January 24 2010

The FA Cup

Palace's 2-2 draw with Wolves means we are still in with a shout. Jamesey reports

Plucky Reading eliminate mighty Liverpool. Third-tier Leeds put out mighty Manchester United. Battling Stoke dump mighty Arsenal. Cash-strapped Palace beat (nearly) mighty (in 1955) Wolves.

Excuse my little joke but it's far more frustrating to be ahead twice and to be pulled back by a late equaliser than to be behind and draw an FA Cup match in a glorious late second goal.

But, all in all, a draw at a Stacksodosh-ship club is a creditable result and our poverty-pleading chairman Simon Jordan must be delighted at the prospect of another little earner at Selhurst on Feb 2.

What with two league games this coming week, the Wolves fixture will be our fourth in 11 days so let's hope that our diminishing pool of players can avoid injuries in the immediate future.

It will be interesting to see how many bums are on seats at Selhurst for the replay. The FA Cup has hardly been top of the priority list for most football supporters in recent seasons so perhaps, now that the ground is running with the blood of killed giants, a little more interest might be shown.

Meanwhile, what my HOL team colleague Guntrisoft refers to as VMSD (Victor Moses Sale Day) is still a matter of speculation.

Every game is now whispered to be Our Victor's last and, as yet, there are no signs of his becoming Somebody Else's Victor.

One of the less hysterical Sunday newspapers carries a small article claiming that the Stoke-struck Gunners are favourites to sign "teenage sensation Moses".

The writer, adding that Moses has attracted the attentions of Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid, understands that the lad himself would prefer a move to the Emirates.

Well, I hope your agent (Tony Finnigan, I am told) gives you good advice, Victor. All the flash cars, mansions in Herts and nubile blondes in the world might not compensate for being in the reserves (if that) for ever more.

On the other hand, if Arsenal are willing to pay £3m and no other club will match that figure I hope you go. If it means Crystal Palace survives, that is immeasurably more important to me than the decision of a supremely talented 19-year-old.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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