect improvement by now? To both good questions. You know, on Sunday after the game, there's some guys who sit behind me and they were all moaning, saying, "Two hundred games that he still can't shoot. "Two hundred games that he's still caught possible." "Two hundred games that he's, two hundred games that..." I mean, he's Wilf's young, but two hundred games, you know, it's a lot. I think, you know, it's a lot, it's a lot, you know. I think he should be doing a little bit better in some areas of the pitch, definitely. I mean, he had that shot in the first half on Sunday, and I sit next to JD at the matches and I sort of lean over to him. And I said, "You never feel confident ever that he's going to hit the target." And he had the opportunity late on against Swansea, which to be fair, he fashioned for himself. But you never feel that he's going to work the keeper, which it is a problem for him. I mean, he does create other stuff, and he is still a great creative out there. Of course, yeah. I mean, a lot of the chat around his sort of fallout from the Under-21 squad was due to some sort of dispute with Jordan Henderson, and he's now a part of the England squad. I mean, whether or not the manner which things went wrong for Wilf at under-21, the level was being held against him, I don't know. But I don't think his finishing is good enough, but I wouldn't imagine that would be the only thing that would hold him back from being in an England squad. Frankly, Regent Stirling's finishing isn't quite what it should be for a 50-million pound player yet. In terms of the England thing, I know a couple of journalists should say that Hodgson's fair to give him another chance, but you'll have to work really hard in terms of his attitude, because apparently his attitude, when he was thinking the England squad twice, was he came on and started... We're in a championship, yeah. And by the way, Hodgson wasn't impressed with his demeanour, let's say, rather than his attitude. But in terms of his play, I think Wilf is in danger becoming one of those palace condoms. Because you look at people like Victor Moses, and you think, well, he's a good, solid, Premier League player. But he's not a player we thought he was going to turn into. And at the moment, I don't argue he's not even a good, solid Premier League player. I don't think Wilf... Generally... I find it really hard. I don't see what he's contributing, really. At the end of every game, you think, well... But the thing is, at the start of every game... West Brom game, for example, West Brom was brilliant. I mean, throughout the whole game against West Brom was brilliant. It was virtually unplayable. Last three or four games. And again, you can argue that the whole team had been slightly under par, but you just kind of came, what's he offering, what's he doing, where's the devil, where's the fear? Where do you think he needs to get dropped again? I don't know. I don't know. I need to have the word. I just think he's much more easy to defend against and bless him. Yeah, definitely. I just think he's too easy to... I think if he gets kicked early in the game, he's that's in goal. He's soaked for the rest of the game. He's just... I don't think he's delivering at the moment. Again, it's not simply him. But he's not getting those moments of excitement. You're not getting off your seat anymore. Even earlier this season, there were times when I said the West Brom game, other games he was... Watford. Watford, yeah. We mentioned last week that he reacted fairly patulately to a challenge against once, and he did exactly the same again on Sunday against Chelsea. It was one moment where he ended up in a little bit of sort of fisticuffs with, "I can't remember who, so that's good." I think it was a advantage, actually, yeah. And I think he just needs to develop a bit more of a battle-hardened exterior. He needs to probably deal with the fact that because of the type of player he is and because of the level at which he's playing, he's going to get kicked. Velassie gets kicked to get up. Yeah. He tries to win the ball bat. That's actually getting more protection. Well, she did. No, I don't. I absolutely agree. But you have to live with the realities of the situation. And if you're not, you've got to protect yourself. And Velassie's so much physically stronger than... He's older than Wilf. I know, but he's physically so much stronger than Wilf. And Velassie doesn't go looking for revenge. If he gets tackled, he tries to get the ball bat. But Velassie doesn't go down because he's so much physically stronger than Wilf. Is it a frustration thing with Wilf? Because we know he does it. Of course. He's