Nikola Milenković

We've not scored a goal in five games, which isn't fun at all.

um but we we played arsenal uh ran them right to the wire and we're really unlucky to lose that game we should have beaten spurs we had a really i think dodgy var call go against us um coventry scored a goal out of just the the guy who scored it scored i don't score a goal in his career or something like that and he has a worldly touch on the on the touchline behind minoz and then tucks it away brilliantly so we we're not playing badly we've made a few costly errors and we missed a ton of chances basically so at Ipswich on Friday night Milenkovic made a totally ridiculous error gifted them a goal we missed enough chances to win two games.

At Palace, we missed enough chances to win five games.

So that's what's really frustrating because we are actually playing pretty well, especially away from home.

In terms of the defence, they're all available.

So Diamande, Murillo, Milenkovic and Jair Cunha.

So he can pick his choice from that.

Now, there was a lot of talk about him and Marinakis and is he feeling threatened by the position Forrest are in.

And then he just got dropped.

So I don't know.

I think at the back, I reckon he'll go Milenkovic.

I don't think Diamande starts well.

It's a back three that can all pass out.

And then your players like Milenkovic, Savona, even Iyer at centre-half, they can slot in if need be.

You've got that depth now, but your key principle three, I think, needs to be those.

I understand the concern from a lot of the fan base is that you can't play three centre-halves that are all under the age of, what, 24, 25.

You're going to get caught out, but...

Sometimes you just have to play with the talent you've got.

And I think Milenkovic, I think actually Milenkovic played really well against Ipswich, by the way.

The mistake is the thing that he's going to be known by in that game.

I mean, the Ipswich game, let's put it into perspective.

You know, Milenkovic rarely makes a mistake like that.

And, you know, you've got to give them credit because you've still got to go and finish that one-on-one with the keepers.

One of the most difficult chances you can come your way as a striker.

So it is just about having a little bit more confidence in your own ability because you're under pressure.

Goalkeepers are under pressure.

Look at Milenkovic.

He was crestfallen giving that goal away.

We've made a few costly errors and we missed a ton of chances, basically.

So at Ipswich on Friday night, But Milenkovic made a totally ridiculous error, gifted them a goal.

We missed enough chances to win two games.

At Palace, we missed enough chances to win five games.

We've got five defenders for three plays to the back and they're all good, but they've all been a little bit either injured or out of form.

which is maybe one of the reasons we've struggled.

But Murillo, Milenkovic, Shaya Kunya is coming through really well.

And Diamande, probably the main four, and Aina pushing them.

Maybe missing Gibbs-White against Arsenal meant that... you know, we lacked something in that kind of forward area to really push us on all those kind of little things.

Milenkovic has been in and out, been up and down with his form.

So there's other things or lots of things that are happening.

But I think having a settled team and having a settled you know state of mind going into this game is really important great news that nico willing to be fit um be interesting to see what he does in the forward area if dan and doy is out and we'll obviously look at our our teams later see i'm feeling relaxed i am i am feeling relaxed about it um but it's thursday night ask me ask me again saturday morning

That's about the only way to put it.

Yeah.

And it's kind of like, when does Milenkovic do that? Now he's rusty coming back, but he's not going to do that again, is he? Like pretty much this season or next season, probably, right? And there are other like deflected goals and all of this jazz that is happening.

So it takes freak goals and stupid goals that a player's not going to repeat all season for how we've been shopping goals.