Cost of Crystal Palace starting 11

[notts_ram]

Since the first 10 games of the season Palace have never been out of the Top 6, they have consistently outperformed us despite their total expenditure on players being slightly over 2 million. This isn't a fluke or luck, this is down to good management, from the board through to the management of the team. Compare and contrast that to us.

[McMuffin]

Since the first 10 games of the season Palace have never been out of the Top 6, they have consistently outperformed us despite their total expenditure on players being slightly over 2 million. This isn't a fluke or luck, this is down to good management, from the board through to the management of the team. Compare and contrast that to us.

Consistently mid table for 4 years and unlucky every time we lose.

We've barely had a sniff of top 6 in the 4 seasons if we're being honest

[ramblur]

Zaha has been a big influence for them and he's 20 years old.If Mason were to burst on the scene (at a much younger age than Zaha) along with one or 2 others ,perhaps,to add to Will and Jeff,then we could eventually have a starting 11 costing very little.We were virtually told some time ago that we'd have to rely on the Academy,but some don't seem to have the patience/perhaps don't appreciate the quality coming through.

 

Palace waited a long time before getting the full benefit of Zaha.

[eranio20]

Since Clough took the helm, Wilfred Zaha has (from the year 2010- two years AFTER Clough arrived at the club);

Made his professional debut

Got two young player of the season awards on the trot

Earned a under 21 call up

Earned a England cap

Played nearly 130 first team games for Palace

Almost sold to help finance Palace out of admin

Been managed by SEVEN different managers at Palace since his debut in 2010

Joined the biggest club in the country for a potential fee rising to 15 million

Achieved premiership status with Crystal Palace

Patience eh?

[ramblur]

Ramblur what about Murray and Phillips.

In what respect? I wasn't trying to suggest that it was all down to Zaha,as I appreciate that the 2 you mention played a big part.It seems that Murray wanted to play in London,and even if it wasn't the case we don't know if we could have competed on wages (I'd tend to agree with another poster that Palace were running a higher players' wage bill than us).

 

The point about Zaha is that he's been far more of an influence this year than last.The encouraging thing for us is that we appear to have several youngsters with good room for improvement/maturity.

[McMuffin]

Ramblur what about Murray and Phillips.

And Jedinak, Dicagoi, Bolasie, Williams, Delaney, Speroni, Ward.

Up top though without Murray that Wilbraham looks *****.

In contrast up top for us this season has been Sammon (1.2M) Martin (Prem loan) Ward, Tyson (decent wage) Theo.

[ramblur]

Since Clough took the helm, Wilfred Zaha has (from the year 2010- two years AFTER Clough arrived at the club);

Made his professional debut

Got two young player of the season awards on the trot

Earned a under 21 call up

Earned a England cap

Played nearly 130 first team games for Palace

Almost sold to help finance Palace out of admin

Joined the biggest club in the country for a potential fee rising to 15 million

Achieved premiership status with Crystal Palace

Patience eh?

As Zaha is now 20,he would have been 17 in 2010,the same age as Will and 1 year older than Mason.What had Palace done in the 2 seasons before this one? Will has played for Young England,made his pro debut,and would you bet against him earning a young player of the year award?We'll make an accurate comparison when our own potential matchwinners are nearer Zaha's current age (though both Mason and Will could make an impact earlier). 

[ramblur]

I think we are far too patient already Ramblur. Palace nearly went out of existence 3 years ago.

What gets me is that many were purring about sustainability (almost to the point of wallowing in some kind of self righteousness),without understanding the implications in terms of the wage bill,and the extent to which we would be relying on the Academy.I find it a bit ironic that I expressed doubts about the viability of the plan,but seem to find myself defending it.My own view is that they have a plan which relies on maturity of Academy graduates,and will therefore take time,so personally I'll give them that time.

 

However,unless we recruit the quality we need this window,my own opinion is that this coming season is one too early for our youngsters to have a really significant influence (Will might,but I think it's a year too soon to expect Mason to make a dramatic impact).

