DOUGIE Freedman says he is delighted by Jermaine Easter’s demand to start for Crystal Palace at Burnley this weekend after the striker came off the bench to score a wonder goal against Reading on Saturday.

Easter replaced James Vaughan in the second half and produced a piece of magic to fire the Eagles 3-2 in front in a game which will live long in the memory.

Unfortunately for Palace it wasn’t good enough to seal victory as the Royals hit back again through Noel Hunt to earn a share of the spoils.

Easter claimed afterwards his goal was good enough to merit a place in the starting XI at Turf Moor and although pleased to hear his player was so keen to be involved, Freedman also added he was the boss for a reason.

The Palace chief said: “That is a bang on comment from Jermaine and a great one to make.

“I tell all my strikers, and I’ve been one myself, you’ve got to be living on the edge and go to the manager’s door when you aren’t playing.

“That is the way strikers live and I’ve got no problem with it at all but I will decide who plays and who doesn’t.”

Easter came on for Vaughan, on 63 minutes and despite the on-loan Everton striker playing a key role in setting up Neil Danns’ goal which put Palace seemingly in command at 2-0, the manager was happy to explain his decision to haul him off.

Freedman said: “James Vaughan works very hard for us week in, week out and he puts unbelievable shifts in.

“Statistics wise he is always up there and I just felt with three games in a week it needed to be freshened up.

“Vaughan for me has made the difference in terms of changing this whole season around when I brought him in.

“He gives us a real threat up top but I felt today with three games in a week it was unfair to ask him to play three 90 minutes.”

Freedman admitted a draw was probably a fair result in the end but admitted he was disappointed to see Palace’s nine-game record without conceding at home finally come to an end.

The boss said: “It is difficult to take. I’m hoping it was a one off game because we’ve been a lot more solid than that but in all honesty I thought it was the Reading side we played against.

“I thought they were a fantastic outfit with a fantastic energy with their attacking, so we’ve got to give them some credit.

“We’ve got to give our guys credit at the top end for getting three goals.

“All in all we will take a point. It could have been three if we had been a little bit more professional towards the end of the game but that is the way it goes.”

With Sheffield United and Scunthorpe both losing, some fans may consider the Reading game a missed opportunity to pull further clear from danger, especially having led 2-0 and 3-2 against the Royals.

But Freedman is refusing to worry about what other teams are up to, instead preferring to concentrate all of his energies on what his own squad do, also praising the supporters for their backing during difficult times in SE25.

He said: “I don’t really look backwards.

“I feel we’ve got enough in this squad, I really feel we’ve got enough defensive qualities and attacking qualities to get us out of this situation.

“The fans were brilliant, they are unbelievable.

“This is the most crucial thing about these fans – they can actually see we are struggling and then when we are struggling, that is when they back us.

“Any fans can cheer when goals go in but they cheer when we are struggling and that is the biggest credit I can give to them.”

Freedman added: “My professional job is to help these players get better as players and people.

“We work at it every day and we all chip in together and we all lose together and we all win together.

“I think that is what keeps showing between the staff and the players.

“There are no high positions at the club, we are all in it together.

“We find ourselves in a difficult position and we’ve got to get out of it together.”

Burnley will provide another stern test on Saturday as Palace try again to end their dismal run of results on the road.

Freedman knows more than anyone just how frustrating the difference is between the club’s form home and away but is confident he will eventually put it right.

“I’ve not got any magic formula but there certainly is a difference,” he admitted.

“You have to have a little look at the set up of the team I’ve put out and the way I look to play but it is difficult in the Championship to win away games.

“It isn’t easy so I’ll have a little look at it and we will keep on going.

“What my message would be on the training ground day in, day out, and what I try to drill into the players in a certain way, is to get the results we need away from home and I’m sure it will come.”

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