With the FA Cup semifinal match between Crystal Palace and Watford coming up this Sunday, Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew took to the press to show his distaste towards the FA’s match scheduling.
Both Crystal Palace and Watford played league games on Wednesday and now have to quickly recharge before their crucial cup match on Sunday. With Pardew having to deal with consistent injury problems throughout the season, it is understandable to see his frustration with the Football Association.
Pardew discussed that it’s difficult to have his players fully fit for a weekend match if they are forced to play during the week. Pardew explains:
The FA need to look at this, because we all had to play [Wednesday] because of the European rule that we can’t play on European nights. I think the Premier League get fined for that and that’s something they perhaps need to renegotiate, because it really impacts on those weeks where there’s no European football.
He continues:
We’re squeezing games in; the run we’ve had, this is our fourth game in 12 days. That’s a tough run, when you’ve got a semifinal, the biggest game in this club’s history for a while, since the playoff final.
Both myself and [Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores] probably haven’t had enough preparation with the team.
That’s probably what we would have liked, to have a week’s run-in to it, preparing our teams, and go through all the detail, and of course we can’t do that, so that’s a little bit unfortunate.
In the end, Pardew reveals the obvious, even though he isn’t a fan of the scheduling, his team still needs to get out there. He sums up his rant by adding that his side should be fine for the weekend. Pardew comments:
In terms of the energy levels of the players, they’ll be fine. We’ll both be fresh.
Pardew has some good points on the matter. However, there isn’t much he can do about it for now. The Eagles manager has to prep the squad in whatever way he can to prepare them for their crucial match.
Although Pardew expressed his frustration with the FA, he was eager to address that his club is healthy besides three players. He explains:
Everybody is fit. Other than Chamakh, Hangeland and Paddy McCarthy we’re all there.
The English manager goes on to praise Scottish midfielder James McArthur for his valiant comeback from injury but declares that the 28-year-old will only feature in the match as a substitute.
No other player at this club would have come back from that injury in his time. He’s got himself a real good chance of being on the bench. He won’t start.
Pardew finishes the press conference by addressing Palace’s weekend opponent, Watford.
[Palace and Watford are] well-matched teams, similar teams. I think, when we’re in full flow, we have the edge on them, and that’s what we’ve got to try and achieve.
But the front two [Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo] can do such damage that they can make up for any deficiency they have defensively. It’s going to be a tight game.
An FA Cup win for Pardew and Crystal Palace will help turn around their dreadful 2016 season. With Watford and Crystal Palace splitting their league matches this season, it’s hard to predict who will come out victorious. However, the last time Palace and Watford met in Wembley was the 2013 Championship playoff final, where Palace defeated Watford to earn promotion to the Premier League.
When asked about making the quick trip to Wembley Stadium this weekend, Pardew answered saying:
I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to the cup, I’d prefer just the final to be at Wembley if I’m honest.
He concludes:
But I’m not sure our fans would — particularly for Palace and Watford it’s an easy journey — but the likes of Everton, Manchester United it’s not so favourable.
