I’d like to see Benteke at least have a chance to play with Mateta - maybe having someone to run onto the ball he’s holding up for a change might bring more out of him.
Wasn’t there an issue about WBA wanting Palace to pay a percentage of his wages?

PVA was ok yesterday as the formation allowed him a little more freedom and suited him and Clyne.
If we allow him to leave I suspect we’ll be stuck with that dreary and rigid 442 for the rest of the season and won’t maximise our exciting forward line. We’ve seen the effectiveness of that over the previous few games.
CB can go as we have signed Mateta and have Ayew and Bats.
But we have many concerns and a potential FB problem brewing. Clyne is out of contract in the summer (it was extended for 6 months), PVA also, Ferguson looks to be the injury prone full-back equivalent of Wickham and Ward is not really up to it, any longer, in my opinion. (Age, more than ability). But this is Palace, and we have a history of bringing superb fullbacks through the youth ranks (no idea why), from Sansom through Gordon, Shaw and up to Wan-Bissaka, Clyne, Mitchell etc so maybe there’s another little gem lurking in there?
Unless we have a plan then the summer rebuild presents a reasonably sizeable risk and if we are confined to that 442 stuff, for the remaining 17 games, then I predict something of a struggle.

Edited by Helmet46 (31 Jan 2021 2.15pm)

We might have se3n Scott Banks at some stage if he hadn’t been sent out on loan.

Getting something for both now as opposed to nothing at the end of the season makes sense - if the previous noises around them was that they were hoping to return to teams in Holland and Belgium. Absolutely NOT if it’s to the benefit of a relegation rival- NO way - that would be stupid, particularly as Big Sam will get a tune out of Benteke and we’ll all end up infuriated that he has been so crap for us for the past couple of years!

The rumours seem to be, not that WBA will buy Benteke, but that they will take him on loan (and maybe sign him permanently in the summer when he's out of contract), and for the rest of this season, while he scores crucial goals for them, we will continue paying half his wages!
I can see how that might suit Big Sam. It might even suit Benteke. But if these rumours are true, how the hell would this help us?

Benteke can go ,as my local baker was made redundant, and said he used to play back in the day ! So there is your cover for him ! Bye Christian .