Done the stadium tour in December just before Xmas and I was half expecting to see Franca sat in his seat (sub bench) with a blank stare at the pitch, tear in eye, and listening to coldplay.

Yannick Bolasie - Glenn Murray - Wilfried Zaha

Most exciting attacking trio at Selhurst Park in years.

I don't wholly disagree, but this kid is not coming with a pedigree of many first team games. Any coach worth their salt, not just Roy, will say more gradually introduced game time and he may reach the necessary level.

Also, the modern player is a complete player. Any attacker needs to be able to defend and defend well. I reckon I could easily round him with my joints and back. And if there is too strong a breeze, he will blow away.

Game time and heavy weights is what I reckon he needs.

Who are / were they then ?

Old, Ungifted and White

I agree which is why I think he should play in the Eze role. In his cameo at the Etihad, he had their defenders worried, which helped keep them on the back foot for those final 15 minutes.

This is what I have thought for a while now. Franca has had plenty of sub appearances now and has not once grabbed his chance. People talk about liking him and thinking he looks good. I'm curious as to what it is they think is so special about him.
I'm happy to accept that at some point in the future things could just 'click' for him but up to now? He has done nothing. And we only see him in matches. The coaching team see him day in day out in training. There is obviously a good reason why he is not being given more minutes.

Well, this of course is one particular gripe we have that has little to do with Roy. We have known for some time now that Roy has nothing to do with transfers. It was Freedman and the board that identified Franca as either one for the future or a young star. You cant really blame the coaching staff if once he has arrived, settled in and trained with the first team a few weeks they decide they dont fancy him. And I think its a bit unfair some (not all) fans are using this as another stick to beat Roy with. Its the whole coaching staff that work with the players, not just Roy. If Roy was alone in thinking Franca was,nt up to it I'd imagine Ray and Paddy would have been pushing for Franca to get more minutes. The reality is none of the coaches seem overly wowed by him. To hear some palace fans talk he's the next Neymar and Roy has him tied up and gagged and hidden in the dressing room while the game goes on. I have seen the exact same of Franca as everyone else and I (currently) dont see anything special. Certainly not a player that is capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck and creating somethinmg special. And in the absence of Olise, Eze and Rak-Saki that is what we need.