EAGLES blogger SAM ROSS is urging his fellow Palace fans to stop moaning about the club’s recent dip of form with a play-off spot still looking likely.

IT has been four weeks since my last column, when I worryingly said it would take something ‘catastrophic, but still do-able’ for Palace to mess up their 10-point gap in the play-offs.

Well, they are certainly pushing those ‘do-able’ boundaries with a torrid run of four games without a win and without even scoring.

Palace fans who are saying they are now out of the chase for automatic places should consider the Eagles are even lucky enough to still be in the play-off hunt.

Four games without a win has somehow, but very fortunately for Ian Holloway’s side, seen us remain in fourth spot.

It is easy to say what might have been in matches which Palace should have at the very least picked up one win with everyone else around them slipping up so disastrously as well. Holloway received huge criticism from the home fans following Palace’s 4-0 home defeat to Birmingham and there is no doubt he is currently in his toughest spell as manager at Selhurst.

His decision to bring on Stephen Dobbie for Jazz Richards when trailing 2-0 at half-time to Birmingham ultimately backfired and made him open to the criticisms of being tactically inept.

Personally I think this is harsh and too easy to suggest after taking a risk.

If it had paid off he would have been hailed for the bold move but such is the life of management, it didn’t work out and he took the flak for it.

Holloway’s answer to that embarrassing defeat appeared to be make the players get the train to the Blackpool game, a good decision in my view.

But even this didn’t seem to get a response from his squad as the Tangerines went down to 10 men with just 40 minutes played but still Palace were unable to find the back of the net. The inability to score is really bizarre for a side which boasts the top scorer in the league and have such threatening midfielders as Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasie and Jonathan Williams.

Holloway must be scratching his head with how his side cannot score anymore and I sympathise with him on that.

How could it change so quickly?

Either way, it has happened and unlike the international break, Holloway must use this weekend’s blank, due to Millwall’s FA Cup semi-final, to solve it.

It is a good job Millwall have done so well in the cup as Palace fans could have witnessed something hugely mortifying at the Den this Saturday. For those whinging fans thinking the season is nose-diving out of control, take a step back and re-evaluate.

The Eagles are six points clear in the play-offs and have everything in their own hands with five games left.

A play-off place would be a fine end to the season. There is no doubt there are sides in among Palace who are showing better form, with Bolton and Nottingham Forest looking the most threatening.

But Holloway, known for being the play-off master, must show what he can do as a manager in the final run into the season.

As Palace fans, we should get right behind him rather than criticise at every available opportunity.

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