Jump to content

Spygate - crystal palace vs Aston villa


The_Lions_Roar

Recommended Posts

So the mirror have written an article about palace knowing our exact formation and starting line up at least 2 and a half hours before the game. They show the document which had details on each player in the starting line up and say they were beneath every players peg in the changing room. Is there anything in this?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/spygate-ii-how-crystal-palace-3434213

 

Despite four changes to the team and a change in formation, Palace players had a dossier with the EXACT lineup of the Villa team
 
Crystal Palace have been plunged into another ­potential spy storm, with evidence that Aston Villa’s team was known to them before the two sides met at Selhurst Park last weekend.
 
Villa chiefs were stunned to hear that a visitor to the Palace dressing room photographed an information sheet, showing the correct Villa line-up – which included four changes and a totally revamped playing ­formation – two-and-a-half hours before kick-off.
 
The sheets, positioned beneath the pegs of each Palace player, included detailed scouting reports on each Villa player, showing that the visitors would change from their usual 4-4-1-1 ­formation to a 3-5-2 system.
 
It also correctly predicted that Ciaran Clark, Fabian Delph, Gabby Agbonlahor and Karim El Ahmadi would replace Joe Bennett, Leandro Bacuna, Marc Albrighton and Andreas Weimann.
 
All the detail was spot on and Palace won 1-0, lifting them clear of the ­relegation battle and keeping Aston Villa in danger of the drop.
 
Palace had already been reported to the Premier League by Cardiff, over the alleged leaking of the Bluebirds’ team to Eagles sporting director Iain Moody, before Tony Pulis’ men beat the Welsh club 3-0, the week before the Villa game, on April 5. Cardiff are demanding that the result of that match should be scrapped and the fixture replayed.
 
Palace boss Pulis will meet Premier League officials to discuss the matter on Tuesday, with Cardiff claiming League rules were broken.
 
Pulis strenuously denies the ­allegations.
 
Yet, Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal the astonishing lack of security, which allowed around 40 match-day sponsors and their guests to view the Villa team dossiers, while they were given ­pre-match tours of Selhurst Park.
 
Our source was able to take a snap (above) of the scouting reports on Villa’s players, set out in their new 3-5-2 formation, at 12.28pm. The official team sheet would have been handed in – more than 90 minutes later – at 2pm.
 
 
 
The detailed nature of the team news suggests Palace were likely to have been aware of it before match day.
 
The team line-up showed that Villa would make the significant change of playing with three central defenders and wing-backs, rather than their usual flat back four, as well as four changes in personnel from the previous week’s home defeat by Fulham.
 
Palace were happy to allow visitors to take photos in the dressing room, with our insider noticing the team information, which had a full breakdown of the Villa team. Our source said: “The sheets were not hidden in any way and there seemed to be no problem reading them or even photographing them. I was gobsmacked when I saw what had been written about each player.
 
“The most amazing thing, though, was the fact that the formation and team line-up was spot on, which I thought was very strange, considering Villa ­subsequently made four changes from the previous week, and played 3-5-2 rather than 4-4-1-1.
 
“Not many expected Weimann and Albrighton to be on the bench, and Lowton to play at right wing-back, but Villa lined up exactly as we had seen it on the paper in the dressing room.
 
“It just seemed incredible to me that we had been in the dressing room and had seen the exact Villa line-up two-and-a-half hours before the game started.”
 
The scout, who compiled Pulis’ report, included several damning assessments of Villa players. We’ve summarised them in our graphic above.
 
A Villa spokesman said: “The matter has been brought to the attention of the club. We have no further comment.”
 
Christopher Lee
Sucker punch: Jason Puncheon's strike settled the game
 
Villa insist that their first team train in a secluded area of the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, in a rural area near The Belfry golf course, outside Birmingham. It is also believed they are happy with security around the facility.
 
They say it would be virtually ­impossible for a spy to get on to the premises to scout on manager Paul Lambert’s preparations for a vital ­relegation showdown.
 
So, there is mystery surrounding how Palace so accurately set out the Villa line-up, with the Midlands club concerned about possible leaks.
 
Villa boss Paul Lambert has suffered a tumultuous week, on the back of four straight defeats, with his long-term assistant Ian Culverhouse and head of football operations Gary Karsa being suspended. Those suspensions were linked to allegations of bullying, not the alleged leak.
 
There is also no direct link between Palace seemingly knowing the Villa side in advance and those allegations made by Cardiff against the south London club.
 
But Cardiff have accused Palace of breaking Premier League rules B15, B16 and B17 – with B17 potentially the most serious, as it states that no club shall disclose or divulge ­confidential ­information. Cardiff claim Palace’s actions were “an attempt to obtain a sporting ­advantage”.
 
The Premier League have confirmed they are investigating Cardiff’s complaint, but it is uncertain what punishment could be meted out if they are found to have broken any League rules.
 
We offered Crystal Palace the chance to respond. They declined to comment.

 

 

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest, they're not exactly ground breaking reports on each player, you only need to watch them a handful of times to make the same assessments...any one of us would say exactly the same about most of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest, they're not exactly ground breaking reports on each player, you only need to watch them a handful of times to make the same assessments...any one of us would say exactly the same about most of them.

Its more the fact that they knew the changes and the formation that none of us could have predicted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest, they're not exactly ground breaking reports on each player, you only need to watch them a handful of times to make the same assessments...any one of us would say exactly the same about most of them.

Its more the fact that they knew the changes and the formation that none of us could have predicted!

Could this perhaps give a more telling insight into why Culverhouse and Karsa have been suspended? Wasn't there talk of someone inside the club leaking starting line ups?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest, they're not exactly ground breaking reports on each player, you only need to watch them a handful of times to make the same assessments...any one of us would say exactly the same about most of them.

Its more the fact that they knew the changes and the formation that none of us could have predicted!
Could this perhaps give a more telling insight into why Culverhouse and Karsa have been suspended? Wasn't there talk of someone inside the club leaking starting line ups?

Possibly, if so then will be interesting as Cardiff have already complained about palace knowing their starting line up the week before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to mention is that the journalist (or whoever) it was that took the photo's of the formation and papers went in and saw these 2.5 hours before the start of the game. Palace had this information longer than that in order to get all the information ready.

 

Not just the players and the formation, but for instance how Vlaar performs in a 3-man defence. Considering it's been a while since we played 3 at the back, they wouldn't have probably spent a huge deal of time preparing that information unless they knew thats what we would be playing.

 

Would make sense for us to complain. Wonder if anything like this will come out about other Palace games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing to mention is that the journalist (or whoever) it was that took the photo's of the formation and papers went in and saw these 2.5 hours before the start of the game. Palace had this information longer than that in order to get all the information ready.

Not just the players and the formation, but for instance how Vlaar performs in a 3-man defence. Considering it's been a while since we played 3 at the back, they wouldn't have probably spent a huge deal of time preparing that information unless they knew thats what we would be playing.

Would make sense for us to complain. Wonder if anything like this will come out about other Palace games.

Yeo, this wasn't done an hour before kick off when teams are known and even at that stage the formation would be a guess. There's something in this for me and its not just sour grapes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What annoys me is that some of the journo's on Sunday Supplement think it's part of the game and that it's tough if someone from within our club leaked the info.

 

I'll try that argument next time someone offers me stolen goods and the police want to talk to me about it.

 

Admittedly less serious but the principle still applies. If it came from within our club someone must have either asked for the info or was offered it and, more importantly, accepted and used the information to gain an advantage.

 

Pretty sure Palace could have beaten us without a "dossier" but it's irrelevant. The match was not played fairly as Palace had a clear advantage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Â