Panpardus

John Bostock penned a new 2 year deal which was pleasing for the club, we viewed him as a future captain of the club so it was important to see him develop well, after an average start in the first team, we sent him back to the struggling u18’s and his leadership there has brought them back from a 10th/11th place to 7th now, hopefully he would have that sort of impact on the first team in a few years.

Hossam Ghaly was still unhappy at not getting regular games and no matter what we did we couldn’t find him another club, he wasn’t exactly a disruptive influence yet, but his morale was affecting the team a little.

Erwin Koeman becomes the new manager of Aston Villa, he comes from Feyenoord who finished runner up in last year’s Dutch competition and I’m sure Chairman Randy Lerner will be hoping he can get his team back into a European spot by the end of the year.

FA cup 3rd round replay was next and we took on our nemesis Coventry on a wet and cold day at the Ricoh Arena, Kevin Kyle put Coventry ahead with their first chance in the 24th minute. Aliadière equalised after the break in 66th minute and we looked good at that point but two minutes later Steve Brooker had a golden 5 minutes and scored 2 goals to give Coventry the win, 3-1 in the end but our effort was there so not all was lost for us.

3-1 loss @ Coventry

We let James Dayton go to Southend for £600k, the young 21 year old has a bright future ahead of him, but with both Fafiani and now Richardson in the side his chances are going to be limited, so it was thought best to let him go and see him develop his career somewhere else.

Former Preston manager Paul Simpson is the new man at the helm of QPR, with a fortnight left in the transfer window he will have to work quickly to see what he needs to get the side away from the relegation zone of which they now occupy.

A 3-3 was a good result in the end at our away game at the Cuckoo farm! At 2-0 up though we should of done a lot better, but those stupid mistakes crept into our game and on the 53rd minute the 20th placed Colchester were back on level terms. Both teams had their chances to win and it looked like Colchester had taken theirs Boco put them ahead in the 87th minute and it looked all over for us, but 3 minutes into injury time Borrowdale rose above the pack in the penalty box and headed home a Paul Hayes free kick to level the scores and score his first ever goal for the club in his 195 game league career so far. The big concern was the state of Enckelman’s ankle, he had given it a tweak during the game and it ballooned up pretty severely in the rooms after, 3 weeks is the general consensus for the physio’s.

3-3 draw @Colchester

In a move I very much envy Chelsea manager Louis van Gaal splashed the cash for Lyon’s young wonderkid Karim Benzema, forking out an incredible £38 million the 22 year old, I wish I had that much and a club reputation that would allow such moves!

Shefki will spend 4 weeks on the sidelines with a twisted knee which is disappointing for the Finnish international, he looked in good form in the last game where he scored and earned man of the match, injuries of late have hampered him and with his contract running out again this year, I'm not sure if its worth while renewing.

Portsmouth sent us £200k today as the sell on clause of Jobi McAnuff took place, he moved to Sheffield Wednesday today for £675k, he never really got it going in the top leagues playing only 9 games in 2 years for Pompey, but he is a known performer in this league when he played 41 games for us back in my first year scoring 5 goals and setting up 15

A great 1-0 win over Plymouth at home seen us move to 5th in the league temporarily, we played well but we wasteful in front of goal and was Sahar who scored the winner for us. Both Sahar and Flinders who replaced the injured Kuqi and Enckelman had good games and could have raffled man of the match but it was Sahar in the end that got it.

Ibrahim Tall is the latest person we have signed after approaching Everton who accepted our offer we talked to the Senegalese right back and he was keen to revive his career at the club, a quick right back who can easily cover the centre will be a good player for us once his fitness is up to par, he’s shown a good eye for passing and crossing so far in the Everton reserves and I hope he can translate those performance to our first team, the fans are bombarding the club boards and emails with excitement at his move to the club which is always handy! Even though he has signed for the club he won’t be making it here until the African Nations cup is over which is currently underway in Egypt.

