Bryan Davies has had enough of teams like Watford trying to kick Wilf off the park...

There can be no sugarcoating Etienne Capoue’s assault on Wilfried Zaha: it was cowardly and spiteful, and he knew exactly what he was doing. It could easily have been a season-ender, and a career-definer. Players who suffer serious achilles injuries are never the same when they return - Christian Benteke is a prime example.

Capoue’s intervention was part of an obvious plan to unsettle our star player. It’s a movie we have seen countless times, be it directed by Watford or Huddersfield Town or butter-wouldn’t-melt Bournemouth. Inaction from Premier League referees has enabled the tactic to remain viable. Anthony Taylor compounded his hideous mistake by booking Zaha for winning the ball.

VAR can’t come to the Premier League quickly enough. If the officials on the pitch can’t do their jobs properly in protecting Zaha, perhaps those blessed with monitors and replays can. We shouldn’t hold our breath, though. As Patrick Barclay tweeted, it seems Zaha is governed by a special set of laws designed to handicap him.

Refereeing is a difficult job, but it’s not hard to see why no English officials were chosen to govern this summer’s World Cup. Zaha’s face doesn’t seem to fit, and referees are clearly being influenced by fans, the media, and grown men in costumes acting like Colin from The Fast Show.

Roy Hodgson was mocked for answering a question about a grown man in a costume acting like a proper Colin, but his point was a wider and serious one. Clubs know how important Zaha is to Palace, so go to great lengths to try and unsettle him. It’s all very funny to outsiders, but all the while Capoue and the like get away with it, the more dangerous it becomes. The club should go further in flagging things up and kicking up a fuss.

Imagine doing that to a fellow professional.

Imagine being as shit at your job as Anthony Taylor who couldn’t see that as a red from three yards away. pic.twitter.com/c5NtbDN4sk

— RedNBlueArmy.co.uk (@RedNBlueArmy1) August 26, 2018

Zaha is disliked for being a ‘diver’, and we are told he has received the most bookings for simulation in recent seasons, but we are never reminded of the detail: the yellow cards he received at Leicester City and Watford (twice) were all very obviously incorrect. Only telling half a story plants seeds and perceptions, and mud sticks. Lies and half-truths can be spun into facts in less time than it takes Adrian Durham to taunt a billy goat.

I have never seen Zaha dive. I have seen him use contact from opponents, but every player does that. Zaha exists between a rock and a hard place when staying on his feet wins no rewards - away at Southampton in January is an obvious example.

As Zaha has discussed, when running at speed the slightest touch can send you over - if that wasn’t the case, ankle taps in rugby wouldn’t be a thing. There are many occasions where Zaha loses his balance and it is neither foul nor dive but, such is the black and white world we live in, he is accused of the latter.

Zaha is an emotional player. His gesticulations are mostly aimed at team mates, but opposition players and fans, seemingly unable to understand context and nuance, misread his actions. Given the way he is kicked from pillar to post every week, I’d argue Zaha is remarkably restrained when it comes to remonstrating with referees.

I have also never seen Zaha pull a Neymar and feign injury to try and get an opponent sent off. This whole conversation exists within a strange hierarchy where diving is apparently more heinous than a two-footed leg-breaker or pretending to be hurt, which is a truly conscious act of subterfuge.

Watford appeared to anoint themselves as moral arbiters last season. They were disgusted by Zaha but happy to surround referees, score a goal with a deliberate handball and roll around in apparent agony only to spring back to life once it became clear a free-kick was not forthcoming. Curious.

As we have seen with the treatment of Raheem Sterling, institutional racism is likely to be a factor. It is not to label any one individual as racist, but attitudes and stereotypes persist. It explains why Eden Hazard and Jamie Vardy are clever when they earn a penalty, but Zaha is a cheat. It explains why Sterling and Harry Maguire received such different headlines for doing the same thing post-World Cup. It explains why Danny Mills uses divisive and nationalistic language when criticising Zaha for having the temerity to opt to play for the nation of his birth.

Whatever Zaha does, he is judged differently. His spell with Manchester United is referenced as evidence that he couldn’t make it at a bigger club, yet that argument wasn’t used when Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Mohamed Salah were at Wolfsburg, Everton and Roma respectively. He is criticised for showing loyalty to the hometown club he loves. Having given 10% of his salary to charity ever since he turned professional, he is never mentioned when Common Goal is discussed.

