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Daily Palace: Birthday Boy's Brilliant Brace, Number 9's Number One... F Off Kafka
21 Plays4 days ago
As they do everyday Wale, Joe, Alex and Dan are discussing the latest goings on at the mighty Palace
In this Episode: Immediately after Palace's 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, Joe and Wale give us their, raw, uncut, heartfelt reactions. It's like Arsenal Fan TV for adults.
Season: 1 Episode: 108
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Transcript
Crystal Palace's Victory Highlights
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, ah welcome back to the Daily Palace podcast, Portugal Global Sports Podcast Network. We are in a good mood because we've just watched Crystal Palace win, not only win at home, which is rarity this season, but win comprehensively at home against one of the top eight teams in Europe this season.
00:00:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
If the Champions League fall, that's any reasonable test. um with goals scored by Ismail Assar, John-Philippe Mateta, Ismail Assar again, and goal-shy Eddie Nketiah, of all people.
00:00:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
um With me today is Wale Bakare, a man who I've never actually played football with, but I assume is not goal-shy. um imagine banks I I'm in. No problems there. How are you doing, Wale?
00:01:04
Wale Bakare
and um'm I'm doing great, Joe. um It was a good game. It was a good result. and you know It's one of those days where you're you're more than happy to you know to do a podcast after such a result. I remember at the start of the season, can't remember whether was... I think it was you and who had to do...
00:01:26
Wale Bakare
um a pod immediately after the game and it wasn't a very great game but it's great having to do this one after this result it was fantastic
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah things have turned around nicely um to cap it off four one is a big score against team of Villa's quality like guess sort of double question wasn't deserved and then giving away my answer to that question um Is that the most fluid, creative, impressive we've seen Palace play since the end of last season, since the Elyse era?
Strategic Analysis of Crystal Palace's Play
00:02:04
Wale Bakare
Yeah, arguably, yeah you you could say that because um although we've seen a number of games like that in recent weeks, but today the goals just flowed.
00:02:16
Wale Bakare
um Palace don't get most of the possession. it's It's rare to have you know Palace with but you know the the most of the possession in a game.
00:02:27
Wale Bakare
um But what we've um to you know what we've seen with Palace in last couple of weeks is um they defend um effectively.
00:02:38
Wale Bakare
They try to reach you on a counter. And every time they're on the ball, the opposition defense knows that they have to be switched on. For Villa, a lot of times, they were switched off, which was exactly opposite of what they had to be.
00:02:54
Wale Bakare
And they were punished daily for it. um It was every time Palace had the ball, they looked like they had a plan.
00:03:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:03:01
Wale Bakare
They looked like they knew what they were doing. Mateta led the line well. um you know it was there was There was a particular part the game where he won the ball, was fouled, and you know the ball was played to the right Munoz Wu because of the level of confidence that he's on at the moment, decided to shoot you know instead of trying to get a pass across to a very easy.
00:03:25
Wale Bakare
But that ah singular um you know ah play at that time you know tells you the the stage policy are at the moment, ah the you know, there's just confidence oozing throughout the team.
00:03:39
Wale Bakare
and And they almost feel like whatever they try will, you know, will work out. And Kudo's has to go to the defense because in in in a game like this where and you've scored four goals, um it's easy to forget about the defensive work or the shift that the defense put in.
Potential for European Competition?
00:03:58
Wale Bakare
And you know the combination of Gaye, Lacroix, and Richards has been the go-to combination for the last couple of games, and they've continued to they've They've been the bedrock of that, you know, of of of good Palace performances in the last couple of weeks.
00:04:16
Wale Bakare
Anderson, yeah he's had to, you know, make a couple of saves, but he hasn't been as busy as he's been, you know, in some games this season.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:04:25
Wale Bakare
in in the last couple of games. And and it's strange to say that Aston Villa, with the array of talents that they have, particularly after bringing in Rashford, Asensio, Donny Marlin, ah you know all these attacking options that they they've brought in, it's strange to say that Villa is just at a comfortable game you know against them. And that was what we saw a couple of minutes ago.
00:04:50
Wale Bakare
um it was It was just great to watch. And um I'm really glad that for once that result came at sell-off stand. I'm sure a lot of fans will be eating the pub after, you know, that game. And, you know, many husbands wouldn't be, you know, heading home early after that game.
