'Annus horribilis' nearly over at the Palace

After the trials and tribulations of a 2010 that has been marked by on and off-field turmoil at Crystal Palace, fans of the Eagles will be looking forward to the new year and hoping that their side can build on an encouraging win over Watford on Tuesday night.

Coventry City are the next visitors to Selhurst Park and will be facing a side still struggling at the foot of the table but buoyed by the return to fitness of Darren Ambrose and Neil Danns and a battling display against the Hornets.

With Palace having been through administration, the departure of Neil Warnock and the eventual takeover of the club by the CPFC 2010 consortium, new boss George Burley took on a tough task when he arrived in the summer, something he alluded to when speaking to his official club website after the Watford game.

'We started with ten players, we had six loan players, we have been playing with one 17-year-old and three 19-year-olds for a great time and we are building the squad that way; it is not going to happen overnight.'

Last season's corresponding fixture ended in a 1-0 win for the Sky Blues during their most productive run of the season, David Bell scoring the only goal of the game at Selhurst Park in February.

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