Hi Chris, thank you for joining us here on TheStamfordShed ahead of the big Premier League tie between Chelsea and Crystal Palace. To kick off, we like to find out a bit more about your affiliation towards your desired club. How and when did you start supporting Palace?
I began supporting Palace just before the FA Cup Semi Final against Liverpool in 1990! I’d been massively into football in a general sense since a very early age but that game was the first time my Dad told me to pick a team. I picked Palace because most people I knew at the time seemed to be Liverpool fans and the rest, as they say, is history!
Palace come into the game on the back of a good run of form, despite two loses to West Brom and Hull. What’s changed since Alan Pardew has taken over?
What has changed is that Pardew has got the players performing at a much higher level and as a tighter unit. He essentially walked through the door and told the players that all of them were of higher quality than they realised and that they should have the confidence to express themselves. Bolasie and Zaha in particular have benefited most from the level of belief and trust shown in them. We’ve gone from a side that had one way of playing to a side that can mix things up.
Do you think he is starting to get the credit for his management now, compared to the criticism he received at Newcastle?
I think so – but it is also still early days. He has shown a tremendous work ethic and has been tactically astute in winning games so far. The coaching standards are reportedly much higher under his guidance too. Pardew was on a hiding to nothing at Newcastle and took the blame for failing to build on his good start there – when the blame really sits on the shoulder’s of Mike Ashley for his policy of selling the best players. Ashley’s way of running Newcastle is prudent and business-like and that will make the job difficult for any manager to deliver progression – which is what any set of fans want to see. The whole “cockney mafia” thing did, however, mean that Pardew had to work in a confrontational environment the whole time. Neutrals will say his record there in a hostile environment already gives him credit but results in the last couple of years overall were not good.
Did you expect such a turn around when he initially took over?
Not at all. I expected an upturn – “Super Al” is thought of very fondly and the appointment lifted the crowd as much as anything – and I thought that might see us sort out our home form. Weirdly that still hasn’t happened, but the level of performance increased beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.
Chelsea can you secure the Premier League trophy on Sunday, how do you think that’ll affect the Palace players?
I think it will make them more determined. The Liverpool 3-3 last season when Palace had “nothing to play for” says it all about the mentality of the players. The struggles of the last two games have been in playing sides desperate for a win down the bottom. This is the kind of big occasion the Palace players crave – so even if they’re a couple of goals down, Palace will be a dangerous opponent for Chelsea I’m sure.
Both Jose Mourinho and Alan Pardew are contenders for Manager of the Season, who gets your vote?
I’d like to see it go to Pardew because of the scale of the turnaround at Palace – but Mourinho is the master. I’m a huge fan of his – the personality he brings to the game is so appealing to me and he tells it like it is in a very pleasing way. The way he has quickly organised this Chelsea side into such an effective unit gets nowhere near the attention it deserves in amongst all the bluster and drama at the likes of the two Manchester Clubs and Liverpool. Similar to Wenger’s constant rebuilding of Arsenal only getting attention in the difficult times before the new set-up clicks. I don’t think anyone could argue if Mourinho won the award.
Can you tell us what Palace’s biggest threats are going into the game?
On current form, the danger men are Bolasie, Zaha, Puncheon and Murray. Bolasie has been getting the plaudits for how he has developed this season – and he has the pace, skill and strength to cause problems. His finishing and delivery can let him down, in spite of the hat trick against Sunderland. Zaha has been quietly rebuilding confidence and form and has been one of the few to still look the part in the last 2 poor games. His defensive work has come on leaps and bounds too. Punch has moved central and is now our playmaker – it is no coincidence that he has struggled in the last two games and it’s not really worked for us. If he gets time and space he could surprise Chelsea. Finally Glenn Murray is a proper old-fashioned centre forward. He will simply look to cause grief, win free kicks and generally move the defence to positions they don’t want to be in. He has the knack of being in the right place to put chances away too.
From a Palace view, who do you see as the main threat in a blue shirt?
So much talent, even with a few players missing. Hazard is top class obviously and Ramires looks to me to have had a quietly impressive spell – and is always a danger from range. Willian has really impressed me of late too – his work-rate has upped and he looks high on confidence at the moment. Finally, we’ve been a bit sleepy from set pieces of late so Terry might pop up with a goal!
Finally, can we get your scorers and score prediction for the game?
As much as I want to predict a Palace win for me to celebrate at Stamford Bridge in the sun on Sunday, Mourinho will have the Chelsea side motivated to put the title to bed. 2-1 Chelsea, Hazard and Terry the scorers, with Zaha replying for Palace.
A massive thanks to Chris Hambling from TheEaglesElement for speaking to us today. If you would like to hear more from Chris, you can find him on Twitter @hambo1980. You can also find Ryan on Twitter @RyanDarby_.
