COLUMNIST Dan Gibbs thinks Crystal Palace need to do some work on their crossing...
We take three points at home to Liverpool, gain a huge point away at Swansea and then lose to a poor Aston Villa side at Selhurst Park.
All in all, the standard Palace fortnight.
Tuesday night's defeat against Paul Lambert's side was another one that left me agitated, frustrated and irritated; yet I was pleased with our performance.
I thought we dominated play right from the off, and while having less possession we looked much more likely to score. We bossed the midfield with Mile Jedinak and James McArthur playing superbly and we created plenty of chance.
'Chances' being the key word here. With the wingers we possess, we should be creating so many decent opportunities for the strikers in the box.
Wilf and Yannick are as good as anyone in the league when it comes to beating a full-back but some of their crossing has been terrible of late. As for the corners on Tuesday, Joel Ward was awful.
If we could sub Barry Bannan on and off for every set piece we are given, our problem would be solved.
If we know we're going to struggle to get it past the first man then why don't we put someone on the front post to flick it on? Brede Hangeland, at 6ft 6in, should be getting a header away at every set piece we have, but because the delivery is so bad he doesn't have the chance.
Aside from the set pieces, we actually played really well. A few clumsy mistakes and cheap giveaways were always going to happen, it's just a shame that one of those proved costly.
It was very unfortunate that on the night Scott Dann reportedly had some of the England national team staff observing him, he gave the ball away in the lead up to their goal.
Having watched the extended highlights after the game, an expert finish from Christian Benteke was the difference. Had we taken our chances and delivered better balls into the box, by the law of averages we would have got a goal.
There's still no need to panic, luckily the other teams below us aren't faring much better, but these are the types of games we need to win.
We play Villa again on New Year's Day and hopefully we can have a bit more luck and get a decent result.
Before that though, a small matter of 15 points up for grabs in 22 days, starting at Spurs on Saturday; who are definitely nothing to be scared of.
We're in for a rollercoaster 22 days, Palace fans.
