Waddock sprang a massive surprise for everyone in the ground when he decided to play a different formation. For those of you that don’t remember what a different formation is, it is when the players play different areas of the pitch to the ones we have seen for the last two seasons!

Paul Jones remained in goal behind Bignot, Evatt, Shittu and Milanese. A five man midfield of Rose, Lomas, Donnelly, Langley and Cook was deployed behind Nygaard ploughing a lone furrow up front. The idea was to close down the space in midfield and give some protection to the back four. The only problem with this was that they contrived to gift Palace a goal after just three minutes.

The Eagles had been on the front foot from the off and had already seen a corner cleared before Clinton Morrison seized on a ball over the top of the defence. Ian Evatt tried his best to haul the Irish international to the deck but the former Birmingham man was too strong for him and he kept his feet before hooking the ball across Jones and into the corner.

It was a shambolic piece of defending from Evatt and a player of his size cannot afford to be pushed off of the ball so easily. He is lucky that Andy Hall didn’t award the pen as he may have been looking at his red card for the second time this season. Rangers were looking to get back into the game by playing off of Nygaard and getting the three attacking midfielders up in support. The balls into the big man weren’t good enough and it meant that the play was breaking down too quickly.

Nygaard took it upon himself to try and get us back into the game when he picked the ball up and turned goalward. He threw a massive step over to create some space before shaving Gabor Kiraly’s post with a dipping left footer from twenty yards. It was a rare moment of attacking prowess in a stuttering showing thus far.

Most of the pressure was coming from the home side although they weren’t forcing Jones into a lot of work. He was however making problems for himself with some shocking kicking. You could see why he was so keen to roll the ball out on Saturday; some of his kicks from hands were barely clearing the halfway line.

Cook went close with a cross/shot after switching to the right flank for a while before Palace scored their second of the night. The defence was pulled all over the place and Evatt and Milanese’s lack of pace was exposed as early sub Dougie Freedman turned the ball across the box into the path of Jobi McAnuff. The former Wimbledon winger shot through Bignot’s legs and under the dive of Jones.

Five minutes later and Waddock was changing things as he made an early substitution and switched formations. Bignot paid the price and was replaced by Furlong. Rose switched to right back and the team went to a 4-4-2 formation. The rest of the half passed without incident as Rangers tried to settle things down.

The second half started far more brightly and the attacking football that was on show on Saturday was far more evident and the game suddenly became a contest. Jones saved an early effort from the odious Wayne Andrews before Rangers were back in the match thanks to a classic Furlong goal.

Rangers won a throw on the right and it was worked short until the ball was rolled back into the path of Donnelly. He shifted it out of his feet before sending in a brilliant ball for Furlong to attack. It looked like the Furs of last season as he rose and buried a bullet header past Kiraly and into the bottom corner. It was most definitely game on now.

Langley went close after a lovely four man move ended with Furlong laying the ball off for the Jamaican international to curl a shot wide with Kiraly well beaten. Nygaard then smashed one goalward that flew off an outstretched leg for a corner.

As Rangers began to chase the game some large holes were appearing going the other way. Freedman wasted a glorious chance from ten yards when he blazed over. Jones then saved brilliantly at his near post before McAnuff contrived to shoot well wide when the goal was at his mercy.

At the other end Palace had a real let off when a Cook corner seemed to be dipping under the bar before something touched it onto the woodwork and out to safety. It was all starting to get a bit desperate in both boxes as legs and bodies were being thrown in the way of all manner of shots and crosses.

Nygaard came within centimetres of equalising when Evatt nodded down a Langley freekick. The giant Dane slid in at the far post only for Kiraly to get his hands to the ball just before him. Morrison then missed a great chance when he pulled his shot badly with only Jones to beat. Rangers kept piling forward but they couldn’t quite eek out a clear cut chance to grab a share of the spoils and the game ended in what you have to say was a deserved win for Palace.

Waddo tinkered with the formation and it didn’t work. However he was quick to change both formation and personnel when it became clear that it was all going pear shaped. There is no doubt that the players we have are far more suited to a 4-4-2 or at least they are at the moment. If they can work on the accuracy of their passing and their support play then the option of one up front could be a viable one. The players can certainly take heart from the way they battled back into this match against a very good side.

There is a weekend off now before we travel to face high flying Sheffield United at Bramall Lane and that will be another incredibly tough game. I think we have more chance of getting something there than we did against Dowie’s charges although it will certainly be tough. If we are able to welcome back Gallen and Rowlands and keep the fit players fit, then Waddock could be picking from the strongest squad we have had all season.

simon@qprnet.com