May 19 2005

Aki Riihilahti

Eight minutes from safety may be the standout stat that is hurting all Palace fans, but it's not as simple as that, by Neil McSteen.

One away win all season, 19 defeats in total, too much reliance on the talismanic AJ, no new arrivals in the transfer window, leaking late goals and injuries to key players at critical stages. These are the reasons we didn't stay up.

Falling through the trap door of the Premiership for a record fourth time is painful, but we're used to it. Saints fans, who have enjoyed 27 years in the top flight, should be ringing us for advice on how to deal with "the drop".

Reading Aki Riihilathi's thoughts in Monday's Times on the situation gives much needed perspective. Aki explains he would have "done anything" for Palace to stay up, but the club now needs to "carry adversity honourably".

Referencing Bill Shankly, Aki goes on to say that relegation is "not a matter of life and death", just a "bad outcome".

As Aki says, it's not a permanent fall being back in the second tier of English football. And after every fall it's the getting up that really counts 100 points and the Championship title here we come!