One of the negative side effects of establishing ourselves in the Premier League is that it is now significantly harder for academy players to break into the first team.

How many academy players have we brought through in the last 20 years that would get into our current strongest 11? Zaha, Clyne and possibly Moses?

Not a lot over such an extended period of time. I think the unfortunate reality is that we, as a club, have essentially outgrown the level of our academy which served us so well in the Championship.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

It's not just us, the academy system throughout the Premier League has been pretty poor the last 5 years. It doesn't produce players ready for high end football, and the vast majority learn far more from going out on loan/playing for lower league clubs.

How many players have gone from an academy to a Premier League regular without doing a tour of the football league?

All I can think of is Sterling and Rashford. Compare that to Stones, Lallana, Clyne, Kane, Rose, Bertrand, Smalling, Alli and so on who all played at another level first.

26th January 2010 - Enter Administration
2nd May 2010 - D-Day 1 - Survival at Hillsborough
1st June 2010 - D-Day 2 - Survival at Lloyds
7th June 2010 - CPFC2010 exchange contracts.

Absolutely agree. It's a league wide issue and that's exactly why I don't think it's fair to criticise the treatment of our academy players when every other club in the league is doing the same thing.

The brutal nature of this league and the amount at stake means that we cannot afford to be romantic and play unproven prospects unless they are as good as £10m+ alternatives which we now have the money to buy.

It's sad and one of the many things I miss about being in The Championship but is a price we have to pay in order to see a Palace team containing English, French and Belgian internationals.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

Sorry but I just do not understand fans who constantly want this or that young player given first team action.

We have a Premier League management structure all of whom look at and comment on young players outside of the first team squad. They decide that this or that player is better off leaving (example Jake Gray) or going on loan to gain first team experience.

It is wonderful for our own young players to come through the ranks and make the grade. Surely though the football experts in our club know a damn site more about an individuals talent to make the call than someone who simply supports the club. Most of the time those supporters have never even seen the youngster they are carrying a torch for play.

The likes of Williams, KaiKai and Boateng are now in the last chance saloon. Next season they will all have to be good enough to be named in our twenty-five man squad due to their age - a position Williams has already reached.

Edited by james03 (12 Sep 2016 3.55am)

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. Groucho Marx

Even England's No1 goalkeeper has to go out on loan for game time

Let's be honest. Have any of our youngsters who have left or gone out on loan looked like they are way too good for whatever league they're in and should be playing in the Premier League? I think the answer is not really. I don't agree with the way Jonathan has "jumped the queue" so to speak but if it keeps Christian happy and at the end of the season he has bagged 15 league goals and we have stayed up then I can live with it.