We who follow the Palace have got a little nervous in recent weeks. Seemingly gone is the team that could brush aside all challengers. We’re currently in the relegation places as far as the form table is concerned, and there’s a serious possibility that we might actually miss out on the play offs.

Even if we reach the play offs there are twists and turns of Hamlet-style proportions. Do we want to play Bolton, for whom we were dumped by our former hero Dougie Freedman, for whom a large proportion of the supporter base still hanker? Or the arch-rival Seaweeds? A loss against either could see the keyboard warriors among the Palace faithful spending the summer tearing each other apart.

No one really knows why Palace’s form has slumped. Is it that we just can’t take our chances? (There have been games when there haven’t been that many chances to take.) Injuries and suspensions? A lack of fitness? Not enough wing play? A divided dressing room? Too cavalier an attitude to defence? I don’t know the answers to these questions and neither do you. (Sorry if that’s you reading this, Mr Holloway.)

So we pick at straws. On another blog you’ll find 10 reasons why we can be promoted, all very well argued.

You’ll notice that a lot of people are saying that if we can just get to the playoffs then Ollie’s experience and the difference in the format will throw the form book out of the window. I hope they’re right (though our 2006 experience says otherwise). But if they are right, why don’t we make the change now?

When things are going wrong, sometimes you just have to change the nature of what you’re doing. I have news: win the next four games and we get promoted. Beat Peterborough today, win in the semi-final (likely against a team we’ve already beaten this season), win the final (ditto). Fail to beat Peterborough today and we may as well give up.

So, given that we are already in a knock-out situation, why not embrace it right now? Forget the league form, the regrets, the broken hearts, the mathematical formulae. We can win this. Behave as though we’re in the play-offs. Prepare as though we’re in the play-offs. Support as though we’e already in the play-offs. Forget our nervousness, we’re up for this. We have a great history in the play-offs, so does our manager. Let’s assume we start today.

COME ON YOU REDS AND BLUES!

Will we see this inspiring sight again this spring?

3.00pm UPDATE: Palace 3 Peterborough 2 and Palace are in the play-offs properly Commiserations to Posh who took the lead twice. BRING ON THE SEAWEED