We don't have a genuine 25 man first team squad as the last one had a couple of extra goalkeepers from the development squad added just to make up the numbers

Oh man, they actually did it? They actually offered Benteke a new contract? I missed that.

Well, if a decent right back comes in, then Kelly could take his place as central ddfenders (cause he's not a right back)n so there will be Tomkins, Cahill, Sako and Kelly. Dann could go. His contract is up in the summer and he earns a lot too. Did his job at the club, but I see him going to the Championship this winter.

I'd find clubs for Riedewald and Wickham to gain playing time and get back in shape and maybe even get some money out of them eventually (Riedewald alone cost like 9 million). PVA and Schlupp are more than enough for left back position. Riedewald could get playing time at Alkmaar, Vutesse or Feyenoord, while Wickham could go somewhere like Wigan, Lutton Town or Milwall.

I'd ditch James McCarthy too. Lousy transfer by the club. There are already 4 central midfielders: Luka, Kouyate, McArthur and Camarasa and I hate that Kouyate and Luka always play together (they're the same position, Roy!!) Not sure if Camarasa stays either. He's on loan with a 15 million option and it's 90% sure that it won't be activated.

And if some offers for Benteke and even Townsend or Meyer could bring the club 10-15 million, then they'd open up places too. It's not like they do incredibly well.

So plenty of spaces could be cleared, I named about 8.

I'd like Batshuayi.

Agreed! The priority is to stay up and this will become increasingly difficult with this ageing squad. We need younger players who can improve rather than more players who are past their best and who can only get slower and less effective.
Cahill was a great addition and plugs a temporary gap but where are the players who will be our back four in 3/4 years time?
We must also avoid panic buys for what is a temporary injury crisis.

Of course I'm serious. I would not get rid of those players and have a formation with 7-8 less players.

What I mean is that better ones could be brought in their place.

For example, what is better,to have Martin Kelly be Ward's backup as right back (a positiom in which he is not very good or fast and where he doesn't move up to cross) and have Scott Dann as 4th center hardly playing ....or.....get a decent right back and move Kelly to 4th center back position (behind Tomkins, Cahill and Sako) and allow Dann to leave to a Championship club where he'd be a starter? With all the respect he deserves, of course, he fully did his duty for the club.

Same for Wickham or Benteke or even Townsend- I mean like for like replacement. But better.

And sending McCarthy and Riedewald elsewhere on loan allows us to get 2 more attacking players in (by pulling Jimmy Macca and Schlupp to the positions of McCarthy and Riedewald, which are their actual positions for which they trained all their life- central midfielder and left back, not attacking options like Roy uses them).

Cause as of now, the attacking options are just about 6: Zaha, Jordan Ayew, Benteke, Townsend, Meyer (more like a central midfielder at Schalke anyway), Schlupp (??), Macca.

There should be like 3 strikers, 4 wingers and an attacking midfielder or second striker a lot more offensive than Macca.

It's not about being rich and it's not anything fantasy football. Clubs replace players in transfer periods. I told you who I'd replace. Yes, 7 players seems a lot for a winter period, but when your attacking options are this bad, then previous transfer windows were not handled correctly, so now the need is for more players.

And, like I said, you don't need to be incredibly rich to bring in good players. At least better than the ones already playing here. PL clubs are rich on comparison to the rest of Europe because they have more income and the players here have a higher market value (though somewhat undeserved compared to players from Spain, Germany etc).

Townsend has always been on the radar of Newcastle (where he played really well before coming to Palace) or even Leicester in the past summer. Now..I like Townsend. I really do, he was probably my favourite player..but he's 28, pushing 29 and his tempo has gone down playing for Palace..perhaps he needs a change. Putting Townsend on the market for 15 million would have teams buy him this very winter. These are Premier League prices. Newcastle would surely pay up as their Matt Ritchie is struggling wih injury and they have no better winger.

