Crystal Palace v Sheffield United Preview

Posted on | March 4, 2010 | 1 Comment

This should have been the game that saw Neil Warnock return to his former and hometown club. However, all sorts of things are happening at Crystal Palace and with the club now in administration, Warnock has departed and it’s been left up to Paul Hart to steady the ship and save them from relegation. Sheffield United certainly won’t be doing them any favors though, as the Blade’s go on the hunt for their own glory and look to climb into the play off places.

Crystal Palace really are having a season to forget and while it wasn’t too long ago that their fans had aspirations of a top six finish, now the primary goal is survival. Administration and the accompanying ten point deduction has sent the Eagles crashing down to 21st position and they are only kept out of the bottom three due to goal difference. To make matters worse, experienced manager Neil Warnock was allowed to jump ship and join Championship rivals QPR earlier in the week. Paul Hart was promptly installed as a replacement and while Hart had brief experience with a struggling outfit in Portsmouth earlier in the season, there’s no doubting that he has a real job on his hands. Cash needs to be raised quickly and that could force the sale of their most prized assets – something that would almost certainly send them into League One.

Sheffield United on the other hand are battling at the other end and just a point separates Kevin Blackwell’s men from the play offs. However, some supporters are unhappy that their club isn’t providing more of a threat and feel Blackwell isn’t getting the most out of the team. There’s no doubting that the area that the Blades need to most work on is their form away from Bramall Lane, having lost all of their last five games on the road. This is stark contrast to last season, which saw the club have the best away form in the division. If they are to match last season’s top six finish, this is an area that Blackwell needs to address.

Both clubs have yet to release team news but both will be hoping that certain players come back from international duty unscathed. Sheffield United in particular have a host of international players and Kevin Blackwell will be hoping that the likes of Ched Evans, Toni Kallio and Mihkel Aksalu will not pick up any injuries.

Crystal Palace are a club in real turmoil and at the moment and their supporters have got to be thinking the worst. However, despite slipping down the table, their team has shown a togetherness in recent weeks that could prove critical in their bid for survival. Combining that with Paul Hart’s arrival and the “new manager syndrome”, we feel the home side could get the points in this one with a 3-1 victory.

Related posts:

1. Sheffield United v Crystal Palace Preview
2. Crystal Palace v Sheffield United Preview
3. Sheffield United v Crystal Palace Preview
4. Crystal Palace v QPR Preview
5. Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace Preview

Comments