What also raised my hackles was that on two occasions we were awarded a free kick just inside their half - we passed the ball back and then back to Guaita.

Obviously a game like yesterdays makes one think how lost we are without Zaha.

Tactics, however, was the mail disaster.

Everyone, who has ever played a game a football, know that self confidence is the single most important aspect of a good performance. And that self confidence grows when you succesfully pass the ball, takes it forward and creates chances.

So what did we do yesterday: Sat back, let Burnley control matters and grow and grow in confidence. Off course gifted by the goal, but that would have come anyway.

Instead of pushing them, pressing high and making sure that their confidence did not grow!

This game was lost first and foremost by the scandalour tactics from Hodgson, then by a number of really poor players, but again this happens when tactics are SO WRONG!

Good help us the day Roy is still here, but Zaha gone. We would be in big trouble just to pick up a draw a month.

Spot on. It was a poor game overall but I’l go as far as saying that Palace fans who think we should be hammering Burnley havn’t got a clue about football. Burnley have played the majority of the season with Tarkowski, Mee or Taylor but had them all back last night. The game could have went either way but unfortunately it went to them. Nothing to do with tactics or not being able to win without Zaha. It’s just how football goes.

The elephant in the room is, why pay someone 100k a week to play in Africa during a pandemic? No thanks, you're not going, would be my answer. Has already caused problems for us twice this season. Also Ayew looked totally out of shape yesterday: we need to get a handle on this. The big teams would not be allowing this.

Red and Blue Army!

I believe there is something in that. I've never been a football manager, and there's good reason for that, but... the two things that bug me are back passing and speed of attack.

Nothing worthy of a text book, but if you pass back, you only have 9 players upfield, whereas they have 11. And that ratio coupled with sluggish progress prevents our players finding sufficient space in their half. We are always going to be outnumbered.

Cut the back passes, work on crossing and passing the ball and move up with a decent pace.

Problem solved. Maybe.

Zaha didn’t get Covid in Africa. He didn’t play Ivory Coast’s last 2 games. Liverpool let Salah go and he got Covid. Clubs have no choice.