And replacing Andros with a younger left footed right winger, just as skilled but even better in terms of delivering end product (goals), would be an upgrade:

Jarrod Bowen- last 6 months of contract, so small fee

Skov Olsen (20 yo)-15 million
Calvin Stengs (20 yo)- 15 million, recently Netherlands national team player
Bakaev (23 yo, Spartak Moscow)- 7,5 million
Brandley Kuwas-5 million
Adrian Embarba- 5 million
Matheus Pereira (23 yo)- 15 million (was the possibility of loan with a 10 million option in the summer, now he went to West Brom and he's the best in the Championship)
Remi Oudin (23yo from Ligue 1)- 10 million
THomas Murg (25 yo from Rapid Wien)- 3 million
Emiliano Rigoni (Sampdoria)- 10 million
Theo Bongonda (Genk)- 5-7,5 million

Even the 30 year olds Angel Mena and Ben Nabouhane are really, really good and would offer more than Andros at this point in his career. And the older they are the cheaper they get- one plays in Mexico (a league as good as the Portuguese one) and is the best player in his national team, the other plays for Red Star Belgrade and was their best scorer from right wing position in 2 years when they played in the Champions League group stages. They'd cost like 3 million each.

Same thing for Benteke. I'm sure there would be some German or Russian or Chinese or Arab clubs willing to pay 10 million for a Belgium national team player (at least make that contract extension get some money in!).

With those 10 million the club can easily get a center forward better than Benteke. I'd name Edouard (20 million), Morelos at a similar price but he's more of a second striker at his height so I'll just talk about center forwards, Tiquinho Soares and Bounnedjah (15 million), Quaison (Mainz, 10 million), Nsame (Switzerland 20 goals in 4 months scorer, 10 million), Andrasz Sporar (very good underrated player who I can guarantee would be good in the PL, 5 million), Cedric Itten (5 million), Diallo (Ligue 1, 5 million), Swierczok (Bulgaria, 5 million), Antonio Colak (Croatia, 3 million).

Get 10 million for Meyer from Mainz or Werder Bremen or another German club and reaaly put that money tongood use into someone who actually is on fire and comes here wanting to score and assist in every match. Christie from Celtic is like 10-15 million and totally different mentality. Or Jonathan David from Gent (one of the best 20 year olds in the world, or even Eberechi Eze for that matter, though he would cost too much at 12 million), Hwang of RB Salzburg should be below 10 million as he has just 1 more year of contract (Liverpool just bought the other one- Minamino), Schaub from Koln at 7 million, Boetius from Mainz at 10, Kamada from Frankfurt at 8, Moussa Kone at 5, Emmanuel Boateng at 7, Kayode at 3, even Bobby Reid at 15 million (though a little too costly).

I can confidently say that all of the above players would bring goals and assists in the second part of the season, at least more than Andros, Benteke and Meyer. And you don't need money, just use the money you get.

About Scott Dann, you may be right, an injury does prevent a player from having a medical for a transfer. However, if he is long term injured, then adding a decent right back and taking Dann off the 25 player list (as there are already 4 central defenders ahead of him- Tomkins, Cahill, Sako, Kelly) is still a possibility.

Edited by mattteo (30 Dec 2019 10.34pm)

And Wickham

Come on. This is Palace we’re talking about. Not sure who is most conservative on transfers here or how much harmony there is, but I can’t see us bringing in the 4 or 5 players Roy mentioned. 1 or 2 maybe but any more really is wishful thinking.
Besides which, Roy has built a formidable team. All very well moaning about it, but look at Arsenal.
Personally I love the way we are playing. It’s a bit frustrating at times but looks like Roy is getting it right.

This would be my choice... This lad is seriously talented in my opinion but comes with a crazy streak to... Unfortunately I think we are a season to late. I can’t see Rangers taking less than £20m for him and I can’t see us being able to afford that sadly..

Don't waste your time with jealousy. Sometimes your ahead, sometimes your behind, the race is long. But in the end it's only with yourself!!