Mystify Crystal Palace News

When questioned about these comments, Manager Neame replied, "He actually said he was disillusioned? That was the word he used? Well, thats great! Really terrific! At this club we try to improve the young lads in every way possible. On the field and off. We try to prepare the lads for a career outside football. And frankly, some of them are going to need that preparation sooner than they think. When young Lee joined us he could barely spell his own name, but we've had him in front of the books and its really starting to pay off. Unfortunately his football skills haven't developed as quickly, so we want to give hime the opportunity to try his luck elsewhere."

Facing a packed media room after the match, Neame said, "I don't want to talk about it. I'm here to talk about the game we just saw, not something that happened 5 days ago. Thats ancient history. This game is history now, And history says we got a point." After further questions regarding his commitment to the club, Neame reacted angrily, saying, "I have always put the interests of the club first. I had some business in Finland during the week that I had to take care of, so I wasn't able to be as hands on as I prefer to be. I left Andy Linighan to handle the final preparations, and I think he did a bang up job." Neame refused to be drawn on his reasons for visiting Finland, leading to speculation in some circles that he may be seeking to sign a player from one of the leagues there. The sale of Terry Musk in midweek would appear to have created an opening for a young keeper in the Palace line up.

Even before the kick off it was clear that Neame's gamble with his ageing backline had paid off, with Linighan's appearance, being greeted by rousing cheers from the Palace faithful. Some of Linighan's shine rubbed off onto the manager who was greeted with applause as he moved to the byline. This was a stark contrast with the reception that Neame has received from the fans over the past few weeks as Palace's charge to the Premier has appeared to falter, and some have suggested that the manager has been asleep at the wheel.

After the match, Neame joked, "When you see a bloke like Andy running around out there, you're almost tempted to pull on the boots yourself. And then you take a a jog round the block and you feel absolutely knackered and you realise what a huge commitment he's made to still be competitive at this level." When Linighan was asked to respond to Neame's suggestions that he might play himself, he fired back, "He can have my job is I can have his." Speculation is now building that Linighan will be aiming for a job as a managerwhen he finally does retire. Given his long association with the club, it is difficult to imagine him going anywhere but Palace, so pressure is building on the current manager, given an obvious replacement witing in the wings. After today's performance, though, it looks like Linighan is still most valuable out on the pitch, which leaves everyone happy - for now.

In a controversial move with the fans, Manager Neame fuelled speculation of a growing rift between himself and crowd favourite Andy Linighan by leaving Linighan out of the team this week, despite his heroics in last week's clash with Aston Villa. Rumours continue to circulate around the club that the board will ask Neame to step down at the end of the season so that Linighan can step into the manager's role. However club sources have informed me that the board are assuming a wait-and-see stance, and if he can lead the club back to the Premier League this season Neame will almost certainly keep his job for the foreseeable future.

At a press conference after today's game, Palace manager Tim Neame was questioned about the rushed nature of the deal. He defended it, stating, " Look, it might be news to those of you in the media, but we haven't pushed Andrew into anything. He's had a loan spell on the continent already this season, and he really loved it there. In fact he had spoken to me and made it clear that he didn't see his future in the English First Division. I told him that neither do any of us - this club has the ambition and the manpower required to take us back into the Premier League. He was very happy to hear that, but when the Fiorentina deal came up, we expected he would jump at the chance to play in the Serie A, but we gave him time to think it over."

Roberts himself also appeared at the post match conference, but did not answer questions. He read a prepared statement farewelling team-mates, "I've learnt a great deal in my time here at Crystal Palace, but I feel that its time for me to take an opportunity to move on. With the coaching I've received from the guv'nor, and from Andy Linighan, I feel I have proved myself at this level, and now its time for me to take the next step. I want to play my football at the top level, and Fiorentina will guarantee me that opportunity. I wish the lads all the best, and I'm confident that I'll be meeting them in European Cup fixtures in a season or two."

After the match, Palace manager Tim Neame said " Look, there's no doubt that David has been a popular figure around the club. He was one the first players I brought in to the club, and it wasn't a decision we made lightly. "

The fans were in a far less forgiving mood however. "Its f...ing stupid. David F...ing James is a f...ing legend! If I see the manager now I'll f...ing murder the f...ing c..., " said one slightly inebriated fan. A more coherent picture of the fans' complaints came from another fan, "He's raised £12 million in the past month or so, but je's not spending it. I don't mind giving money to the club, as long as it gets spent improving the club. But there's no sign that he has a plan for all this money he's raised. "

The player at the centre of the furore, David James, was reported to be happy with deal. "I never expected to be at Palace as long as I was, " he said in a radio interview. "Its a credit to everyone at the club, from the fans up, that they made me feel welcome right from the start. But this is a great opportunity for me. Cagliari are on top of the Serie A, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of forcing my way into a winning combination."