00:05:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think it's that that's what is so pleasing about the result. Definitely is. Listen, there's a bit of conversation after the game about whether this the starting gun of ah a late push for Europe, for Palace.
00:05:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's a bit premature. there's a lot of ground to make up and some really good teams in there.
00:05:30
Wale Bakare
you
00:05:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But It's a real nice result for the match-going fans who have endured a lot this season and haven't really experienced the fruits of Palace's upturn in form because it's been so concentrated on the away form, five away wins a row recently. So to have win against a team as good as Villa in that fashion was really nice for them.
00:06:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
On the topic of how well deserved it was or wasn't, I think, it's completely as you say, like, on the one hand, i think defence were really good. Maybe, maybe Palace in Camps was bit lucky that it was, they only conceded one.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
They didn't have a hand, a whole load of great chances, but they had the Morgan Rodgers goal that was ruled out for offside, that in ah in a pre-VR world never would have been ruled out for offside and it was, you it was a hair's width really that was playing, uh,
00:06:34
Wale Bakare
I think with Jacob Ramsey, um
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, the Jacob Ramsey, yeah, was off. Yeah. um And then there was also another Watkins chance that completely fluffs that was very presentable just after they got their equaliser, which was, again, think, narrowly offside.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But loans when they were able to play the ball forward quickly and directly, those spaces were there. Equally, though, Palace could have scored more than four. There were was that one that rebounded to Saar after ah really good save from his initial shot for Mimou Martinez, which he it's it's not an easy chance, but maybe he could done more with the goals effectively open. So if he can just get his head over it and keep it down, it probably goes in.
00:07:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
um There's also like that one that you're talking about where Munoz... has a fairly simple cross to Eze on for an open goal and he kind of like don't know if even if it's a cross shot or if it's just a really overexcited over bad cross yeah it it wasn't goods anyway very good we had a good game but that lab was not a great moment and yeah think it could have been could been worse for Villa in a lot ways yeah
00:07:28
Wale Bakare
yeah
00:07:37
Wale Bakare
totally I don't know. I think he got caught in two minds. He just wasn't sure what he wanted to do.
Man of the Match Debate
00:07:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Two goals on the day were, of course, scored by birthday boy, Ismail Assar, on the same day that he turned 27. um How good was he in this game? Is he the man the match for Palace for you, Wally?
00:08:10
Wale Bakare
It's easy to name him as man of the match after scoring two goals, but I thought Eze was great in the game. um That drop of the shoulder that crossed the ball in um initially after the corner for that first goal, it crossed the ball in, then the ball went to the other side, and then Wharton put a a wonderful cross in for for Richard's drawing that save from Martinez that led to this. My Lesarco.
00:08:39
Wale Bakare
um Yeah, it's it's easy to think, so you know, give a man of the match performance. For me, it's between him and Eze, but if he's got two goals, then you definitely should be getting, and you know, man of the match.
00:08:51
Wale Bakare
But,
00:08:53
Wale Bakare
One of the things that made me you know really happy in this game, it's not it's not just the goals, it's it's the amount of chances created. It's the danger you know Palace possessed going forward.
00:09:04
Wale Bakare
Palace effectively created more chances than Villa. ah Yes, you you talk about some of this tight calls, the offside.
00:09:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:09:13
Wale Bakare
The Ramsey one was was maybe not so tidy. Viyad, they held his run a couple more seconds, then maybe the ball wouldn't have gotten to him. Maybe someone would have intercepted. But, you know, ah ah if it was offside, it was offside. If not if it's not a goal, it's not a goal. So wasn't a chance. So we'll rule those ones out.
00:09:31
Wale Bakare
But, um you know, Palace effectively created more chances than Villa. Every time they went forward, it seemed like they knew what they were doing. It seemed like... There was just that understanding between you know the players. ah the The ball went you know to that space on the right. Every time there was that space on the right, Mateta was willing more than willing to take on players. where There was a time when he took on someone practically on the line before and that took the ball forward. so
00:10:06
Wale Bakare
it's it It's the number of chances that that make me particularly happy. If the team's playing like this, or if the team is going to continue playing like this, then you know Palace fans are in store for an amazing run to the end of the season.
