With 2 proven prem managers leaving under parish stewardship. Question :- is bottom half or 10th the best we can hope for in the prem. (given our budget). The manager that seem to have free reigns of the money was pardew and massively buggered it up. As for Sakho coming to Palace. There's more chance of Pardew being manager again. I'm not saying risk the future of the club but a manager like pulis and Sam are worth a 100m to a club given their never been relegated tag.

Another Damien Diagonal - Total Football

Depends what you mean really, since I was a kid the big clubs have remained the big clubs, the big 5 in the 80s were Liverpool, Everton, Man Utd, Arsenal and Spurs since then Man City and Chelsea have joined them through having money chucked at it. Historically and by fan base you might add Newcastle and West Ham and based on relative success in the prem you would add West Brom and Stoke, Southhampton probably fit in both catergories. Stoke have never fnished above 9th West brom have a high finish of 8th in six years in the prem. We will never break the top 7 and we probably won't ever finish consistently in the top 10.
When we came into the prem I thought beating Deby's record of 11pts was the first target, staying up was a great season. For next season I would be reasonable happy for 10th to 15th, a poor season 17th a good season top 10 and a disasterous season relegated, that's progress and ambition has gone from £8m on Gayle to £27m on Beneteke and Wilf on £5m a year,
Yeah Allardyce is a set back but ambition has to be more than chucking money at it we are not Man City or Chelsea. Ambition for me is the ground being developed, infastructure improved, fan base increased so when the inevitable happens and we get relegated we are in position to come straight back up again.

One supporter of hacking argued that without it "you will do away with the courage and pluck of the game, and I will be bound to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week's practice -Blackheath secretary at first meeting of the F.A

I don't think so, it's just every small incremental step up is much more difficult as you get closer to the top.

As long as we keep knocking at the door eventually we'll get it right.

Some clubs fly up the league then pop. I don't think that will be us. We have steady growth and the stability to cope with managerial change.

I could go on, but I don't want to turn this into a look how far we've come thread.