"At the end of the day, the aim of the game is to put the ball in the back of the net, and to stop the opposition doing that. Its not complicated. When I first started I tried to keep up with the latest fads, and the new roles that some of the coaches were finding for players, but it didn't take long to work out that I'm really best as an old-fashioned defender. I don't try anything more complicated than an occasional offside trap, and I'm not so keen on that these days, because when it doesn't work out its hard work chasing down a 16 year old striker before he can get a shot away."

But Linighan's modesty belies an excellent tactical brain. He has captained the Palace team to a number of victories this season, and taken a number of talented younsters under his wing, including recently departed record sale Andrew Roberts. As his career comes to an end, it is widely tipped that he will move into coaching, but this ambition has created tensions at Crystal Palace during the course of the season.

"I've been at one club all of my career" Linighan says, " and its hard for me to imagine going anywhere else. I'd retire before I accepted a transfer deal to another club, and the people here understand that, and they've been good about it."

But would Linighan coach at another club when his playing days end? He is reluctant to commit himself. "Football has been my whole life. When the time comes to retire, I might be gald of the break. I think I have a lot to offer to some of the younger players going around, but we'll see. At the moment I'm doing what I've always done. I'm playing th egame I love, for the club I love, and offering advice to anyone who'll listen."

How does the current manager feel about having a potential replacement waiting in the wings? I spoke to Palace manager Tim Neame. " Look, I think Andy will make a terrific manager one day. I think some healthy competition is good. I encourage amongst the players, so it'd be hypocritical of me to resent people eyeing off my spot. At the moment I've got the runs on the board, so I'm not too worried."

Meanwhile, Linighan faces an on-going battle to convince his manager that he still has something to contribute on the field. Just two weeks ago he captained Crystal Palace to victory over Manchester United. This week, with Matt Elliot and Gianluca Festa returning from injury, he finds himself warming the bench once more. While there are rumours of a split between Neame and Linighan, the player himself is more philosophical, " I'm not as nippy as I once was. I understand that, and I won't be going on forever, so obviously the club is trying to find players who can take my place. I still reckon I'm better than some of them, but its not me who gets to decide is it?"

However Neame is adamant that when Linighan does finally retire it will be on his own terms. "He's not young and stupid. He'll know when the gig is up for him, and he'll let us know. We're not going to push him. It'll be his decision. Hopefully he'll give us a few weeks notice so we can arrange a big send off for him at Selhurst. I know the fans would love to give him a big farewell. But Andy probably doesn't reckon he deserves it, which is just typical of his modesty, so he'll probably try to slip away quietly."

"We've invested in youth over the past couple of seasons and it has certainly worked out well, but its always handy to have a few wise heads at the back. Maik and Thomas are both proven performers at the very top level of the game, and the younger memebers of the squad can only benefit from their experience. In a way we view it as having bought two coaches who can also hold their own on the pitch. If you look at it that way, these new guys are absolute bargains, and I think you'll see us reaping the rewards as the younger players develop."

Neame was also quick to respond to rumours that the club had over-extended itself with two major signing in a single week. "We've had to arrange a temporary overdraft with the bank. Thats no secret. But I want to point out that this is the first time in my five years as a manager that this situation has arisen, and I can assure everybody that we will be back in the black very soon."

" To be honest with you, we didn't expect to sign both players this week. But thats the way it goes on the transfer market, and I'm very pleased with the outcome."

A 59th minute goal to Burnley's Glen Little was the only goal in the two games that were effectively promotion play-offs. Ironically, it was Burnley who had least to gain from today's outcomes, as they were safely positioned in 5th position for regardless of today's results.

This fact was not lost on disappointed Palace away fans as they headed wearily back to London. "Its disappointing to have got so close, only to have it taken away at the last minute," mused one fan. Others were less philosophical. "We were playing for promotion, and Burnley weren't, but if you looked at the game today you'd think it was the other way round. Its almost as if the players thought a one goal loss was good enough."