ClapThere are plenty of goals and general accomplishments that come with every single Premier League season, and it’s always fun to see who rises to the challenge and manages to grab hold of those goals. As is the case with any other season one of the awards given out is the Goal of the Season, showcasing the biggest and best strikes from throughout the campaign.
We’ve seen plenty of absolute bangers since back in August, and we anticipate that many of you will already have an idea in your mind of some goals that you personally may have liked. Alas, there’s only one that can claim the title of being the ‘best’ in the eyes of the panel, and as reported by Evening Standard & Goal.com, this year’s trophy has gone to Crystal Palace star Andros Townsend.
An absolute belter
Townsend hit an absolute peach of a strike in the Eagles’ game away to Manchester City, which actually helped them to pick up a rare win over the Premier League champions. Ever since then fans have watched on as Palace have continually put together some remarkable performances away from home, whilst failing to really replicate that success at Selhurst Park. Quite clearly there’s some kind of mentality shift that goes on from week to week, but either way, Townsend has earned his award.
Now, the question is whether or not the player and the club can build on that. There are a series of teams in the top division that are considered to be contenders for the top six, and yes, we’re talking about sides that aren’t already considered to be ‘nailed on’ top six teams.
Crystal Palace aren’t often talked about as a potential side who could strive to achieve that goal, when in reality, they should be. They’ve got a great core within their squad, a manager with some real ambition, and most importantly they’ve got more momentum than they have done in years. All of those traits add up to what should be a successful season next year for Palace, but it all depends on how they handle themselves in the summer transfer window.
First things first
They need to ensure that they keep hold of their top stars, and at the same time, keep hold of as many big names as they possibly can. It’s not exactly going to be easy and it’s not going to be simple, but it’s one of the biggest steps they need to take if they want to stop being recognised as a relegation-threatened team from year to year.
Some teams are happy to settle on that kind of reputation, but we get the sneaking feeling that Palace don’t fall into that category. Hodgson has been able to do some magical things with an unfancied team before (see Fulham) and there’s no reason to believe he can’t pull off something similar with the Eagles.
Will he be able to make it a reality? As is the case with most TV shows, you’ll have to tune in to find out.
