The Player's Lounge

Ray Bateup's Report

Pier's Match Stats

Jamie Fullarton Q: if it's true that the Chelsea game was "men against boys", after today's match we can easily state that the boys have grown up. What do you think? A: yes, I think that today we played very well. We are a very young side and this was an important game for us, it is very difficult to play against Arsenal: they are on top form right now. Q: I believe that the midfield was outstanding today: do you agree? A: Yes, the midfield helped the defence a lot. We set the tempo of the game to our liking. Q: Do you feel comfortable playing in the centre of the midfield? Or would you prefer playing in the centre-left? A: I like playing in front of the defence: this is my best position. I tend to talk a lot and to organise things. I am definitely not a wide player. Q: Has your French experience been very useful for the prosecution of your career? A: Yes, it gave me a lot both in terms of football and from a human point of view. It is not easy to be on your own when you're 21.   Ivano Bonetti Q: Presumably, you are very pleased that your debut coincided with a very good Palace result, aren't you? A: I have been following this Premiership debut for 2 years and I am obviously very pleased. Q: Would you be happy to be considered a squad player or would you want more? A: I have been with Palace since last Thursday and to gain the debut after a few days is a very good achievement. The performances on the pitch will decide whether I'll have a chance to make the starting line-up more often. Q: What did you do in the time frame between the end of your contract with Tranmere Rovers and your return to England, here at Crystal Palace? A: I have been on holiday !! But I have looked after myself and I had a very good close season preparation with a group of out of contracts Italian footballers..   Neil Shipperley Q: Neil, what do you think of the performance of the team? You didn't have a lot of playable balls, but this is understandable when you play against Arsenal. A: Yes, indeed, Arsenal are top of the league and our objective today was to press them a lot, to close them down in midfield as early as possible. I think it is a deserved draw and I am very happy to get one point out of this game. Q: With Freedman going away, do you think that there will be more opportunities for you? A: I think that a new striker will be signed soon. Nevertheless, this is the best league in the world and I think that it is a very good thing to have competition for places. Sure, I'd like to play a number of games on the trot, but right now I'm reasonably happy to take one game at a time. Q: Also, if a world class striker was signed, you would have the chance to learn a lot. True? A: Yes, absolutely. I'm 22 and I've got plenty of things to learn. Q: On the basis of today's performance, do you think that Crystal Palace have a very good chance to avoid relegation? A: I have never thought that we can be relegated. In fact, we have been dominated in very few games and this makes me very confident. Pier's Match Stats Pier-Luigi Giganti Our grateful thanks go to all the Palace players and staff concerned for their help and assistance in granting these interviews, especially Peter Leonard and Terry Byfield. All photography © Neil Everitt. Match Report