Glad All Over? More like 'glad it's all over'. But can Albion's draw with Palace really be considered a good point?

One would like to think it ended with a few ticket and non-ticket carrying supporters feeling a bit red-faced about their own actions.

Though that might be hoping for too much.

There were certainly questions asked away from the football as Tuesday ticked into Wednesday.

As for what it should all be about – the game itself – Albion and their fans are left pondering whether a home draw against the bottom team can be considered a good result.

And what could lie ahead during what they always knew would be a demanding set of fixtures.

The message coming from the Albion camp in most post-match interviews was that it was a handy point.

At the same time, the expressions and demeanour of the players coming through the mixed zone suggested a fair degree of disappointment.

Mathew Ryan was the one who put that sentiment into words.

“Thoroughly disappointed, actually, that we didn’t get the win at home,” the Albion goalkeeper admitted.

“Frustrating – but it’s in the past now.”

Others spoke in more positive terms.

A good result? It was certainly a fair result.

Two voices of experience – Chris Hughton and Glenn Murray – made points which were very valid as far as they went.

Like Murray’s observation about a Palace side who are on the up.

They have been given extra steel, purpose and organisation by Roy Hodgson.

Murray said: “It’s a point gained. Even though Palace aren’t doing as well as they should be in the table, they are still a very dangerous opposition.

“They can hurt you and I think they are only going to improve.”

True enough. But how good are they actually going to be?

As good as a mid-table side? Or as a side just below halfway?

If so, that still makes them one of the teams against whom Albion will need to take a significant haul of points if they are to remain clear of trouble.

Asked about the more hectic fixture schedule, Murray said it could suit the Seagulls.

He added: “I think if anyone is best suited to it, it’s us with the Championship experience of last year. We had a lot of games.”

Again, spot on as far it went, although the regular tests are of a more demanding nature this season.

But one aspect of those midweek games in the Championship which sticks in the memory was that they tended to be dull, cagey and, at times, played by teams who knew they were in the middle of a busy week.

They were about quantity of fixtures rather than quality of fixtures.

Yes, there were exceptions. Back in April, 2014, Albion drew 3-3 at Blackburn and won 4-1 at Leicester on successive Tuesdays (though the game on the intervening Saturday was a dreadful 0-0 draw at Barnsley).

But, over their last four seasons in the Championship, the most common Albion result in midweek games squeezed between two weekend games was 0-0, which happened seven times.

There were five 1-0s, five 1-1s and five 2-0s.

The memory goes back to matches which seemed to pass by with little happening and everyone reasonably happy to avoid defeat and injuries.

Games like the trip to Ipswich last season (pictured above), a draw at Cardiff in Hughton’s early days at the club, a match at Sheffield Wednesday or visits to QPR and Burnley.

Every match this season has felt like an event.

Bizarrely, and this is a personal observation, that did not seem to apply in the same measure to local derby night.

In terms of atmosphere and intensity of the football, Newcastle felt more like a local derby than Palace.

And then there was Hughton in his press conference.

The home manager was asked about his team’s series of draws at the Amex against teams from below the Premier League elite.

Everton, Southampton, Stoke and now Crystal Palace.

His reply was not to under-rate such results because they all came against teams established in the Premier League.

Again, no argument with that. But 18 of the 20 teams are established at this level. The only exceptions are Albion themselves and Huddersfield.

And does anyone expect the forthcoming trip to the John Smith’s Stadium to be anything but a very stern test?

Albion always knew there would be a time when things would get tough, when they would have to dig in. This is it.

In fairness to Murray, he looked pretty underwhelmed when he began his interview.

“It felt as though it was always going to be a draw,” was his first answer.

By then, back in town, Bruno had been cleaned up pretty well.

Instead of being proudly blue and white, he was now red and blue.

But only on the side of Gelato Gusto, not in reality.

Thanks to the vandalism of his mural in the North Laine, the skipper became the face of Albion of this match.

His named was sung like rarely before as the teams waited to come out.

Now bigger, less parochial tests await, starting with the prospect of Liverpool at home on a Saturday afternoon.

Glad all over? For many late on Tuesday night, it seemed the local derby sentiment was more “glad it’s all over”.

The Premier League so many of us looked forward to (and savoured in Manchester last Saturday, even while witnessing a cruel Albion defeat) returns this weekend.

Bring on the Red men.