Last game for the month is at the Hawthorns against 5th placed West Brom and the 3-0 loss in not a fair reflection on the game really, we played well, but some brilliance from Bulgarian international Martin Kamburov turned the game and two goals in two minutes around the half hour seen West Brom in control on the scoreboard, the first was a penalty in which Fish was deemed to have fouled Koumas in the area and the second was a beautifully placed shot that Flinders had no chance of getting too. Kamburov capped the game off with his hat-trick in the 88th minute when we got caught on the counter trying to grab a goal.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">* 32 games played*ptsgd1.Fulham69+342.Reading60+22-------------------------------------------------3.Ipswich58+224.Leicester55+185.West Brom54+196.PALACE51+2-------------------------------------------------7.Burnley50+88.Norwich47+89.Plymouth47+310.Derby46-411.Southampton45+812.Swansea45+113.Wolves43+614.B ristol City42-315.Southend41-916.Cardiff40-517.Millwall38-1018. Preston37-319.Coventry35-1620.Colchester34-1021.Q.P.R32-21------------------------------------------------22.Wycombe31-1523.Sheff Wednesday31-2224Walsall23-33 </pre>

Terk

Ibrahim Tall is useless (in real life, of course). Hope you can keep hold of that play-off place

Panpardus

Tall isn't to bad in game, seems to have the quality in stats to be a decent rb anyway, Don't hold your breath for us to keep that spot though we are a very frustrating team with the inconsistency, but who knows
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The board meeting went real well we were ahead of where we were expected to be so far this year although there were the concerns that we so often let the season go at this stage of the year, we were hoping the new signings of Richardson and Tall would see a different outcome though this season. The board were really hoping for play offs now though that we had spent near £3 million in the January window.

Horrible news at the training track Wednesday moring (3rd) seen Richardson taken to hospital after a fall left him with a dislocated shoulder, he isn’t expected to return to training now until April which would see him available for maybe the last 5 games depending on fitness levels, with him out we put in an offer to loan Arsenal’s 23 year old Frenchman Diaby who is apparently looking for first team football at the moment

Back on the winners list is such a good feeling considering our last few season, hopefully now we can put those things behind and move on, particularly pleasing was the fact we beat 19th placed Preston 1-0 despite not playing our best game, in years gone past these are the sort of games that have cost us, but today a composed effort seen Gardner put away the winner in the last 15 minutes of play.

1-0 win @home v Preston


It took awhile for Arsenal to get back to us about Diaby’s loan but in the end they approved it, what didn’t take long was the outright no chance in hell from Diaby about coming here, disappointing really that a reserves player wont come across and play for a few months, we are only basically just across London so its not as though he is moving millions of miles to come play.

Kuqi’s return to training was met with Aliadière’s leaving thankfully is only about a week as a toe injury would keep him out for a few days, it means he misses the home game against Southend though.

16 minutes and I almost had a heart attack Flinder’s went down and didn’t get back up to quickly after he saved the ball in a goal mouth scramble, Enckelman was still out injured and Warner who was usually on the subs bench had a bad case of the flu so we left him out and didn’t replace with another keeper, after a slight delay Flinders was back up after the physio’s worked their magic, apparently he had a pretty bad knock to the shin which was bruising and swelling already.

Sahar scored in the 24th minute to put as ahead and then Soares made it 2-0 when his header rebounded back to him and he calmy slotted it away just after the half hour, it gave us a bit of breather which was handy, and the instructions at half time was to slow it down a bit. Flinders was stuggling with his shin a little but he assured me he would play out the game, even though his movement was hampered he had made a few good saves.
2-0 the final score and its great to get back to back wins, Scotty Flinders injury is pretty bad bruised shin which the physio’s say will take at least a week before it heals and he can train again, I'm very appreciative of his efforts in the game and ill make sure he gets a good bonus for his efforts in the game.

