REPORT: Prime time viewing at Crystal Palace

[ClaretTony]

Crystal Palace v Burnley report, an enjoyable one to write

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/prime-time ... tal-palace

[CleggHall]

" a wonderful, away performance" - says it all!

[Silkyskills1]

I'm repeating myself from.last week but the more I see McNeil in central midfield the more.I'm convinced that is where his future lays. Glides across the pitch, can beat a man with pace.or trickery and always has his head up.looking for openings. Considering the injuries etc. that was an excellent performance with the 'toughness' I expect from.a.Sean Dyche side in full view after the break.

[Gordaleman]

I'm repeating myself from.last week but the more I see McNeil in central midfield the more.I'm convinced that is where his future lays. Glides across the pitch, can beat a man with pace.or trickery and always has his head up.looking for openings. Considering the injuries etc. that was an excellent performance with the 'toughness' I expect from.a.Sean Dyche side in full view after the break.

Sean said last season that maybe McNeil's future was in central midfield and in fact he's played there before in brief spells.

[ClaretTony]

One point on McNeil. We were chatting in the closing minutes of the game (video call of course, not a house full) and how much stronger Dwight is now. Last season he’d have been struggling at the end. Not any longer.

There is nothing a Burnley fan likes more than an against the odds win. That, last night, was right up there.

[martin_p]

My favourite comment on the performance comes from The Guardian’s report,

‘Truly, this is a club continuing to defy not just gravity, not just sporting economics, but occasionally even simple logic.’

[Paul Waine]

Good write up, CT. Another great result at the Palace. I think I'm right in recalling that Kevin Long was a starter when we last won there in our "no away wins until April" season.

If I may, can I suggest a little edit: Ashley Westwood didn't find Ben Mee with the free kick. Ben found the ball, attacked it, won it and headed it home. I don't know if I heard Ben correctly on Amazon Prime post match, I think he said that Ashley had mis-hit the fk, suggesting that the training ground plan was to find Tarks at the back.

Best piece of transfer business we've done in a long time was keeping Ben Mee at t'Turf, even if didn't fit with Ben Gibson's ambitions.

Re the 3 coaches, I wonder if one is kitted out with a treatment table and another with a cryo-pool? The "patching up" and recovery needed to start as soon as the game was over. At least the traffic would be light for a run back to Cheshire and NE Lancs late night.

It's good that we've now got 5 games with no games before our Claret and Blue heroes all "go again."

UTC

[Paul Waine]

One point on McNeil. We were chatting in the closing minutes of the game (video call of course, not a house full) and how much stronger Dwight is now. Last season he’d have been struggling at the end. Not any longer.

There is nothing a Burnley fan likes more than an against the odds win. That, last night, was right up there.

Yes, I fully agree with Dwight. He kept going for 90 mins. So much stronger than he was last season.

And, we are all Burnley fans because we know that we are always "against the odds."

UTC

[claretburns]

Good report, would disagree with the Tarkowski challenge though, clear foul and yellow card offence in my opinion.

[ecc]

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere but the report in the Guardian which martin_p has quoted (great quote that, martin) is very, very positive and the journalist's views seem to echo a lot of Clarets' opinions re. Dwight and his more central role.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... WuB360uQJg

[clansman]

Again from the Guardian
“Somehow, ridiculously, the Burnley bus trundles on no matter how many wheels fall off!!”

[matttheclaret]

Very good report.

Sounds hopeful that a couple of players might be back for Sunday. If Jay and maybe one of JBG/Brady is fit, gives us a bit more options

[Sozturf7]

I don't like the Guardian, BUT I love these comments from them.

[Vino blanco]

I thought McNeil was excellent in his more midfield role yesterday, he was more involved in the game and his class was allowed to be seen. Also, I said on here a few days ago that Brownhill will be a much better player than Hendrick, I am now more convinced that this will be the case.

[jollyjack]

Champion and McCoist likening him to Waddle last night in the commentary. He's not that ugly surely?

[ClaretAL]

Great report CT, thanks.

[BleedingClaret]

One point on McNeil. We were chatting in the closing minutes of the game (video call of course, not a house full) and how much stronger Dwight is now. Last season he’d have been struggling at the end. Not any longer.

There is nothing a Burnley fan likes more than an against the odds win. That, last night, was right up there.

Yes I commented during the game that he looks like he’s filled out somewhat and I think that means he’s not getting knocked about as much and he’s muscling past opponents rather than being engaged in a tussle so I think that’s taking less out of him.
When he first came to prominence teams were doubling up on him, this year he’s been attracting a trio of opponents, last night at one point there were 3 opponents around him and a fourth thinking of joining in, talk about creating space for others.
A further facet to his game will be realising that he can play the ball into that space rather than taking the world on every time, although that is exciting.
Noticeably to me that cos Vydra is threatening to break the line when Dwight breaks through midfield there’s a gap to the defence.
A dangerous combination

[ClaretTony]

Good write up, CT. Another great result at the Palace. I think I'm right in recalling that Kevin Long was a starter when we last won there in our "no away wins until April" season.

It was Tarky’s first start in the Premier League alongside Michael Keane. Long was an unused sub.

https://www.uptheclarets.com/im-feeling-glad-all-over

[ClaretTony]

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere but the report in the Guardian which martin_p has quoted (great quote that, martin) is very, very positive and the journalist's views seem to echo a lot of Clarets' opinions re. Dwight and his more central role.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... WuB360uQJg

It’s Jonathan Liew. He’s the journalist who a couple of years ago said on Sunday Supplement that he enjoys watching Burnley more than any other team.

He’s a superb writer.

[ecc]

Well he certainly gave us a great write-up there, Tony.

[ClaretTony]

Well he certainly gave us a great write-up there, Tony.

He would definitely have gone to The Athletic but he didn’t want to lose his opportunity to write about cricket. He’s one of the best football journalists around now in my view.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Good reports, including the Guardian, and an enjoyable high tempo night.

If Dyche is off, he will like the idea of leaving us having qualified for Europe, the challenge needn’t then concern him. If he isn’t off, you can see why he may not fancy it, but there was no sign of that last night.

McNeil was the standout but his new role also saw him giving the ball away often very close to our goal, against Watford he made a crucial intervention at both ends, last night could have been the opposite story, we got away with that a bit. Generally though he did very well at finding space.

I’m thinking that the self motivation and “up for it” style suits us in empty stadiums, when many other players struggle to motivate themselves. Europe is a distinct chance - Arsenal’s run in is shocking, and the Blades are falling back. With Wolves on the rise we need to finish above both to have a chance. Four wins from six will be enough.

[kendaldave]

My favourite quote from the Guardian report is Ben Mee's winning goal described as 'a header with the control and guile of a Van Basten volley'. Some praise!

[ClaretPope]

Tony, good report on a great performance. However, I don’t share your view of Amazon Prime “during the excellent coverage on Amazon Prime”. How many times did they hold focus on Dyche, Hodgson, Bright, Garlick and individual players and missed part of the action?

[Rowls]

My favourite comment on the performance comes from The Guardian’s report,

‘Truly, this is a club continuing to defy not just gravity, not just sporting economics, but occasionally even simple logic.’

That alone was enough for me to search and read their report.

It's true too.

What a tonic the last two performances have been after the Citeh result and the plane debacle.