00:10:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah and I agree. To give Saar Man the Match slightly misses the point of why Palace's performance was so good was the kind of understanding and telepathy interchange between the whole attacking unit. They were so quicker thinking than Villa and...
00:10:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
There was never really a hesitation about who was where and what the right ball was. It was just really quick, found the spaces really quickly and made themselves very difficult to defend as a whole unit.
00:10:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I'll give it to Sir. It's his birthday. day You only turn 27 once unless you're in Hollywood. So let have his fun. Let him have his fun. let have his fun um If you are yourself turning 27 or older, you might be feeling increasingly health conscious, which feels like a good way to introduce this word from our sponsors.
00:11:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was caught well off guard by the Xylophone there. don't
00:12:01
Wale Bakare
Yeah.
00:12:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah i think it has that on me.
00:12:04
Wale Bakare
That was nice. but
00:12:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I like it. don't know where I've imported that from, but I'm a big fan. um Refocusing on the game.
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Was the big error on Villa's part matching Palace's
Aston Villa's Tactical Missteps
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
formations. They played a fairly unfamiliar rare three at the back.
00:12:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, basically, like for like three, three, four, two, one, five, two, two, one, whatever you want to call it. It was pretty much a like for like matchup.
00:12:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah. And then what did you think, Wally? Because I kind of felt like It looks like two teams playing the same system, one of whom plays every week and one of whom doesn't know really what they're doing with it and where each other are going to be, where the angles and space open up naturally. so yeah what think? Do you think that was the biggest issue for Villa or you think there were other greater problems?
00:13:08
Wale Bakare
Yeah, that was one of the issues. Maybe maybe not the biggest. um Obviously, with managers, sometimes you you can overthink things. You can, ah you know, over-solve or try to solve problems that don't exist.
00:13:23
Wale Bakare
It's strange that, you know, the same Aston Villa that we saw get a draw out of legal leaders Liverpool some weeks ago and then get a win out ah you know against Chelsea. I've just been walloped by Crystal Palace. And that's because, yeah, they they did change system.
00:13:41
Wale Bakare
I just wonder whether... at some point in the game, whether, you know, Emery thought to himself, well, it's not a very great evening and we'll just, you know, turn things around and go back to a familiar formation.
00:13:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:13:59
Wale Bakare
But I'm sure he must have looked at those players and thought, well, he must have backed them to, you know, get, maybe get things together get the result and and see the fact that they created, you know, they had that offside goal ruled out and,
00:14:13
Wale Bakare
They looked a bit threatening you know a couple of times. I'm sure he must have looked at it and thought, you know we we've still got this game you know in in the zone that we want it to be. but Before he knew it, Palace just you know ah took the game away from them. But yeah, of the the decision to match Palace's formation, you know change so a lineup of i mean the change the set-up, what was a bit strange.
00:14:41
Wale Bakare
especially from Avila's side who we know are more than capable of playing their own style and getting the results if they want to. I found it you know rather strange that he's opted for, you know obviously, two number 10s in Ramsey and Rodgers and rogers and you know and then you know just left the the wing for look at Lucas Dini and Garcia.
00:15:08
Wale Bakare
it's got Marcus Rashford who's playing well at the moment. Asensio Wu is you know maybe the cleverest of the number 10s that they have. And he's also playing well at the moment.
00:15:21
Wale Bakare
I don't know why he's chosen to, or maybe it was a situation of also, um you know, trying to rest players. And he's thought, well, maybe this is an opportunity to also change the system maybe, but that definitely, um,
00:15:36
Wale Bakare
didn't go too well ah you know for him. I thought he overthought about the situation, maybe be complicated matters with his lineup. And you could see you know some players struggling to understand what exactly ah you know their their role was.
00:15:51
Wale Bakare
the The more Palace got into the game, the more the player the Villa players struggled and just looked all you know you know in all sorts of worries as to what like what what was going on around them.
