By Tom Hughes

Two angry characters sit in front of me in the Lower Holmesdale. One half of the pair is an extremely tall man who whistles piercingly approximately ninety times per game at particularly tense moments, like throw-ins.

His much smaller friend looks like he doesn’t actually have a ticket because he’s so comically squeezed into standing slightly behind his big mate. I can only describe him like the Lord of the Rings character Wormtongue.

He doesn’t seem to do anything other than murmur into the larger, angrier friend’s ear.

Against Peterborough a mate and I were brutally chastised by this duo for applauding KG as he left the pitch. The midfielder had had his best game for some time, but Ian Holloway had seen fit (pun intended) to substitute him on 67 minutes.

Sadly, their deep-seated and unhealthy wrath at fellow Palace supporters simply for appreciating KG’s role in that game was basically vindicated by the South African’s slow, bumbling performance against Brighton on Friday.

He isn’t the player he was earlier in the season. Coupled with Garvan’s gradual return to match fitness, our midfield has drastically slower distribution than before.

If you count applauding KG as a reprehensible mistake, then I should address another time I’ve been far more categorically wrong.

In the fifth All of the Time (11.04.13) I confidently opened with the declaration “I think Crystal Palace could clinch second place in the Championship this season.” Oops.

Now, I’ll openly say I don’t have a good feeling about the second leg against Brighton. And I’m not just trying to create an anti-jinx.

Yes there’s no Glenn Murray, but my foreboding is mainly because Brighton showed how well they can play during the first half on Friday and they now have the home advantage. It’s scary.
To combat this negativity my preferred game plan would be to start Yannick Bolasie on the opposite wing to Zaha.

Having the two explosive wingers swapping flank regularly throughout a game throws fullbacks into disarray and aids Palace’s breakaway moves, as well as removing the sole pressure from resting on Zaha’s shoulders.

Anything can happen, but the game is going to be a nervy mess.

Whatever transpires, I won’t see Selhurst’s irate odd-couple until next season. They can whisper and whistle all they want at the Amex (and – touch wood – Wembley); because it’s more than likely I won’t be behind them. And I’ll be too anxious to care.