On the pitch, Zaha is unique. He is the greatest player in Palace’s history, and plays in a style few can match. Off the pitch he is grounded, humble and polite. Champagne talent, lemonade ego. He should be celebrated as the best of what football, academies and the Premier League can produce.

Christian Benteke is a man who looks fit, hungry and ready to fight. But first he has to convince some of his detractors, says Ben Mountain.

Want to divide a room full of Palace fans? Ask their opinion on Christian Benteke. 

Standing on the Lower Holmesdale’s concourse during halftime for the sultry Monday evening when Liverpool stole three points at Selhurst, I witnessed this south London specific phenomenon for myself. As one man bemoaned Benteke’s losing the ball to ultimately cause Salah’s penalty-triggering tumble, another praised his seemingly improved work rate and dominating aerial presence.

Following the final whistle, I vocalised my frustrations that Palace can only make like-for-like swaps up top and that Benteke leaving the field did nothing to change the game whilst someone nearby remarked upon how improved the side looked in his absence.

So, to the half of you out there reading this sat firmly in the anti-Chris camp, apologies: from here on I shall be writing from a sympathetic and approving viewpoint with regards to the big Belgian. You have been warned.

Though, having said that, I would hope that those not in favour are fewer this season compared with the last. Admittedly, at times in the previous campaign, Tekkers looked abominably disinterested and frustratingly ineffectual. Several of his misses proved detrimental to the result of a game and sitting on a reported £120,000-a-week didn’t help his cause either.

There has at times certainly been a case to be made for the lambasting of the 27-year-old but things seem to have changed.

We can’t, for example, forget the fella’s 15 Premier League goals when he first joined and just how vital they were to ensuring survival in the 16/17 campaign. Clearly, then, Benteke is a noteworthy striker.

And though we may only be two games in, his game looks different compared with this time last year.

Last season the big man often played in isolation up top, Hodgson unable to deploy Alexander Sørloth in support for most of the time and Wilfried Zaha typically holding down a wider role on the wing.

Now, however, the Palace gaffer seems fairly set on lining up with a 4-4-2 formation that keeps Wilf much closer to his attacking counterpart. With Schlupp filling in on the left, Zaha seems to be roaming into the centre of the park more and giving Christian someone to win the ball for.

It hasn’t been a major structural overhaul, however, and so other things must also have changed to put the forward into the game more for Palace.

The Belgian looks hungrier now, keen to prove a point and pay back the fans who supported him when most would have turned their back. A towering header which genuinely threatened the Liverpool goal showed this on Monday as did several solid aerial challenges and a desire to win the ball not seen for some time.

Things were similar against Fulham, too, where Benteke used his physicality to better effect and began to cause trouble for the Cottagers’ backline. He may not have scored, but this is a very simple opinion that most football fans seem to overlook: a big centre forward’s job isn’t solely the scoring of goals. By standing the ball up, putting physical pressure on central defenders and holding the opposition’s preoccupations at set-pieces, Palace’s No.17 will still enable offensive success for the Eagles without necessarily netting himself. 

Obviously, ten or so goals this season would boost his side’s chances in the league and boost even further its striker’s confidence, but if he continues to play as he has so far, Christian Benteke will ensure his claim to a positive season and right to starting up top for Palace.

Despite the fractious, perennially subjective discussion of the lad typically resulting in disagreement, perhaps this campaign will be the one which unites Palace fans behind their big man in attack.

We may be divided on last season, but blaming the fella for our woes now is nothing but scapegoating frustration. Prepare for a year of towering headers, physical dominance and refreshing link-up play from Benteke. Should these fail to materialise then, fine, I’ll eat my words and trudge back to the other camp. For all our sakes, let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Whether fans attend grounds to watch the beautiful game or socialise, in my opinion a large reason is the atmosphere. It’s a big motivation that gets supporters from attending the odd game to buying a season ticket and, as we know, Selhurst Park has a reputation for being one of the best in the league. Let’s face it, it isn’t for slick football or numerous trophies we’ve won. It’s a part of the experience that helps you to live and breathe the game and something that can give you goose bumps when the stadium is rocking. Take ‘Crystanbal’ as a great example.

We have a significant reputation in the league for our atmosphere and this is in no small part thanks to Palace’s Ultra group: The Holmesdale Fanatics. Love them or hate them, there is no doubt that the Holmesdale Fanatics have helped to create what is the envy of many clubs across the UK and beyond. However, what are the fanatics about and why doesn’t every Palace fan have the same affection for the group that the board and players seem to have?

