The business end of the season is fast approaching and a host of Championship clubs remain in the hunt for promotion to The Premier League, including 4th placed Crystal Palace, who appear well positioned for at least a play-off place.
Crystal Palace fans will however be hoping that their beloved Eagles can soar to even greater heights and avoid the potential heart-ache of the play-offs. Cardiff are flying high in first place and barring a melt-down or meteor strike will be the winners of The Championship come May.
However, in the much coveted 2nd automatic promotion position, Hull City are currently only 4 points ahead of Crystal Palace. If Palace’s 4-1 drubbing of fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough last Saturday is anything to go by, The Eagles will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
With star player Wilfred Zaha moving to Manchester United next season, that there is no time like the present for Palace to achieve their dream of a return to the promised land. Experienced manager and wily campaigner Ian Holloway will be hoping to achieve just that – and having bolstered Crystal Palace’s squad in the January transfer window there is every chance of this occurring. Not only has 27 goal top scorer Glenn Murray had some of the goalscoring burden relieved with the loan arrival of Stephen Dobbie from Brighton and veteran marksman Kevin Phillips (who has already scored twice since arriving from Blackpool) but defender Jazz Richards has been signed on loan from Swansea, as has the versatile Jacob Butterfield from Premier League Norwich.
Crystal Palace are 5/2 with William Hill to be promoted this season.
Guy P, soccersweep
Follow us on Twitter @soccersweep10
