Oppos View – Crystal Palace – Part 1

A bit about you:

Name: Chris Waters

Current home town:  Crystal Palace

Birthplace: Surrey

How long have you supported your team? Long enough!

Overview of your club:

Favourite thing about your home ground: The fact it is not an identikit soulless new stadium

Favourite match played by your team & why: So many to choose from! Obviously the play-off final vs West Ham is a highlight, but in a way the away game against Stockport where we won 1-0 with just a couple of minutes to go to secure an unlikely escape from relegation out of the Championship in 2001 sticks in the mind. And of course the recent Carling Cup win at Old Trafford and being the first team to beat Brighton at their new stadium in the league were fantastic experiences.

Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Matt Jansen – turned down Man Utd for us, brilliant skills, and a true gentleman of the game

About our forthcoming match against you:

Your favourite current player in your squad and why? Wilfried Zaha – he’s really come on this season under Dougie Freedman – he can produce magic out of nothing, and score a cracking goal too. The fact he signed a new long-term deal with us a couple of weeks ago speaks volumes of him and the progress the club is now making

 

Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Zaha if on form. And of course Darren Ambrose if he plays / is in the mood can conjure magic out of nowhere. I have also been impressed by summer signing Mile Jedinak – one of the best headers of the ball I have ever seen

Player in our squad you most fear and why? Paul Gallagher – he always scores two against us!!

Up and coming prospect in your squad? Where to start? Williams/ Zaha – plus 5 or 6 in the U18s/U16s who will no doubt be featuring for the first team in a couple of years. I would say from that crop Reise Allassani is the name to watch out for.

Where do you think you’ll finish this season? 12th

How do you think you’ll do against us? We are very strong at home but struggle to score more than once so I’d say 1-1