Tag: Palace

HAPPY AT HOME

Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman has said that he is extremely happy that the club begin their season and end the season with home matches. The football league recently revealed the fixture list for the next season.

Crystal Palace, who survived for another season in the Championship, will be having home matches for both the start and the end of the season. Manager Dougie Freedman has said that he is extremely delighted with the outcome of the fixture list, and he is also hoping that it turns out to be advantageous for the club in their bid for promotion to the Premier league, so that they can play the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd next season.

Crystal Palace will be facing Watford at home in the first game of the season, while the last game of the season will be against Peterborough United. This is not the first time Crystal Palace will be taking on what sort of an opening day of the season because they have already faced each other four years ago when the match finished 0-0. Crystal Palace will be facing the likes of Nottingham Forest, Cardiff city and Wolverhampton Wanderers during the festive season. Easter brings up matches against Birmingham, while the away match to Blackpool will be the toughest during this period.

“It is fantastic really. All you could ask for would be a home start and it will be good to get the season off and running at Selhurst Park. I can visualise a sunny day and a packed crowd coming to see some exciting new players. It does bring a certain level of excitement to the games. It will be tough with all these derbies, but we were unbeaten in the derby games last year and we will be looking to keep that record,” said the manager of Crystal Palace Dougie Freedman after the football league revealed the fixture list for the 2012-13 season.

CLYNE WILL LEAVE

Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has said that he expects the highly rated youngster Nathaniel Clyne to leave the club at the end of the season. The 21-year-old has rejected the opportunity to stay with the Championship club after rejecting the offer of a new deal. He is out of contract at the end of this season, but with only a few weeks left in his current deal Steve Parish says it unlikely that he will stay at the club in the next season. The 21-year-old defender has been linked with a number of Premier league clubs including the likes of Manchester United, while Newcastle United have also shown interest.

It has been a very poor season for Crystal Palace once again after they finished in the 16th position in the table. Despite the huge number of financial uncertainties surrounding the club ahead of the next season, Steve Parrish has also said that he is extremely confident of at least making it into the play-offs next season. The club finished their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cardiff on the final day of the campaign. It is very likely that it will be the last appearance in a Crystal Palace shirt for Nathaniel Clyne.

“We have long since resigned ourselves to Nathaniel wanting to go. It is just a matter of talking to those clubs interested in him and agreeing a fee,” Parish told the Croydon Advertiser. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have also lost a member of the coaching staff –Tony Popovic – who has left the club in order to take the managerial position at Australian A-League club Sydney. The new club will be joining the A-League at the start of the next season. Popovic has said that it was an opportunity that he simply could not turn down.

NEWCASTLE CHASING ZAHA

Newcastle United are thought to be one of the teams seriously considering making more for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha. Wilfried Zaha has been a revelation for Crystal Palace this season and is currently one of the main reason for the club to be challenging for a play-off position. Even though the club are currently in the 14th position in the table, a look at the total point difference between them and the final play-off position reveal that they are not too far behind. Newcastle United’s interest in the player was first revealed in October, but it seems that they are very keen on stepping up their interest in the player.

Newcastle United have adopted a policy of signing the best young players both in England and France. It has been one of the main reasons for their revival after going down into the Championship a few seasons ago. They are currently in a great position to finish in the Europa league qualification places ahead of Liverpool, while they also remain in touch with the top four. Credit certainly has to go to Alan Pardew and his scouting staff, who seem to have made their next target as Wilfried Zaha. The 19-year-old is regarded as one of the best in prospects in world football.

There is certainly no doubt that Wilfried Zaha is an extremely promising talent, but Newcastle United need to hurry if they are to complete the signing. This is because Newcastle United are not the only team interested in securing the signing of Wilfried Zaha. Both Liverpool and Manchester United have shown interest in this youngster, who could cost anywhere up to £ 10 million. The prospect of immediate first team football at Newcastle United will certainly help Pardew persuade the youngster to sign for the Magpies.