got the ability. He's got the ability to be in that England squad. He's got the ability to be our best player without a doubt. And also, he might argue as well because I know Parge is really happy with him because he's doing his defensive duties. And arguably, you say, well, that limits his opportunity to do the exciting stuff that we want him to do. And he's doing... Parge clearly thinks he's doing a good job for the team, defensive, which is great. But it is frustrating because, yeah, every now and again, there's just those little glimpses. But defenders don't... I don't think there's a defender in the Premier League that's scared of him. And I think the teams that we play, when they see Velassie's not playing, I think they'll go, that's fantastic. Because when Velassie's there, like, and he said earlier in the pod, he built his defenders for Wilf. He takes 10 points away from Wilf on his own. Stuggles, yeah. And that's what I said. I generally don't think. I don't think there's a Premier League defender to do the thing. Even saying that, even saying that, you know that there'll be a run of two or three games where he's got... Before the end of this, he's the way he's going to be on fire. And we're going to be sat around this table going, "Oh, my days, how amazing was he on Saturday or Sunday?" When he saw it, you know, he was exactly as good against Liverpool as he was against West Brom. There have been times where he's under performing, but he's still pretty young. I think there are defenders in that league who are scared of him because he's played against... If he's already this season where he's given him a fairly torrid time. But certainly, he doesn't look the same player when he's not part of a fully formed, well-functioning attacking unit. He can't do it on his own. Yeah, that's true. Which perhaps occasionally you'd say, "Belasi, if he had loads of people out because he's got some batter ground, because he's so direct because he's got that sort of strong style and has, you know, that sort of running game about him. He could perhaps do it on his own as a number nine or, you know, just don't worry about where he wants to be. Wolf can't do it on his own and he's struggling that regard at the moment. I've got another stat. I've turned it to Andy Street as well. Another stat about Wolf has had the most successful take-ons, the most successful take-ons this season. I guess he's basically beating a man. Yeah, but that's great. That's great. That's great. That's really good. Fine. But until we start getting points for that, all quarters of a goal for it, then... I've not seen the fact. I just announced that today. It's on Twitter everywhere. It's like, you know, she might have the most flick-ons last year. It's like, "Well, what do you do?" No, it really means he can't be doing... Yes, he's been frustratingly committing too badly if he's getting those kind of stats. If anything, that shows up having... That's how frustrating he is. Exactly. Because it's what happens afterwards. And the thing is, in the past, we've tried to... You could say, you know, because midfield players haven't broken their nets to get into the box. Fair enough. He's looked up and has not always been an option. And he's had to go back. But recently, when we were getting midfielders, we were more people into the box, so that's not... You know, I say the same for Blassie. How many times was Blassie as a whole, cross the ball in front of Wickham for him to get his head on? It's just not... It's just not happening. The moment it's not happening for Wilford. I don't know if it's any point pretending that it is, because he's one of our own and we love him. It's like he's going through... He's going through as punch and as the team are. But he's still a fantastic player, but it's just too easy to boss out of the game at the moment. Well, good question. Very good question. The next one. Yeah, he was a soul kid around the table, so it's called the massive argument. No, but that's the best question. They create debate. We'll call them debates. The next question is from Joe. Hi, Joe. Hi, Joe. Hey, Joe. We're going to go with that gun in your hand. Good. Not good that they're in war songs in the 1960s. Unfortunately, it's a song about domestic abuse, really. We shouldn't have sounded well. Okay, move on. Joe, this question. Hey, Joe. Hi, Joe. I mean, oh, no. Yeah, come on. With Chelsea coming to our place and looking absolutely outstanding, who is the best quality team you have seen as the first? I'm guessing he means ever. I'm guessing ever. Well, opposition-wise, we've got to be the opposition. I'm guessing opposition. Yeah. That's a good