[Derbydave96]

Cheap team high wages, we don't seem willing to compete really wage wise if you look at there team, there best players are academy products with bargains making up the rest, our youngsters are probably another season or so from being our best players so we have to wait

[ramblur]

The point is Ramblur we need to add experience to our team with new signings. Maybe some people over ate our youngsters coming through. All teams have good youngsters the trick is the Rams acheiving something. Here's hoping we can do it next s

season but unless we have significant investment and Cloughie and his coaching staff improve i doubt we will get promoted any time soon despite what Rush says.

I'd agree we could do with experience,but quality experience.My own fear is that this window is going to turn out to be a bit of a fudge,a kind of holding operation.I've already noticed a subtle change of emphasis from SR.Unless I'm very much mistaken,he started off by saying new signings would excite,only to shift this recently to a squad that would excite fans (after bigging up the existing squad-internationals etc).

 

We had shifting sands 2 years ago-we were looking for a talismanic striker,and when he didn't arrive Tyson became that man (only for it to be later admitted that he wasn't really a striker).We were looking for a midfielder,but then we didn't realise how good Bryson was,and he became that man.Then we go on to the players we didn't get ,to be later told it was because we couldn't shift players off the wage bill.What do we get now but an assessment that although we might not get rid of 7,we'll surely get rid of some.If there was a certain planning a couple of years ago,then there must have been an anticipation then that certain players would leave-they didn't,until January when,conveniently,we tend not to do incoming business.  

[ramblur]

Whilst I've said I'm willing to give this plan time,I'd issue one warning for those thinking we might do a 'Southampton' by selling Academy products for big bucksand rebuilding.I well remember Matt Le Tissier throwing his hands in the air in despair a few years ago and questioning where all the Walcott etc money had gone.It was only the next crop,or I suppose to be more precise AOC, that allowed team rebuilding.We're at the mercy of our owners in this respect-nowt we can do about it.

[Carl Sagan]

You only have to look at last season's table to see how close all the teams in the Championship are. In our division, it's a lot about confidence and team spirit. Palace began well and just about kept it going, stumbling over the playoff line at the death. Start next season well and I could see us doing the same. Spend £5m on a top striker to take the chances we create and a centreback to stop loeaking goals away, and the Premier League's as good as ours.

[jimbobram]

The point is Ramblur we need to add experience to our team with new signings. Maybe some people over ate our youngsters coming through. All teams have good youngsters the trick is the Rams acheiving something. Here's hoping we can do it next s

season but unless we have significant investment and Cloughie and his coaching staff improve i doubt we will get promoted any time soon despite what Rush says.

its to get those season tickets sold

[BorneoRam]

Why so bitter are some?

Yoda, is that you!?

[McMuffin]

Yoda, is that you!?

Rumbled so I am!

[Stive Pesley]

I can't be the only one to have noticed how Palace's style changed dramatically after Holloway tooke over? He basically changed them from a footballing team into a team of Billy Davies-esque "just try not to lose" merchants.

 

In some respects I don't blame him as he had a lot to lose, taking over a team that were up there in the play-offs - he really did get them over the line running on fumes as Clarkson would say.

 

Can I also remind those that are pointing out his play-off successes that he also managed to get Leicester relegated from the Champ against the odds, with Mandaric's financial backing...

[weedram]

Another way of looking at this is that Palaces current team is worth way more than ours - because of Zaha who is credited with creating / scoring ALL their goals in the Playoffs.

 

Cant really blame Nigel Clough for not having a £15m youngster in his area - although we are now working on that with Will H & Mason B

[May Contain Nuts]

Indeed, imagine if when Man Utd had signed him they refused to loan him back - I'm not sure they'd even have made the playoffs.

[SuperSheep]

Palace could beat our premiership rec... Naah never mind.

[Jayram]

It strikes me that Palace are simply a better run and better managed club than ours. Two very decent managers have built and sustained their team from a standing start after administration and now they are reaping the rewards. In the same period we have wallowed in mid table with a manager and board who do little for me to inspire confidence that we can achieve anything similar. Good luck to Palace for next season - they'll probably need it.