Graeson looks forward to United's trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon (ko 3pm).

The season starts here. Forget everything that's gone on before Friday 7th March. As from Saturday 8th, the U's have to start again and they'll do that with a trip to Crystal Palace as they enter the fortnight that will decide which league they will participate in next season.

Following the trip to Selhurst Park, the U's have three vital home games coming up against Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City before they go to Norwich City. If United want to escape from their current predicament then surely they must win at least three of those games and pick up at least one draw. That would only give them ten points from the fifteen available but it would, at least, give them a fighting chance.

And they might have picked a useful time to go to Palace who have lost their way a little bit in recent weeks after going on the sort of run that the U's need to.

That run for Palace really started in the home encounter at Layer Road where Neil Warnock's side picked up their first win. Warnock had taken over from Peter Taylor who was sacked by Chairman Simon Jordan with Palace at the wrong end of the table.

However, love him or hate him, you can't deny that Warnock has turned Palace around to the point that they are now only a few points off the play-offs in 11th place. Their home record isn't particularly good with five wins, five defeats and eight draws scoring twenty goals and conceding 22. Away from home though, they have seven wins - a tremendous effort.

Since the New Year though, their results have probably been disappointing for the manager - perhaps they are not really quite ready to challenge for promotion with Warnock thrusting many young players in to the first team squad.

Indeed, Palace have won only once at home since New Year's Day with they beat leaders Bristol City 2-0. Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton have left Selhurst Park victorious while Norwich, Southampton and Cardiff City all left with a point
Away from home they've beaten Wolves (3-0) and Preston at Deepdale. They were also unlucky not to win at Ashton Gate where it took a 95th minute equaliser from defender Jamie McCombe to rescue a point for The Robins after Bradley Orr - sent off at Layer Road recently - had seen Julian Speroni make a superb double save from his penalty and follow-up. However, they have also lost at Leicester and Charlton Athletic in recent weeks.

At Layer Road earlier this season, the U's had to play over 80 minutes without Pat Baldwin who was sent off by referee Taylor just a minute after Clinton Morrison had given Palace the lead. United got back in to the game with twenty minutes remaining thanks to Jackson's goal but Clinton Morrison's second five minutes later gave Palace manager Neil Warnock his first away win.

Last season, the U's delighted a large following with a terrific win at Selhurst Park. Karl Duguid put the U's ahead after substitute keeper Scott Flinders had fumbled a cross from Cureton. Richard Garcia's superb run and shot put the U's two up with twenty minutes remaining but Morrison pulled one back with three minutes left to give the U's a nervy final few minutes. However, Chris Iwelumo was to stroke home a penalty in injury time to record an excellent win for Geraint Williams men.

Forty-five years ago in March 1963, the U's face Palace in a Division Three encounter at Selhurst Park and thanks to Peter Wright's goal, came out on top. The Palace manager that night was Dick Graham who would, of course, go on to manage the U's on their most magical day.

The U's side that day was Percy Ames, Duncan Forbes, John Fowler, Roy McCrohan, Keith Rutter, Ron Hunt, Mike Grice, Bobby Hunt, Martyn King, Billy Stark and Peter Wright.

Graeson's Preview
Geraint Williams will, I'm afraid, have to count the walking wounded at Layer Road this morning to see just who is fit enough to play at Selhurst Park. It was typical of the Welshman's luck that Izale McLeod should be so unlucky to pick up an injury that looks set to keep him on the sidelines for months at Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday evening. It would be my guess that at no point during the current campaign has Williams ever been able to select his preferred first eleven.

However, there is nothing that can be done about that, and United need to examine just how they are going to win at Palace. I hope that John White is back available for selection as he had solved that troublesome left-back position which Williams needs to make a priority during the close season. If White it fit, then the back four should read Ifil, Coyne, Virgo and White though Bela Balogh will deputise should any of those four be injured.

In midfield there remain questions to be answered. Our preferred middle two appears to be Izzet and Jackson. I just wonder whether we should be looking at Hammond and Izzet in the middle of the Park, Jackson out wide (though it does remove him from the heat of the battle where he has been playing so well) and Lisbie on the right hand side of midfield.
However, and given the need for wins now, I would like to see us play a midfield trio of Hammond, Izzet and Jackson with Izzet the holding midfielder and the other two getting slightly further forward to push their midfield back. That would also allow us to play three up front in Vernon, Lisbie and Platt which should certainly give their defence some questions to be answered. Lisbie would, of course, have license to drop deep when he needed to put would also be required to pop up on the left or right wing when needed. It would be a risky strategy - but the U's can't afford any more draws. It’s better to win two and lose one playing this system than to draw all three so we must go on the attack.

Graeson's Prediction
Given all that, I can't really see Williams changing from his preferred 4-4-2 system as I can't recall any point over the last two seasons when he has done so in a game. For that reason, sadly, I just can't see the U's winning the game with a draw, the best they hope for.

Of course, it won't be a goalless draw, so I'll go for two goals in the game with the U's strike coming from Scott Vernon in the second half.

Photo: Action Images

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