question. It's recent, yeah, it's responsive until we beat them in the last week. I mean, I mean, two- Could that meet you game-wise? Yeah, meet you, Sean. And Shelby's called in that as well. Yeah, I think you're right. And Shelby's called an absolute banger in that game, didn't they? From about 30 yards, I think. And also, I think Manchester City- Manchester City were- I mean, they beat three when- When? Sorry. Sorry, God, they were unplayable. They were unbelievable. Yeah, I think- I think probably that's certainly the Premier League, I'd say, City, that- that performance. Yeah, I agree with that. I would say. Is it got me out so fast? Yeah. I think so, yeah. Honestly, Sean. Probably, I mean, if you're looking a little bit further back, we'll actually get a draw against them. But that Arsenal side that I don't read when we drew one more. Yeah. You can see that. It was like a cut tie that came when we did get a result, but we wanted out of it. But that Invincible's team just worked very well. They weren't sovereign. Was it? A little bit. Hacky schooled. Yeah, it was indeed. And they blackest missed that. Oh, yeah. They were probably the best at, so that's a good check. Yeah, but certainly the reason is that City team was brilliant. Yeah. Alright, last question for this pod goes to Jack Pierce. Hi, Jack. Hey, Jack. Hey, Jack. Jack says- Where's Jill? Jack says, "Your player of the season thus far." Simple as that. Ooh. One off. One off down. One off down, I think. It's got down, I think. Oh, I'm going to go. Good boy. Ooh. Okay. Hennessy. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha - Just a look at his face. I, I, I, Delaney. I don't know. Sir, actually, that's a good question. Hennessy. I mean, I wouldn't say player of the year. No, I was joking. Yeah, that's his job. And fair play to me. He actually came out after the game and said, "You know what? That was my worst game for Paris in various interviews." And I think I'm quite funny was that in spite of that, before he'd come out and said that, I thought, was honest and probably testament to the sort of barriers. You still have Paris fans all over the internet going, "Oh, Joseph Cofer, definitely our man of the man." Yeah. So I guess it just shows that when we become accustomed to good performances for me, I think you'd be really-- Oh, do you know what? I'd be a good shout. I don't think any fan of mine is a place saying that. Oh, definitely. No, no, I think it's good to say. Why even if that's out every week? No, no, no. Well, yeah, but I think, I think you'd, actually you'd mind that. You'd respect that when somebody says, "I'm really sorry I didn't have a good game." Yeah. It wouldn't be nice if the casey referees did that, but-- Yeah. Well, that's the debate for another podcast. I mean, in each guest, we've all said something different. Yeah. Well, that's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That goes, goes, that's what a strong team performance has been this season. Good. And strong performance from our quick listeners there. Good question. Excellent, good question. We're going to move on to part three, which is in this week. So we're going back in time to-- Ooh! Ooh! That's a good result. Oh, for that book, up. So joining us in a bit. Ooh! Ooh! Oh, for that book, up. So joining us in a bit. Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Hello listeners. Welcome back to the Five Year Plan Podcast. Hey! Oh, God! Oh, God! First part of 2016's-- Ooh! So, by JCIS, the Global Research and Brand Consultancy from South London, visit JC-IS.com, and vector printing for all your printing embroidery needs, go to Victor.co.uk. And that's Victor with us. Okay. Right, we are going to travel back in time as we do each week for In This Week with Palace. And we're going to start on the 6th of January, which is when we were recording the podcast. 1993. Ooh! Palace played a Coca-Cola League Cup game. Any idea who it was against? It was a very wet evening. Chelsea. Chelsea, also. Correct. John Slark, when goal? Is that the one? Was it raining? It was Ray's common score to go away slid in, I think. Yeah. It only just about made it over the line. Correct. Colin was playing up front a bit. No, we had no strikes. It was a really small crowd as well, wasn't it? Was that really cool? Yeah. It was 8,000. 20,000. No. Any idea? It was also apparently two youngsters came off and scored the Palace, came off the bench and scored. Any idea who it was? Don't be bowing. No. They were called the Coca-Cola Cup kids. Little Londlerd, wasn't it? One of them. Rory Guinty. No. One of them was George and Dar. Was he George and Dar? George and Dar. George and Dar, yeah. And the other one was a 19-year-old by the name of Grant Watts. Grant Watts. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Coleman's goal was sort of slid over the line on a very wet pitch. 10th of January, 1989. Did we have a 99? 93. Oh, no. It was the next season. No, it wasn't that season. It was 95 minutes to the 75 of that conversation, wasn't it? Yeah. And the other cup. Yeah. So, completely unrelated. Thanks. Brilliant, thanks. 10th of January, 1989. Yeah. Who did Cockwall pay £200,000 to sign? 18th grade? Yeah. No. From Northampton town. Oh, Eddie Montgomery. Eddie Montgomery. Steady, Eddie. Eddie Sizzoffee. Eddie Sizzoffee joined Palace, 10th of January. Did you see the video of Eddie, the pub with Palace fans singing about how much he owes Brian? No. That's on the internet. It's great fun. I'd definitely recommend watching that. Well, the top man Eddie is. Oh, of course, we have on the podcast, don't we? We do. I remember that Andy, I remember because he wasn't. I was listening and he slagged me off, thankfully. Yeah. Only because he was raising what we were holding off. It was good value. 10th of January, 1991. What did the Corrid and Avitizer do for the first time? 10th of January, 1991. Yeah. Get a match report, right? You're very close. Oh. You basically had it apart from the bit of the end. Get a match report, right? Get a match report. It was the first ever Palace match report in the Corrid and Guardian. Really? Yeah. Corrid and Avitizer. Corrid and Guardian. Corrid and Guardian. You actually said the Corrid and Avitizer. Yeah. Yeah, she did. Yeah. Which is why that was all. It was a Corrid and Guardian. You feel this? Okay. You'll find out. Corrid and Guardian probably is the first of a Palace match report. You won't. You won't. I mean, you're not going to get it the matter. I like what they put here in the book. Detailing all the action of a nail, nail draw of Nottingham Forest. Oh. I remember that one. Great game. We're going to fast forward then to 10th of January, 2001. Ooh. Another League Cup game. It's semi-final. Remember who we played? Liverpool. Yeah. It was the first one. Two, nail. Two, nail. Two, one. Two, one. Oh, yeah. Lipman in school for them right there, didn't he? Yeah, he did. He's going to be played really well that night. Rubins. Rubins and Morrison. Correct. Yeah. What did Morrison do after the game? Mouthed off that we were going to go to the final and they beat us final. I went out for that next one. Who emailed off specifically? Michael Lane. Yeah. He said he would have scored some of his chances, didn't he? Yeah. He said he would have scored some of his chances, didn't he? Yeah. He said he would have scored some of his chances, didn't he? Yeah. And then Stephen Gerard, not that he's a bitter scalter. Yeah. But in his book about how much he resents him still. Really? Yeah. He's fairly recent autobiography. He mentioned Cleveland Morrison. So, that means that you've read Stephen Gerard's autobiography? Just a... I read the clip at night. Oh, OK. I went up for that second leg. I mean, it could have been 10 again as well. I went up for that second leg. I went up for that second leg. I mean, it could have been 10 again as well. I mean, I like that right back. Yeah. He ruined his career. Yeah. Yeah. And that almost sort of not killed it. Yeah, but yeah. All right. Final memory then. We're going to do another Palace Brighton memory because we seem to like going back. Oh, why not? 12th of January. Oh, 2013. 2012. No. Oh, no. 1963. Oh, good. Oh, good. Palace followed up their last league game, a three-nil home win over Millwall, where they came against Brighton. Division four. So... So, I think... Third division, third division. Oh, third division. Oh, sorry. At the bottom of the third division. All right, because I think two years before that we had the records. We still have the record fourth, highest fourth division crowd. Oh, really? Palace Millwall. Oh, OK. I think it's 1968. It's about 38,000. Wow. Wow. And we got the third, highest third division record as well. I know. Wow. Any idea what the score was against Brighton? 10-1. No, that was due at the wall. Six-1. To Palace of Brighton. Two-nil. Palace. I don't know. Kevin's closest. Palace-1-2-1. Ooh! We'll take that. We'll take that. Good. There you go. That round stop are in this week. Always good to end with a victory against Brighton. Yes. I think most of the week we can find a victory against Brighton somewhere. I mean, had JD not gone proscriptively by his book that he's got from Amazon.co.uk. He would have also remembered that it's a week, the week in which part two was so... Well, it was printed in 2008. Well, he could have done some research and remembered a while a year ago. It is, in fact, the week. It is. Yeah. And what was his first game? Don't go over a way. Yeah. Yeah. The perfect game. Was Tottenham the first? Yeah. Yeah, it was, yeah. I think so, yeah. And then we won two-one. Yeah. I think it was his first game. It was in the perspective, isn't it, this week Pard you've been talking about? Yeah. That's how far we've come. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Good. That's it. That's it for in this week. It's a good feature. Good for good. It's a good feature. It's a good feature. Yeah, it does. Yeah. Right. So in part four, we're going to look forward to the next game. In fact, we're going to look for two games. But we're going to look forward to the next Pard. We've got Southampton in the cup and then Villo away in midweek. We're going to cram in two games for the next Pard. We'll be looking forward to those in a minute. So do you want us in a bit? Yeah. Welcome back to the Five Year Plan podcast. Hey. Her first Pard of 2016 sponsored still by JCIS, the Global Research and Brand Consultancy from South London. Visit JC-IS.com and Vector Printing for your printing embroidery needs. Go to Vector.co.uk and that's Vector with us. OK. I like the fact that you say still implying that they could have pulled out. Half of it in the Pard. Did you mention Pard? You'd be coming earlier. Well, we're glad that they're on board for 2016. So there we go. Right. Two games to go before the next Pard. Southampton away in the cup. Villo away in the league. Southampton away probably at one of the worst, not worst. They're just a miserable kind of affect a couple already. We always seem to get teams in our division, didn't we? I also have Sam Aladise had a fantastic run this week about which I have a lot of sympathy when he says what better way to take the Magic of the FA Cup one and to play a full round of Premier League games on a Tuesday and Wednesday. He just said already to some of the fans, I'm not picking the first team in the cup. Yeah. And I think there'll be a lot of Premier League managers having to pretend that they've got difficult decisions to make about the FA Cup when they haven't. When there'll be a lot of fringe players that are getting a run out, I'm sure, well, with the engines we've got, we haven't got a lot of fringe players to get a run out, but I'm sure there'll be players that wouldn't normally start for most Premier League teams. I just think it's ludicrous that the FA and the BBC between them have managed to almost destroy the FA Cup in the last 10 years. And this is another indication of how, I don't know, the Premier League have done it deliberately to soil the brand, if you like, of another competition, but it's just staffed. Because, you know, a lot of fans, we've had a lot of money to see a lot of reserve players. We did it. I mean, last, I mean, the Palace have had some cup tie last year. It was really good. We played really, really well, if you remember. Yeah. And Shumak and Sonoga, I think, started. Even Sonoga. They both, yeah. They played really well. And it was two teams who obviously fought. It was the chance. This was the chance. Yeah. I generally think for most. I'd be interested to see what powerline is talking about, getting silver, but. And it might be that Pargi would generally think that we're not in a renegation battle, so perhaps we should, we could try on it, but. But then, like, you've got a lot of injuries. I don't think any powerline, I won't be upset if we don't get through. Oh, on the other hand, you've been delighted if he won the intake up. Oh, no, of course you obviously. I mean, they're closer to go. I'm not saying the closer we get to winning it, the more I think it's a fantastic competition. Obviously, but it's just not. You're not going to throw everything out in the early rounds now, are you? No, but any. So, it used to be my favourite day of the season. If I cut third round draws of my favourite day of the season, then I came from a social club in Wales with people you've never heard of doing a draw. It's like, it's just, it's just not. If I cut third round, I used to be fantastic as well. It's just not there anymore. Excitement's gone. And partly, that's due to the Premier League popularity has done that to it as well, but it's just. It doesn't know that we've got a fairly uninspiring drawers. We've got Dover last year and it was more like a magical FAQ day. Yeah. Yeah. I just, well, every year, it's all over one. It's a long lead team at home. Yeah. I just want one game where we're going to score 10 goals. Just a small club away, like