2-0 win @home v Southend

We had a score to settle in our next away game Burnley were the team that had beaten us before at home with some pretty dirty tactics, but we were in reasonable form at the moment so we played our normal game but with the added emphasis If the tackles there go in hard.

We did we went in hard for everything and despite going down a goal early we still looked good for an equaliser and that came courtesy of Soares who tapped in an easy rebound after Sahar had made an excellent run and forced the keeper into a good save.

It was 1-1 at the break and with 3 minutes new recruiot Tall was coming off with a rib complaint, it seen Soares go to right back in an unfamiliar position which allowed Hayes to come on to the right wing and it proved a decisive move as Hayes scored in the 52nd minute and then again 4 minutes later with a nice glancing header from a corner and we led 3-1. Burnley pulled one back on the hour when Lafferty finished off a good move, we sealed the game though when Nicky Butt smashed in a 25 yarder to give us the 2 goal buffer again and from there the scores didn’t change.

4-2 win @ Burnley

Panpardus

Wolves chairman Tim Shaw starts the process of looking for a new manager after Mick McCarthy is sacked, although they are down in 13th they are not quite out of the play off hunt just yet but he feels that a change will be refreshing for the club.

Sahar continued his good form of late with his 5th goal of the season in our 2-2 draw against Southampton at St. Mary’s, he also picked up the man of the match award in the highly entertaining game which seen Chopra end his 11 hour drought and score his 5th goal for the season also, with 10 games to go we sit in 4th place but an important home game against 2nd place Reading is next and if we can win that we will pull to within 5 points of them.

2-2 draw @ Southampton

We didn’t win our home game against Reading but I was very pleased with our work rate and effort in the game, a draw was a fitting result for both teams who worked hard during the game with both teams having good chances to score it was surprising there wasn’t one but it keeps us in 4th place so I'm happy as Larry!

0-0 draw @home v Reading

With 37 games down it’s still a tight affair for the play off spots with 4th and 8th only separated by 5 points, Fulham look to have the league tied up though being 9 clear of Reading with a game in hand, Ipswich are pushing for the auto promotion spot though with only 3 points separating them and Reading.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> *37 games played unless stated*ptsgd1.Fulham79+41 *36 games*2.Reading70+24-------------------------------------------------3.Ipswich67+244.PALACE62+75.West Brom61+166.Leicester58+14-------------------------------------------------7.Plymouth58+78.Norwich57+189.Derby52-8</pre>

I was pipped by Plymouth’s Ian Holloway for manager of the month, coming in second just ahead of Stuart Pearce of Fulham, but ill take another 3 of those this season that’s for sure!

Panpardus

It was always going to be a tough game away at 6th placed Leicester, and it was no real surprise we lost, Leicester shaded us all day and when we started to mount a challenge they always had a quick reply. Still I'm proud of the lads, good effort all round in our 4-3 loss, and even though we lost we still remain in 4th but West Brom do have a game in hand on us now.

4-3 loss @ Leicester

A injury time equaliser seen me give it to the team both barrels after our 1-1 draw with cellar dwellers Walsall, it was a game we should of easily won with the amount of possession and shots we had but a lapse cost us dearly and with a hard encounter against Ipswich next game you cant help but think is History going to repeat itself, that draw left us in 6th equal on points with Norwich who were 5th and a point ahead of Leicester who were 7th.

1-1 draw @home vs Walsall (24th)


A much improved performance still resulted in a draw for the side but with Norwich losing it seen us move ahead of them, but Leicester leap frogged us and moved into 4th with their win over West Brom. We had numerous chances to win the game especially in injury time when Sahar’s shot hit the wrong side of the post and then Ward narrowly missed with a header from a free kick, still 6th is still good, but we need a win now that’s for sure and we have Fulham at home next.

0-0 @Ipswich

40 games down, 6 to go and boy was it close, we were struggling for form at the moment and we had the hard task of beating Fulham to get back into the top 6, with the other games already being played we were now in 7th place 2 points off Leicester in 6th.

