EAGLES columnist SAM ROSS questions why it is always the manager and owners who attract the flak from fans and not the players in the wake of Crystal Palace’s shocking start to the new campaign.

WITH only two games of the season gone, the Eagles sit embarrassingly bottom of the table having conceded seven shocking goals.

Yes, it is not a good start.

In fact, it’s an abysmal one.

But it’s certainly not a surprising one.

I said in my column last week Dougie Freedman could have his toughest ride from the fans this season and last night’s result at Bristol City showed frustration has disgracefully already started.

Reading tweets and posts on the BBS I was ashamed to see comments calling for Freedman to be sacked, while Steve Parish was getting abuse for not investing in players and Dean Moxey received personal insults – all completely uncalled for.

Do these fans not remember this time last year when the Eagles went unbeaten throughout August and were soaring high in the league?

That didn’t last long.

Fans joked at the time about sacking Freedman after the Eagles dropped down to fourth without even playing a game.

Now those calls are worryingly becoming serious ones from some deluded supporters.

We are clearly missing Paddy McCarthy, something I thought I’d never say.

His leadership is by far his best attribute over his defensive capabilities and we needed a skipper in both games.

To concede two goals in the last five minutes of a game as we did against Watford is schoolboy stuff and had McCarthy been on the pitch that wouldn't have happened.

Conceding two late goals is bad enough but conceding two early ones like we did last night is just amateurish.

McCarthy would have made sure everyone was focused for the opening and closing stages of the game.

The performance over the last two games has not been acceptable, granted, but the reaction from some section of the fans has been well over the top and plain wrong.

I am not even going to dignify the call for Freedman to leave with a response of the possible managers out there because I know there isn't one better suited.

The person we are perhaps missing the most early on this season is Tony Popovic.

He worked wonders with the defence last season and since his move to Australia we have struggled with organisation at the back.

Some fans clearly have missed having a moan at football over the last few months and are prematurely venting their anger at the wrong people.

Why is it never the players’ fault?

It is already clear we haven’t got the squad to challenge for promotion this season unless something miraculous happens from now until deadline day.

We will be battling for survival and some players need to make sure they are prepared for that fight because it is not going to be an easy one.

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