Dougie's Decree: We Gave It A Good Go

After our disappointing 1-0 loss to Derby County in the FA Cup, Dougie Freedman admitted he was forced into making changes due to the virus doing the rounds at the club.

Speaking to Crystal Palace FC Freedman explained that he wasn't able to pick his strongest squad as he'd previously promised because he had to keep an eye on fatigue and fitness with the virus going through the club.

'Hand on heart, I was forced into making changes. I've got a sickness going through the club so even with the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, I had to make three or four changes. If there was no illness at the club, there would have been three or four who were not here who would have played.'

Freedman admitted his overriding concern at the moment was bringing a halt to the illness and stopping it spreading further, but clearly it has hampered us recently with squad selections.

As for the game itself, Dougie was relatively pleased with the performance and said there were plenty of positives he can take from the game.

'We just missed out. We gave everything we had but we just came up short. I gave youngsters debuts today, and it just shows you that is what we do at Palace - we give people opportunities. I am very proud of the way they handled themselves. They were tested and they stood up to the challenge. I think credit to our lads.'

Vital Crystal Palace on:

Vital Crystal Palace on:

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