Yep, my sentiments also

I am not so sure it has always been about money. Most club owners were philanthropic in the way they ran clubs in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Often the money to buy a player came out of the chairman's pocket. They were in football because they had a personal fortune and loved the game.

I agree it is now different, the players obscene salaries have Jimmy Hill to thank for that side of things and the owners are now corporates with financial objectives or they are foreign billionaires.

Our most recent buyout before the septics, when we were in financial trouble, was all local guys with a passion for the club. They did ok out of it financially eventually however they didn't bail the club out because it was a money spinner, they did it because they were first and foremost Palace fans.

If things had gone tits up, which it could have done, then they would have lost their investments in the club.

I was told a story of how back in the 70's and Palace were fighting against relegation from the old First Division.

We re-signed Bobby Kellard, made him captain and offered him a pay structure that heavily rewarded him on points gained from individual games. Rationale being that he was a scary character around the dressing room and that would motivate the players to perform.

So on a much lower scale than todays huge amounts at stake, but my point being that money was always a factor in football and it's naive to think otherwise.

By the way, the story was told to me by Bobby himself, and it didn't have a happy ending - we got relegated !

Old, Ungifted and White

Tactically we are the proverbial 'busted flush'

So predicable we are now easy to beat. Opponents just concentrate on taking Zaha and Ayew out early and put two on both (after Grealish the two most fouled players in the league)

We are so fixed defensively with the midfield solely used as first line of defence. But for Cahill (and in the past Tomkins) we would not have got to 42 points.

Creativity is virtually nil and any capable passers (Reidewald, Meyer and before them, Bannon) are not trusted. So it is quick passes to a marked forward, we lose the ball. Playing out of defence is a minefield we frequently try to attempt with occasional disastrous consequences. The keepers have both lost confidence and when we concede a goal what does the manager do?

Simple, take off a forward and bolster the overworked defence.

For all his faults the most glaring and baffling is his (mis) use of subs. He has only one 'plan' if you can call it that, tactical changes are not in his repertoire. Naturally he blames this on lack of resources and bad luck. If he were manager of any normal business he would be sacked yet our trusting and reverential boss rewards him with another year's contract.

Our only hope of avoiding relegation next season is if he falls on his sword, does the decent thing and goes. I am sad to say it but we now need a new manager as well as players, the sooner the better.

Sorry JE your facts are wrong, prior to those games we had more than one win out of 12 and also draws against Arsenal and Man City.

Conjunctivitis.com - A site for sore eyes.

It was actually one win in 11. Still not great!