00:16:04
Wale Bakare
you know, that one should take away from, you know, the fantastic performance by the Palace players. Yes, Villa had their problems, but I think tonight was more about, you know, Palace players, you know, performing well, um you know, sticking to the script, i' not giving, not over-respecting Aston Villa by virtue of their, you know, place on the table, which is not so far away from Palace anyway. But ah you know The players just talked to the task and they they they they got the job done. and you know Congratulations to Ismail Asar, particularly congratulations to Edin Ketia getting that goal after a very long time.
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think I understand the dilemma that Ben Emery presented with when he plays against a team like Palace who play such a pronounced three-at-the-back system with so much width and that be such an important part of game because Villa play incredibly narrow. I mean, that's probably really a distinguishing factor technically. It might be about the narrowest team in the league, naturally.
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And...
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Depending on which way you want to look at it, you're glass half full or glass half empty, maybe, um that presents an opportunity and a risk for them if they're going play that way against a team like Palace because there's an opportunity to drive the ball through the middle where there's more space than there might be against some other teams and overwhelm like that.
00:17:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But there's also risk of getting outflanked, basically, and just of dominated by a team that's making the pitch much wider and pulling you in into positions you don't want be in and stopping you playing your game. And I guess he took the sort of what felt like the more cautious option and ah didn't pay off. But it's not necessarily entirely formation, as you say, because...
00:18:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Villa have had a very long season. and So I think they look laboured and they everything they did ball looks a little bit slow. um ah lot think at least two of the goals come from them getting their pockets pinched by ah sharper, more energetic palace in dangerous areas. They've pressed them really effectively. And I think there are two explanations for that.
00:18:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
One is they're not used the formation shape and they don't quite know where Their teammates are kind of like that.
00:18:41
Wale Bakare
you
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And that split-second hesitation is enough for them to lose the ball in the Premier League and be under pressure. The other alternative is just that they're knackered and their squad's getting increasingly threadbare, played lot of football.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so it's a little bit hard, I think, to distinguish... the areas of the formation from the just exhaustion in the Villa ranks there. Beware.
00:19:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it'd be hard to argue it was a good decision in this instance.
00:19:10
Wale Bakare
but
00:19:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Quickly touching on Villa's big positive of the day, I, when I was at university, the term Kafkaesque sometimes got banded about and i never really knew what it meant. It just sort of nodded along. But as someone who came of footballing maturity in the late noughties, who'd take the F off, I certainly know what Kafkaesque means. And that's what that Morgan Rogers goal was, right?
00:19:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
water What a tremendous, tremendous goal that was.
00:19:36
Wale Bakare
Yeah.
00:19:39
Wale Bakare
Yeah.
00:19:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean... i don't know what I wanted to say about that, Wally, other than just, wow, that was really pleasing. Even for Palace of Stration, that was kind of nice to watch.
00:19:46
Wale Bakare
okay
00:19:49
Wale Bakare
Yeah. Yeah, it was. and know well It took the goal well. And he's had a good season so far, Rodgers. a Particularly, he's been a shining light in that Villa team who are underperforming because of the fact that you can see you the Champions League taking its toll on them.
00:20:11
Wale Bakare
Unfortunately for them, there's been more games during the Champions League this season. We saw it with Newcastle the other season when they finished fourth. Even though the Champions League was still the regular six games in the group stage, they didn't make it out of the group stage and suffered massively at their league form.
00:20:30
Wale Bakare
So we've seen that with Villa as well. um But yeah, the Rodgers goal was was was's a good one. I just wanted wanted to you to say that but that centre midfield pairing for Villa is always very important.
00:20:45
Wale Bakare
Yuri Tillemont particularly has been a player that's gone about you know doing the business for them quietly, was magnificent against Liverpool the other night. He was great in the last game. I've seen him you know but doing great a couple of games.
00:20:57
Wale Bakare
But He just struggled really against ah you know Palace today. And it was because ah there was always you know a lot of players in his face. Adam Wharton getting back to the level that we know he's able to get to.
00:21:12
Wale Bakare
And every time they tried to play out the back as well, there were Mateta, Saar, Eze, Munoz also joining in, you know trying to frustrate play, but making sure Villa didn't play the way they would normally play.
00:21:28
Wale Bakare
and you know and And that's what it is about. It's about limiting your position from doing things that they would normally do and taking your own chances when they come. And and that was exactly you know what Palace did and in this game.
