GOALKEEPERS

ALEX KOLINKO

Crystal Palace's Latvian stopper had a superb season in which he challenged £1.3m Matt Clarke for the number one jersey. Kolinko's confidence grew throughout the season and so did his performances. His finest hour was as a one-man match-winner at Valley Parade to deny Bradford in December but it was one of many stunning performances. However, his Kicking and distribution needs to improve.

MATT CLARKE

A solid year for Clarke, in which he commanded his area excellently and produced some super stops from close range. A couple of poor performances aside, Palace's big keeper found himself busy at the back due to lapses in front of him. His keeping was crucial in keeping Palace's slim advantage in the games against Wolves at Molineux and Barnsley.

DEFENDERS

JAMIE SMITH

A persistent knee injury has deprived the Palace fans of the pace and skill of Smith down the right for most of the season. Effective going forward, he is a capable player still waiting for the big breakthrough.

CRAIG HARRISON

Palace fans were not always confident of "Lovejoy"'s skills at left-back but he filled in competently despite lacking pace. His Eagles future looks bleak after Danny Granville's arrival and a horrifying broken leg during a reserve match.

DEAN AUSTIN

Palace's club captain has improved his fitness and confidence throughout the year, proving his critics wrong with a series of solid performances. Now transfer-listed, with a decent replacement, Deano will not be sorely missed.

KIT SYMONS

Silver fox Symons joined the club at the start of Trevor Francis' tenure. His experience proved effective against the toughest opponents and he and Tony Popovic were forming a strong partnership in the centre-back positions before both got injured against Coventry. When he is fit, the defence is boosted by awareness around the box and his aerial prowess.

GREGG BERHALTER

Berhalter had a reasonable start to the season but had a tendency to look lost at the back and made mistakes under pressure. He is on the transfer list despite making the US national side.

TONY POPOVIC

The revelation of the season for the Eagles, Popovic has brought solidity to the back line with aerial strength that Palace have been lacking. Unfortunately he has been missing through international duty and injury sustained against Coventry. Palace have missed him and have been forced to arrange hasty cover.

CURTIS FLEMING

Trevor Francis brought in Middlesbrough's Fleming to patrol the right-hand side of defence and sweep up into midfield when necessary. His commitment to the cause and the ferocity of his tackling has been a delight.

DANNY GRANVILLE

Another Francis defensive signing but the least effective of the three. Good going forward down the left and solid in the tackle but his passing is not what you would expect from a former Chelsea, Leeds and Man City player. Still has a lot to prove to the Palace fans.

MIDFIELDERS

HAYDEN MULLINS

It's important to put Mullins in as a midfielder, for this is where he has made the greatest impact this year. Mullins can play in a variety of roles and is a solid defender but when he plays there it deprives the midfield of someone who can spray the ball around intelligently, as well as a good tackler, header and worker. Next season will hopefully see Palace's captain-in-waiting make the midfield role his own.

DAVID HOPKIN

He's still got the feet but has he got the legs? Palace's Wembley hero was bought for a hefty sum last year but has not been able to complete many football matches this term. However, when he has been on the pitch his accurate passing has been a bonus, as well as his goalscoring class.

AKI RIIHILAHTI

Palace's amiable Finn has been an enigmatic character this year. Is he a strapping destructive midfielder or a journeyman who lacks pace? Some of his performances, particularly ruining Ali Benarbia's afternoon at Maine Road, have been great. On occasions he looked tired, unsurprisingly, given that he has virtually been ever-present in the side. Aki works incredibly hard and his commitment has been a real asset.

JOVAN KIROVSKI

Is Palace's American star a superb creative midfielder, or a luxury a Division One team can't afford? No-one can question his ability and he began the year well, controlling games from the centre. But once Steve Bruce departed, so did Jovan's motivation and his performances became lacklustre.

JULIAN GRAY

Fans' favourite Gray has had a storming season on the left wing and won the Young Player of the Year Award. With his tricks and pace he's been a real handful for defences, often drawing two defenders with his close control and sprinting ability. The only disappointment has been a lack of goals.

SIMON RODGER

Rodger's final season at Palace has not been a jolly one, hampered by the recurrence of the injuries that have damaged his career. Some good dribbling and the classic Rodger tenacity gave glimpses of what the Palace stalwart was capable of but he was never really given the chance he deserved by Francis.

STEVE THOMPSON

A utility player with good touch, Thomson has always been there or thereabouts, despite a couple of niggling ankle injuries. He was favoured by Alan Smith and is gradually coming back into the reckoning; can look tasty going forward, and is solid in the tackle.

ANDREJS RUBINS

Palace's Worthington Cup hero of last season had a bleak time on the fringes. Unable to cope with the heavy tackles of Division One, he played second fiddle to Gray but did make an encouraging comeback at the end of the season.

TOMMY BLACK

This capable and trusty battler has fine control and a fiery spirit, which got him into trouble on a couple of occasions this year. Plagued by injury, he was missed when he was away from the side. Next season should see him secure a first-team place on the right if he can improve his crossing.

ANDREW FRAMPTON

Broke back into the first team picture this season after injury but Danny Granville's arrival limited his opportunities. Solid in the tackle, he will need to improve his passing to secure his Palace future.

FORWARDS

DOUGIE FREEDMAN

It's been another stunning season for Freedman, which rightly won him Player of the Year. Freedman is becoming something of a latter-day Peter Beardsley, foraging for the ball, finding good spaces and then threading through killer passes for his partner Morrison. His 20 goals and performances won him a place in the Division one team of the season. Freedman is an intelligent footballer who can produce something from nothing, especially away from home.

CLINTON MORRISON

Clinton has everything a striker needs - confidence, touch and the ability to find the net (25 times this season). His partnership with Freedman has been special but Clinton has struggled away from Selhurst Park. Consistently linked with a move to a big-name club, Morrison kissed the Eagle crest when he netted against Walsall and goes to the World Cup an Eagle.

ADE AKINBIYI

Akinbiyi has not performed to his potential or his £2.3m price tag and actually threw the deadly Morrison-Freedman partnership off balance. Ade has plenty of pace and strength and can look dangerous but he has been trying too hard and lacked confidence. With a full pre-season and the chance to settle, he should be fired up for the start of the next campaign but a knee injury may jeopardise that.

STEVE KABBA

When will the breakthrough come for Kabba? He hasn't really been given the chance to make his way into the reckoning and has not sparkled in the few minutes he has been allowed on the pitch. Kabba is a player who needs some polish but a loan spell at Luton may have done the trick.

WAYNE ROUTLEDGE

A couple of appearances have been encouraging but he has yet to be on the pitch long enough for fans to see what he is capable of. Despite his short stature, Routledge is hoping his speed, touch and commitment will see him add more first team appearances to his growing number of England under-18 caps.

June 5, 2002 15:30