Crystal Palace in danger of relegation after FA Cup win
Published:
Making it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup at first seems like a huge blessing for Crystal Palace, but it is more a poisoned chalice than anything else.
The Eagles have done well to make it this far and the performance will add some comfort to fans who have had to put it with some terrible Premier League form.
However, supporters of Palace who are old enough will remember what happened the last time they made it to the semi-final of the FA Cup and it wasn’t a positive experience for them.
In the 1994/95 campaign the south Londoners made it to the last four of the famous competition and Manchester United needed a replay to make the final at their expense.
The run proved to be an unnecessary distraction for Alan Smith’s side, who also made the League Cup semi-final, and they ended the league season relegated after finishing 19th.
Furthermore, that’s not the only occasion of the Eagles impressing in a cup but struggling in the league and they seem to be cursed in that respect.
Steve Coppell guided the Selhurst Park outfit to the League Cup semi-final in the 1992/93 and they were unable to beat the drop that term.
When they were in what was then known as the First Division, now the Championship, in the 2000/01 campaign and they over performed to once again reach the League Cup semi final.
However, that was clearly too much for the small squad and they only retained their second-tier status by one point.
Palace’s last semi-final came in the 2011/12 season when Dougie Freedman’s side made it to the League Cup last four, but struggled in the Championship and finished 17th.
Alan Pardew’s men haven’t won in the Premier League since December, when they beat Stoke 2-1, and have sunk to 15th and are nine points of they relegation zone.
The Eagles are priced at 22/1 to go down and given their current form and semi-final curse, now is the right time to back that.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