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i felt sorry for those centre mids. There were clearly some kind of triggers in operation where At certain moments when Seedem and Zorn McGinn received the ball, they'd find the entire front three, both centre mids and the nearest full-back, closing it on them, making it a kind of six-on-one situation that you never want to be in.
00:22:02
Wale Bakare
Yeah.
00:22:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
A difficult day for the pair of them, I think, through no fault of their own. pair good and fielders, good players, great passable, but when you get impressed that aggressively and...
00:22:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
you don't really have the outpours on. It's a pretty impossible job. We'll just have another quick word from ah never quick pause rather for a word from our sponsors and then wrap up by reflecting on ah the significance, briefly, of one man's first Premier League goal for the club.
Eddie Nketiah's Impact
00:23:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, yeah, Nketis' first league goal for Crystal Palace. How significant did that feel? It was only a brief cameo for the man.
00:23:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Came on and see if I can get up in the details here.
00:23:18
Wale Bakare
yeah
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
um The 86th minute, that's it.
00:23:23
Wale Bakare
Was it 86? Well, maybe... i
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, for Saar. And think Bayer touched the ball apart from one which turned it goal bound. Is it a platform for him to build on, do you think?
00:23:36
Wale Bakare
well maybe ah Because it's gone so long without scoring a goal, it's quite difficult. And because of the fact that wasn't scoring those goals, we saw his confidence wane a bit.
00:23:52
Wale Bakare
And then we saw his chances in the team also ah you know drop. it was um I'm sure you know when Palace spent all that money on him, it was maybe...
00:24:03
Wale Bakare
looked at as a starter and you know that happened a couple of times at the start of the season then he lost his place in the started getting the goals and Esmila saw you know as we're getting the goals I think that that was six fifth and sixth goals of the season and Esmila saw you know getting a couple of goals as well you know Gaye Lacroix, I think they've scored more goals than Eddie Nketiah for Palace this season. that That's how bad it's been for him. So ah it's it's one of those where you're hoping that it will be the springboard for a good run towards the end of the season.
00:24:44
Wale Bakare
But it's a question of how much you know game time will he get? um it's not very It's very rare that you would have a four, five, six, seven minutes cameo and get a goal, except you're John Duran.
00:24:58
Wale Bakare
But, um oh, by the way, you know Villa sold and maybe they they they they're suffering from that as well. But it would need you know game time. It would need ah run opportunities in the in the team ah to to be to say that he can build on scoring this goal. Because, yeah, he did score a goal. It was too short a time to say, ah was he a good performance? It's like what we saw with the the new boy, ah Roma and Esay, the other day. He got a goal and we've we've barely seen him afterwards. So, you know, you get the goal.
00:25:36
Wale Bakare
It doesn't necessarily, you know, turn out to be the springboard to bigger things. but You're hoping that's what it will be for Edin Katia. But I'm happy for him that he got the goal. I'm sure will do.
00:25:48
Wale Bakare
His confidence a world of good. And we'll see what happens moving forward.
00:25:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think it he's actually further away from the starting XI than he was before the match, given the performance of Eze,
00:26:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Saar and Mateta, with Mateta and Saar both getting goals and Eze playing fantastically. it's actually I actually in the worst position a way, but it does at least...
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
relieves some of the pressure you'd think.
Closing Remarks
00:26:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure that player's on your mind to have not got a league goal after all that money being spent on you as Nketiah. I would suggest that the reaction of the teammates um after he scored that goal, it's just that it was playing on his mind and something they were aware of and they were all really relieved and pleased for him when it went in.
00:26:37
Wale Bakare
Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Although, when there's one position for striker in the team and your strike partner, but also your rival, is celebrating so enthusiastically, as Mateta was, when you score, it does suggest that they don't feel their position massively under threat.
00:26:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would feel it's either but you know nice still it can only help him it can only help him and that's what we've got time for today if you've enjoyed listening give us a five star review that can only help us we'll be back again tomorrow thank you for joining me Wiley
00:27:21
Wale Bakare
Many thanks to you, Joe. Always a pleasure.
00:27:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
and thank you for listening until tomorrow goodbye