Crystal Palace seem finally to have tightened up their defence — and I expect that to have a positive impact on their attacking players.
If you keep more clean sheets, you’ll win more games. If you win more games, it allows your flair players to relax.
If the men at the back are doing their jobs, players like Wilfried Zaha don’t need to worry about producing at least three or four moments of magic to give Palace a chance of winning the game.
When people like Zaha are enjoying themselves, you get the best from them.
Victory over Watford here would give Palace three League wins on the spin, which they have not managed in the same season since spring 2015, when they won four matches in a row.
They need a series of results like this, too, because their run-in is frightening. Between now and the end of the season, they play every team in the top six.
Palace will be confident against Watford, who lost 4-3 at home to Southampton last weekend.
I don’t agree with their high turnover of players and managers but that does not mean it is wrong.
If they stay up again this season, as they should, the Pozzo family will feel their method is working.
