The weekend defeat to Crystal Palace raised several concerns, but one positive stood out—the electric atmosphere in the first 30 minutes.
The Power of the Crowd
From kickoff, the energy inside the stadium was noticeably higher than usual. That passion translated onto the pitch, with players battling hard, creating chances, and limiting Crystal Palace’s attacking threats.
Rodrigo Muniz’s early effort, sparked by his determination to win the ball, was a clear example of how players feed off crowd energy. Joao Palhinha thrives in similar moments—his crunching tackles on Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford in past seasons were met with roars of approval. The same was true against Liverpool in last season’s Carabao Cup semi-final and Tottenham in the Premier League. The issue? This level of support isn’t consistent throughout the season.
Why It Needs to Change
When the crowd is engaged, the players respond with more intensity, grit, and desire. Would those early tackles and battles against Crystal Palace have happened with a flat atmosphere? History suggests otherwise. In FA Cup upsets, underdogs often draw strength from a raucous home crowd, finding energy reserves they didn’t know they had.
If Craven Cottage could generate this kind of atmosphere every week, it could be a game-changer. Increased intensity, stronger performances, and better results could follow. Finding a way to make this a regular occurrence is the challenge—but one worth solving.
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