Ryan or someone. Yeah. But, you know, it's far more important. I'm afraid the Villa game is far more important than the Southampton game. It's a distressing thought for modern football, that should be the case. But the Villa game is far more important. Even though they are bottom of the league, they look terrible. But it's probably the sort of game that's held as well. And also, you also know that the Southampton will be looking towards their next Premier League game as well. Yeah. Of course, they will be. Yeah, because they're not on a good run of form. No. No, they're not. Apart from that Arsenal result, they're not even. As we're, you know, Caesalunto, we'd more like to put out a stronger squad against a weaker team. Yeah. Yeah. Ridiculously. Obviously, for the Villa game, we might have a new signing or two. I think part of the show, as well, is that there might be a few injuries possibly back. Well, he said Sacco will definitely be available, he reckoned. And if Wicom was possible. He said Wicom's nearly there. Yeah, and it's still out for a bit. Yeah, and it looks like it's getting longer each week, unfortunately. Well, obviously, I've come by now. Well, in that case, we talked about ten, we play as linked in the first part. We didn't talk about one who's a winger. And Ross Townsend has been linked with the move to Palace. Right, as well. I mean, if Yana gives out for a bit longer, do we need to bring another winger in? I wouldn't mind Townsend, but he's kind of... I'd see it more of a wing back than a winger. But he's a experienced Premier League player. I wouldn't be upset if Townsend could be. Yeah, he adds some... He's off the Boil wrist, he puts a team and obviously doesn't like him. I mean, again, it depends how much money you talk about and how much weight is depending. But if you're looking at strength in the squad... If we've got to a situation where we say Wicom was Townsend and he won't get straight in the first team. That's a massive leap for Wicom would like to run Thomas and he will get straight in the second. Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, the fact that we've been having a conversation and I know Street, his face is... You don't like having... Yeah, he's a sort of player you'd rather be linked to than... He's got Dross in his name. I don't think he would... But you'd be more excited about him coming in, Camari Gray, for example, from... Yeah. I'd rather we were buying fully fledged Premier League players than potentially good squad players. I'd rather be buying people that could go straight to the first team. Well, when we need them, because we've got players out injured. So we do need players... Also, Townsend strikes at a boy or he strikes with a sort of player that would repay somebody's faith in him to get back in. I mean, somebody who wants to get his England place back, I'd think that'd be a good buy. Again, it depends on if you pay $5 billion or $25 billion. But you think he's first trying to get rid of him? Yeah. Then you'd think maybe I'd get him fairly. Yeah. I mean, there is... He had that big bust up didn't he? So the details of which I think were clearly worse than... Because obviously Pochtino is not being in the squad, I think, like the team to the most part. But Tim Show would like to him side. Well, he's astonishing the average. He really is. I mean, yes, he's better than Jerome Thomas. But frankly, I'm probably fitter than Jerome Thomas right now. Well, he's not... He's just... He's just... He's a slower Theo walkout. He just knocks and runs. I don't want to... No, not for me. I think... I think... I don't... He's not... He's not a straightforward... He's not a replacement for Yannick. No, no way. No way, no way. But... He's a squad player, isn't he? He's a squad player. But I think... I think there's goals in goals. I think defensively you'll do a really good job as well. He's covered. He's covered. But he's probably better than our other squad players. Well, yeah. Absolutely. He's better than Trevor Lee. But that's what... And that's the debate we've had virtually every poll about the strength of that squad. He's not going to come here to sit on the bench shortly. If he wants to win back a place in England... Yeah, great. By the time of the year... But that's what you want. Yeah, if he's good enough to win a place in the team ahead of Zaha and Balassian, I don't think that he's better than me, frankly. Yeah, but if he's willing to come and you've got a player who's going to fight for his place and that's exactly what he wants. You don't want squad players that are happy to sit there and take the money and panic if they do get picked. Well, I