Panpardus

We didn’t get off to the best of starts as Enckelmans pass found Hayes out on the right wing, but instead of controlling it, he hit it back to towards Sodje at centre back, it missed its mark though and Iwan Redan ran onto the pass and smashed in low and left for the opening goal in 2 minutes.

17 minutes on the clock seen the equaliser, Larsen could only parry Aliadière’s shot and Sahar was on hand to put away the rebound.

In truth either team could of scored next but it was us in the 38th minute when Enckelman launched one from the back from a free kick, Sahar was at the drop and out jumped Volz to flick it on over the back, Fafiani was in the clear and he his shot was put away under the flailing keeper for his first goal of the year.

Butt had a chance to make it 3-1 in injury time but his shot grazed the crossbar and went over.

We just needed to keep doing what we were doing was the message at the break and we had the confidence, we were leading the league leaders at the break and playing well, Fulham levelled the scores in the 51st minute, Redan had a cracking shot which Enckelman did well to get to in a diving save, the rebound fell to John who was on the edge of the box just right of centre, his drive left us no chance, 2-2.

Sahar was looking dangerous, he had a few chances and made a couple runs but a truly fantastic effort put us ahead with 21 left on the clock, I don’t think anyone expected the shot and even if they did they wouldn’t have stopped it, a 30 yard pile driver that went dead straight smashed into the top left of the goals, it was Sahar’s tenth of the season.

6 minutes later Wiggins picked up the loose ball and sent it down the left which Sahar picked up, Ben cut back inside going past Juhász in the process and made his diagonal run at goal, a curling effort went across the keeper and into the right side of the goals and Ben was off celebrating a magnificent hat-trick, its hard to believe he was playing reserves a month or so back and now here he is banging them in from everywhere.

Deep in injury the game was finished off as Faf scored his second for the night and season as he headed home Wiggins corner to see the final score of 5-2, a magnificent effort by the team and in particular Ben Sahar.

5 games to play now and we were in 5th.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">ptsgd3.Ipswich 72+244.West Brom70+195.PALACE 67+96.Norwich 66+22----------------------------------------7.Leicester66+16</pre>

We had a 2 week break now for internationals our next game would be our second last at home against Bristol City on the 3rd of April

A few contractual deals to do at the end of the month seen fitness coach Ed Baranowski, goalkeeping coach Tony Burns and youth coach Darren Hare all have 3 year offers sent to them, basically just a formality and we expected them to sign pretty quickly.

As far as players went we sent out offers to keeper Scott Flinders and defensive midfielder Flo N’Galula both 3 year deals, but we decided against offering Shefki Kuqi and Nicky Butt anything yet.

The monthly board meeting seen me offered with a new 4 year contract but I said lets wait and see what happens at the end of the season, I think Simon was a little disappointed but he seemed fine when I said I wouldn’t even entertain any offers to other clubs until my contract here sorted one way or the other.

Benny Sahar’s month of football earned him player of the month and a much deserved award it was indeed in which he also picked up goal of the month for that effort against Fulham, while Godwin Antwi continued his domination on the young player award with his fourth in a row and 5th for the year. Stuart Pearce picked up the honours for manager of the month despite losing the last game to us.

Panpardus

I was hoping to do better in our second last home game for the year, not counting playoff’s, but we will have to suffice with a boring 0-0 draw that keeps us in 5th place, thankfully we have no injuries in the game and everyone came through without too much soreness as we only have a days rest before we take on arch rivals Millwall on Monday.

