The Eagles fans that made the trip were in full voice and seemed nonplussed by the performance, with all focus seemingly on the Conference League second leg on Thursday.
Though the fanbase is rightly excited about the possibility of winning a European trophy, the Premier League is on another level, and the opposition faced thus far would struggle to hold their own in the best league in the world.
For context, Palace’s annual revenue is greater than all three of the competitions semi-finalists combined. Anything other than winning the trophy would be somewhat of a disappointment – especially when the club had earned a place in the Europa League initially.
Every English team that qualifies for the Conference League will always be expected to come out on top, given the huge advantage in resources. That said, the job still must be done – bookies’ favourites or not.
If Oliver Glasner’s men do make all the way to Leipzig and lift the trophy, then at least the losses like the one suffered at the Vitality Stadium may be slightly more palatable.
Palace’s supporters were in fine form at the Vitality Stadium, even if their team was not. Picture date: Sunday 3 May (Image: Nathaniel Hutchinson)
Palace should never take their Premier League status lightly – even after 13 seasons – but it’s been a disappointing end to their domestic campaign after such early promise with the long unbeaten run.
The Eagles are not mathematically safe yet, and the gap to the bottom three means that they are still one win away from securing top-flight football at Selhurst Park for a fifteenth successive season.
With a Manchester City and Arsenal to come in the final four, bogey side Everton and a rampant Brentford, additional points may prove hard to come by. The likes of West Ham and Tottenham would have to find top form, but those of us old enough to remember the events of 1993 and Oldham Athletic learned always to expect the unexpected.
WHERE DID IT GO WRONG?
Palace were completely blown away during the first half by a highly motivated and intense Bournemouth team unbeaten in their previous fourteen league encounters.
At half time, Palace’s XG was nil.
They were lucky to get nil.
The first forty-five minutes were riddled with mistakes and basic errors. The normally reliable Maxence Lacroix was unusually uncomfortable one-on-one, Chadi Riad looked well off the pace, ditto Justin Devenny in a wing-back role. The Northern Irish man is a fine technician, but this is not a position that he is well suited – just the like number ten slot he has also been employed in during various parts of the season.
Daichi Kamada, who had his best ninety minutes in two seasons on Thursday night, was overrun. The Japanese international is loved and frequently serenaded by fans, but his Premier League goal contributions still sit at winning just one penalty in two seasons, which makes dismal reading.
In attack, Jorgen Strand Larsen again showed a lack of physicality, barely winning an aerial duel –and with the hold-up play almost non-existent, his team were continually penned in. Yeremy Pino and Brennan Johnson were ineffective – a term that has been trotted out far too often this term.
The nature of the goals were calamitous in that first period too. A catalogue of mistakes led to corner after corner being conceded, before the hapless Jefferson Lerma, returning to his former club, nodded into his own net, despite the valiant efforts of his goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Rob Jones awarded Bournemouth the softest of penalties. (Image: Nathaniel Hutchinson)
A second followed via Junior Kroupi after Palace conceded the softest of penalties, which incredibly wasn’t overturned on review. Henderson juggled a high ball, which inexplicably slipped through his hands, and the Palace captain lightly brushed Marco Senesi on his way down.
Of course, the Argentine made the most of it, convincing referee Robert Jones and the VAR Peter Bankes, but few others.
The changes at the interval saw a more purposeful Palace, but the hosts still proved more clinical, with Rayan adding a third. Again, a familiar tale.
RECRUITMENT WOES EXPOSED
On the subject of the young Brazilian…
It was rumoured that Palace passed up the opportunity to sign the flying forward in January, as they did his predecessor Antoine Semenyo.
The Semenyo/Rayan deals are great example of the type of recruitment model that every club is striving for.
Dougie Freedman’s transfer business was the envy of many clubs during his spell as Sporting Director in SE25. Bournemouth’s own set-up under Simon Francis as Technical Director and Tiago Pinto, who enjoys the rather glorious title as Director of Football Operations, has done particularly well.
The likes of Rayan and Kroupi showed how well the process can work, whilst Palace’s attacking reinforcements in the same period have fallen well below what has come before them, despite some hefty transfer fees and wages paid out.
Boss Glasner rotated his squad as he would need to, given the demands of European football. The concern earlier in the campaign was a lack of numbers, but later on, it’s been specifically a lack of attacking prowess in a team that are the third lowest scorers in the division.
What effect that business has on the next transfer window’s spending remains to be seen, but regardless, a big summer awaits – not least in appointing the Austrian’s successor.
Reports suggest that Andoni Iraola, who was in the opposite dugout, is a name high on the list. Whether that desire is mutual, who knows? It would be quite a coup.