just think he's better than... Well, I give him the seal of disapproval. Well, I've got to think he's going to be a slot machine. He's going to be a slot machine. I think Will's game. I think accidentally, JD's probably put his finger on something there. I'll play that as far as I can. You're basically, is he better than the squad players we've got? Yes, he is. Yeah. So, it's got to be... It's got to be... I think that the last winger that Andy slagged off was Sacco minutes before he scored the win against Aston Millis. That's true. Well, Sacco's an interesting one, because Pardee was, again, really talking him up and talking about how important he is to get him back fit. So, clearly, Sacco's a good player. And, again, Sacco's got that physical strength that would be lacking a little bit. Definitely. The last he has that other players have it. And that directness of the last he's got is where he's done it. Yeah. And I think the thing is, as Andy said, we're seventh in the Premier League despite injury troubles, lack of goals. So, just imagine how good things are going to be when they get resolved. Yeah. Well, I've never had Josh Townsend in the team. And also... But he probably won't gain the team. This is the whole point. Yeah. He won't. Brilliant. I mean, goodbye, because he will raise, hopefully he'll raise... I mean, look at Wilf. If he gets Andrew Townsend way in the wings, it might give him the little. Because if you're only buying players to replace the first team, you wouldn't buy him, will he? Because the first team and the first team, because he likes them, they're going to pick them every week. So, the logic is, you don't only have the first team. Really? What's the only way around you? I'd rather have Andy Townsend, frankly. Oh, it was way for you to make a joke. I knew you would make that joke. But if you look at the last two seasons, there's no reason to expect... We improved fantastically the last two seasons. If we do that again this season, it's going to be a fantastic spring. So, I think we should be looking up. I agree. And I think you can see from the caliber of players we're linked with the... Apartment. Yeah. But you said... I think you said... I don't know if we even started the pod when you came into that. We took the players, we were linked with the last... Last January. Yeah. Well, the one with January, it was March and... Sonogo and Lee. The players, you know, even Townsend, Shelby. Yeah. Added by you all. Remi. Remi, they're much better players. Yeah. Okay. So, just lastly on Aston Miller then. Home win. Oh. What beat were at home? Yeah. No, I mean... For that... No. In times gone by, it sort of gave me a go. If you ever want to break a losing streak, but I just think that they're there for the take. If we don't beat them, it's entirely down to us. Not down to them. Well, you're hanging on the back. Yeah. They are by far the worst team of the league. Yeah. Because the table doesn't like it. And you can't. And if we don't beat them, then we've got to look at ourselves. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. And you can't see... The Americal, if they were suddenly to turn into a decent team. But, you know, you always have to worry, because I get an early goal or something to hang on to, but... I'd be... It's a lot different to say when we played Chelsea. And if we'd have beaten Chelsea on Sunday, then we'd have said, "Well, Chelsea are on a bad run." Yeah. It wouldn't have been a big surprise. Yeah, yeah. And the fact that they beat us and played really well, who said, "Well, Chelsea played really well." Yeah. Villas are different now. If Villas play really well in beaters, they can't play that well in beaters, because they're not that good. Yeah. Yeah. If they beat us, then we've got to look at ourselves. They're essentially a championship team. And not even a good championship team at the moment. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's fair enough, yeah. And also, I think, as well, to get the... The way the atmosphere is at Villapark, we get the first goal, and that's it. I think that's the thing I did in the first goal of Villapark. Yeah. If we get the first one really early. And I think it's a slightly... It's an odd thing to say, but after two home games, we'll be looking forward to playing away from home. As I think we... And scoring. Yeah. I think we're clearly a happier team away from home than we are at Cellar's Park. Yeah. Although at home, we've got to level it up at home at some point. Yeah. And it is getting better with the Newcastle and Southampton performances. They were much more encouraging. Swan's here as much was a bit old last season, probably at home. Chelsea was... I think Chelsea did a bit of getting served, so that's Chelsea. Yeah, I agree. But even so, you can add that to the mix. We've injuries with not scoring goals. We've home informed me in poor. And we're still serving for the Premier League. Exactly. Exactly. Well, I think just going back to Southampton game, it's hard to predict because you don't know what the team... You can't even predict what the team's going to be at. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We have no idea where the party's going to put out full strength squad. Yeah. So you can't... And also, you just can't even predict it, which is a ridiculous situation to be in when you've four games away from a game. Yeah. And it is the FA Cup, but it's just proven to me. I was just listening to us all talking. We spent so little time talking about the FA Cup and all the time talking about the villain. It just shows how little fans think of the FA Cup these days, which is sad having grown up with it. But that's just the way that we said that would be a name for Palace. Well, probably you'd be... I mean, sure. You'd be in touch younger than... For our generation, the FA Cup was almost to be all indoor. But it was, yeah. It was the only thing you could see on Telly. Yeah. The final. And also because it was more... I think FA Cup's big problems. It went through a phase of 12, 13 years, when only the top four were winning it. Mm-hmm. Basically. Wigan was good when they won. Yeah. Which is brilliant. But until then... They only won it because they're an ex-Palace player. Yeah. Whereas when we were going up, anybody could get to the... Yeah. Anyway. On that beat note? No. Well, we got... So those two games were on the FA Cup. You never know. We might be in the FA Cup. But hopefully it would have been in Villa. Of course we want to win the game. We'll get excited when we get further on. Of course we want to win the game. If we want to win the game. And yes, we will get excited when we get further on. Of course we will. We're excited. We're just about to play a quarter final. Again, it's a man's seat. And then of course we're going to want to do it. You know, of course we are. But even even... But at this point it's just like, yeah, whatever. But whatever. When did we play Liverpool? Was it fifth round? We played Liverpool last year? Yeah. Yeah. We came away from the fifth round of the FA Cup. Yeah. Yeah. Still to be really... Well, I'll answer this. Would you play Johann's back from suspension but has been carrying a knock? Would you... Would you play against that? No. No. Well, there you go. And then that's the indication of that. I think... And also he's got a perfect excuse because he can say it's lovely to do with the FA Cup. With the FA Cup being devalued. He's back and he's carrying a knock. And I've got other players to have a look at. So no, I don't think you'll start. And he... As a Palace fan, he'd be really in order if he did start. And then he'd be... Exactly. And then he'd be able to play against Phil or so. Okay. Right. Well, that's it for... Funny game, isn't it? It is a funny game. Yeah. It is a funny game. That's it for this pod. For the first pod 2016. Wow. Thank you for your questions listeners. And you will hear from us after two Palace games. So after the Aston Villa game we'll be back for the second pod. Of 2016. So that's our threat. It does me. We will be back. We will be here from us. So thanks for listening and see you again soon. Bye. Bye. [music] When it comes to business travel in Orlando, it's never business as usual. Oh sure, I could go on for days about all the incredible places to hold meetings. Or the Michelin dining or the innovative industries that'll make you feel right at home. But Dr. Michael Edwards of Ocean Insight said it best. Orlando is as much a business capital as an entertainment one. So dive in and see what's happening in Orlando. Where the possibilities for business travel are unbelievably real. Learn more at Orlandoforbusiness.com. This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. [applause]
Happy New Year Palace fans! Or not, as the case may be, after a 3-0 loss to Chelsea at Selhurst last Sunday. The gang return to pick apart what went wrong against the Blues, to discuss transfer targets and why the Eagles have struggled to score of late. They also answer your questions, have the usual look back in time to what happened in the Palace annals of history in early January in yesteryear and look forward to the upcoming matches against Saints and Villa. So join us for another hour and a bit of Palace chat!
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