0-0 @home v Bristol City

A goal in the 38th minute from Pearce for Millwall was enough to sink us, backing up from a day’s rest we looked pretty flat for the first 70 minutes and with only 20 to play we started to look a little more dangerous but Millwall to their credit defended well and ran out winners, disappointing result but were still in the hunt for the playoffs

1-0 loss @Millwall

Goals within minutes at the start of both halves were enough for 23rd place Sheffield Wednesday to grab a win over us and more or less sink our play off hopes, we needed results to go our way now as we sat 2 points behind Norwich who now had the last play off spot. We only had ourselves to blame, people like Gardner and Hayes and Sodje were down in Spirits and it affected the whole team, they were banished to the reserves and told to get the heads out of the arses, except for Sodje as we couldn’t afford to lose his influence at the back.

2-1 loss @Sheff Wednesday

With a two way break it gave us a chance to regroup, a few of the senior players were sent to the reserves in a bid to get their spirits up, the reserves team was flying once again after a very slow start in which they were in the last 5 after two months they had stormed back into contention and currently led the group 6 tables.

A 9-0 victory against the Oxford reserves seen the spirits soar as you can imagine and followed by a good 5-4 win over Millwall reserves seen the players come back to first team with a bit more hope and exuberance.

We really needed a good performance, Norwich had played the day before and a win had seen them skip 5 points clear, if we failed to win the play off dreams were over, but the team responded in the best possible way, a 5-0 drubbing in front of TV audience seen that we were still alive with a game to go, even though we had only beaten already confirmed relegation side Wycombe is was what we needed.

5-0 win over Wycombe at home

Our last game would see us take on Q.P.R at Loftus road who were struggling at the bottom of the tables while, Norwich had to travel to Wales to take on Swansea whose form so far this year didn’t have too many draws, 19 wins, 8 draws and 18 losses indicated that they generally went for everything, we needed them to win a draw would see Norwich through on goal difference as we couldn’t make up 11 goals, the equation was simple we had to win and they had to lose.

Panpardus

Last Game away at Loftus Road versus QPR

A nerve racking first half seen us come in at the break all square, there was no point sitting back and wondering now, we had to go for it, all out attack lads until we score and then its defend, defend, defend!

63 minutes seen the bench go up as one, Aliadière squared it across and Richardson drove it back across the keeper and into the back of the net to give us the lead, we were doing our part now we needed Swansea to do theirs, Scores filtered back that it was still 0-0 there.

We sat back a little which in hindsight might have been a mistake as Q.P.R who had done nothing too much in the hour before hand started to pile on the pressure.

With 70 minutes on our clock I received news the Swansea had taken the lead, we were in the playoffs if the scores remained the same.

Back at our game though QPR were relentless in their attacks, and we were defending desperately, we were time wasting with the best of them, I stretched out my subs in the last 8 minutes of play trying to milk the clock of time. The whistle blew we had held on 1-0 the final score here at Loftus.

Swansea were still leading Norwich at White Rock Stadium and it was deep in injury time, Norwich had been peppering shots on Swansea’s goal for the last half hour, much as QPR had done to ours.

I was desperately hoping for a the full time whistle to go, but it wasn’t the end of the game the whistle blew for next, it was to signal the restart after Marcus Tudgay had just scored deep in injury time.

Panpardus

‘You effing ripper’ was the reaction in the away change rooms, Marcus Tudgay played for Swansea and they had just won 2-0 which meant we had just climbed into 6th spot and were in the playoffs!

A couple days later the reserves rapped up group 5 with a 3-1 win at home to claim their 4th successive title, truly an excellent effort considering where they were after 2 months of football.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Group 5 ReservesldWDLForAgGDPts1.PALACE 38283713649+87872.Reading 3825948537+48843.Bristol City38226106536+2972</pre>

The under 18’s didn’t quite recover aswell as the Reserves and they narrowly missed out on grabbing their fourth title in succession aswell, still a good effort by the youngsters.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Group 6 U18s1.Arsenal 2415724821+27522.PALACE 2415275136+15473.Watford 2412663726+1142</pre>

sherm

Well Done on the playoffs Pan, now lets see you get into the Premiership this time