The fanatics were formed in 2005 by a group in the Holmesdale stand that were sick of the stale atmosphere from SE25. It was almost understandable at the time. Palace been relegated back to the Championship after almost surviving in the top division for the first time. However, football atmosphere was something that had been declining for many years and was indicative of the way English football support was going. Other than a few rare examples, most clubs lacked much of an atmosphere which was unlike many of our European counterparts. The group decided that Palace would lead the way in the UK and try to bring come of the colour, excitement and more importantly: noise that made attending games overseas sometimes hair-raising even if you didn’t support the team.

The Ultra’s movement of support is about increasing the visual and audible aspects of supporting your team. Lots of banners, flags and noise to try and raise the roof and making your home an intimidating place to visit for travelling teams. Ultra’s groups have been on the continent for decades with them being common place in Italy, Germany and eastern Europe. The vast majority of ‘Ultra’ fans are there to help support the team, but unfortunately a small minority’s passion overspills and violence has occurred by those extreme supporters. Ultimately though, the Ultra’s are about ‘bringing the noise’.

I spent the 2009-10 season sitting with the Fanatics and the effort that goes into this is phenomenal. Most of the time and money that goes into the Tifo’s (full stand displays) comes from the group itself and we can all agree there is a feeling of pride when those images are shown in the media. I still adore the ‘Saw’ theme that was displayed at the beginning of our current Premier League era. It is this visible passion that has gained support from the players and board who acknowledge all the hard work that goes into trying to help motivate the team into giving that extra 10%. It doesn’t just stop with following the first team home and away. Their efforts during the administration year before promotion to help keep the club together was news worthy and the fanatics have also shown support at youth and ladies games to try and engrain this passion into other areas of Crystal Palace, but this enthusiasm has rubbed a number of supporters up the wrong way.

As I’ve mentioned, not every fan enjoys the manner in which the Fanatics show their support. Many fans get frustrated when our Chairman was deemed to ‘favouritise’ the group by allowing them to nominate where they would like to sit and even allow them to have their own ‘Player of the Year award’ was usually presented during the lap of honour at the end of the season. They are also often accused of dictating what chants are sang on match days rather than going with the flow of the crowd, much to the angry of other fans. On a few occasions, the group have refused to conduct the singing and the impact is obvious.

When Fanatics aren’t in chorus the noise is reduced to start/stop chanting with no cohesion around the ground. Therefore, even the ‘haters’ have to acknowledge the hard work that goes into creating the raucous atmosphere we’re famous for. Since being promoted to the top tier, their reputation has grown. Often when I mention my team allegiances to outsiders many mention ‘those lot in the corner’. Our atmosphere is what separates us from many of the ‘top’ sides where the grounds are stale and full of ‘day tripper’ fans also famously named ‘the prawn sandwich brigade’ by Roy Keane. Even those fans who attend Selhurst, simply to catch a football game, seem to get caught up in the atmosphere and it’s that experience that helps to grown our fan base. It’s even in one of our club’s slogan’s: Be Loud, Be Proud and Be Palace.

Over the close season this year, there have been rumours of a change. The talks around the forums were that the Fanatics had requested to be moved behind the goal potentially thinking about casting their influence further and having an impact on the whole stand rather than just the corner. Watching the game, you can see that only half the Holmesdale lower spends the match standing (even if they technically shouldn’t be: a conversation for another time).

However, this would mean other supporters, who may have had their seats for many years, having to move to block B or somewhere else completely and I’m sure the club would not try and accommodate this. What seems to have angered many fans was not the request to move, but the group supposedly disbanding over the dispute. An email has already come out from the club explaining that the HF “will no longer be present as an organised group” and offering fans the opportunity to move to block B. The HF have not ‘formally’ stated their disbandment but a statement before the first game reads:

No time for pointing fingers. We won't be active as a group tonight but as always, we're there alongside everyone, supporting our club.

Lets get behind Roy and the lads.

Big season ahead.

UP THE PALACE

— Holmesdale Fanatics (@ULTRAS_CPFC) August 20, 2018

At the end of the day, many will agree the match day experience would not be the same without them. Maybe the group will restart during the season or maybe not. Maybe a new group will form in the ashes of the former but their efforts over the past 12 seasons should never be forgotten. Even if we don’t play always play the attractive football that ‘big’ teams are known for, there is one legacy that the Holmesdale Fanatics have helped football recognise Crystal Palace for. ‘You know us by our noise!’