[Selhurst Park. Saturday May 5. 15:02 BST.]
Stoke at home was the tune-up.
I rotated nine of the eleven from Lisbon. Pope rested. Konaté rested. Mama rested. Eze on the bench. Wilf on the bench.
Steve Mandanda started in goal.
He had not started a match since the second round of the Carabao Cup in September. He had been our third keeper all season behind Pope and Wayne, and he had trained every morning at Beckenham for nine months without complaining once, and he was thirty-three years old, and Marseille had been on the phone to Dougie since March because Marseille wanted him home.
I named him in the team meeting on Friday and he did not change his expression. After the meeting he came to my office.
"Daniel."
"Steve."
"Thank you for the match."
"You have earned the match. You have earned ten matches. I have given you one because I have Pope and I have Wayne and the maths is the maths. But you have earned ten."
