Okay, before anyone thinks I've been drinking heavily or smoking crack, let me say that I have not. Granted, still a little high from Saturdays result, but wanted everyone to think about something for a minute as you get off to your busy work week. My friend and I being diehard Palace fans are waiting for the other shoe to drop, being conditioned to a "glass half empty" mentality through years of painful defeats and all the drama that makes you a Palace fan. Going into each match, we are almost assured we will find a way to lose either by error or bad call. Hell, I (we) were convinced Swansea wouldn't lose another game all season following their recent run. But seeing that we can and did win at the Bridge this past weekend and the manner with which we did being a goal down 5 minutes in, I wanted everyone to think back two seasons ago when Leicester was sure to go down. Nigel Pearson somehow found a way to bring that club back and you remember what happened the following season. No, I'm not saying that we are going to win the league; the FA would never let a club like Leicester or Crystal Palace win the title again. But could you imagine what it would be like to go through an entire season without worrying about relegation? This is something I (we) have never experienced. Big Sam had West Ham on the upswing even making out with Russell Brand at one point during a post game interview, before falling out with ownership. I don't see that happening here. Big Sam is a different manager following the England job and Palace is a different type of club. Steve Parish is an owner yes, but the biggest fan the club has. He and our US uncles have shown that they will spend money to win (41 million in this past transfer window alone). Wouldn't it be nice to experience an entire season of football without having to worry about staying up and just enjoying the idea that we can actually compete and have a chance to win each week. We can only dream...

I'm convinced next season will be different if we stay up. Big Sam has already got us looking like a proper team now his signings have bedded in. With another 2 or 3 quality additions in the summer i think we can finish top half. I still bet he could not believe how much talent there was at the club when he first arrived, it was just a case of finding the right defensive system and going back to basics in some areas

Really? I have no complaints whatsoever about our current style of play. What I don't want to see is another Pardew-style 'transition' away from what we do well.

As for West Ham, they're as deluded as that lot on the south coast, plus our expectations are lower because we didn't win the 1966 World Cup and we aren't the Academy of Football

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

We won't do a Leicester. But I remember thinking after that charge up the table under Pulis that the next season, with him in right from the start and more astute signings, we could really do something special. I think we'll be feeling the same at the end of this season - Palace are and always have been a team that succeeds by counter-attacking from a strong defensive base, and with Allardyce drilling the defence for a whole pre-season, we might see our best ever PL points haul. Call me overly optimistic while we're still in relegation trouble, but I really do think Allardyce is the perfect manager for us.