I agree with you here, in most respects. We cannot spend oodles of cash due to FFP. Also some signings work, some don’t, that’s the same with all clubs and that’s why a club like Palace - where there has to be financial caution - have to be very careful. However, the point of the HF letter was, I suspect, more to do with an expression of tactics and frustration than anything else. At what point, for example, do the club recognise, consider and reflect that the tactics employed by the manager do not appear to be playing to the strengths of the players we have (young or old)? At what point does someone suggest to him that maybe we’ve been figured out? Not scoring and conceding lots of goals does rather seem to me to point to something being slightly broken in the chain. (Remember the long ball game? Took a while but eventually teams realised that there were obvious tactical flaws and worked out how to beat it. To me, this is the same. How much success is Big Sam having, has Pulis had and now, perhaps, Roy? Are there parallels)?

It is and has been obvious, for all to see, where there are gaps in the team. We have tried to cover those gaps - for example Kouyate in midfield - but we play him as a centre back. We drafted in Meyer (lightweight or not) and Eze and play(ed) them as wingers. We brought Ferguson in who hasn’t played for over a year and never for us. (Pointless signing? Beginning to feel like it).

We (fans) get excited about the youngsters - the club itself regularly loves to boast on social media and other platforms about their success - but even with long term injuries, we don’t sit them on the bench for a taster. (Not sure about the ‘bubble’ reason either. Our loanees appear to go straight into the team they’re loaned to and other clubs manage to put youngsters on the bench, I believe, without 10 days isolation).

And it’s a fact, only a very few Academy players actually make it through (but we’ve spent all that money - I assume to change that - otherwise what’s the point)?

This would appear to be a decent group of talented young academy players and I refuse to believe there are not 1 or 2 that would do any worse than some of the seemingly uninspired senior players I keep seeing, if given a 15 minute cameo towards the end of another game where we’re getting smashed. Burnley WAS a disgrace. They failed to score and almost lost at home to a 10 man West Brom side yesterday. They smashed us. Freak result? Possibly but then we shipped in a load from Villa and 7 from Liverpool. I am supportive of the club and always will be, and my knowledge of the game can be written on the back of a postage stamp compared to Roy’s but I’d like to think that he and SP have witnessed the last few games, looked long and hard at their players, kicked some over-hyped, over-compensated arse and we will see a different set up and different performance against Brighton. If nothing changes (not win, lose or draw but performance and heart) then I personally think Roy has to go as, being a Croydon boy, he’ll appreciate the meaning of this one. If he cannot motivate this bunch of Jessie’s to get up for this game, hope is lost in my opinion.

Edited by Helmet46 (21 Feb 2021 8.48am)

I agree with you here, in most respects. We cannot spend oodles of cash due to FFP. Also some signings work, some don’t, that’s the same with all clubs and that’s why a club like Palace - where there has to be financial caution - have to be very careful. However, the point of the HF letter was, I suspect, more to do with an expression of tactics and frustration than anything else. At what point, for example, do the club recognise, consider and reflect that the tactics employed by the manager do not appear to be playing to the strengths of the players we have (young or old)? At what point does someone suggest to him that maybe we’ve been figured out? Not scoring and conceding lots of goals does rather seem to me to point to something being slightly broken in the chain. (Remember the long ball game? Took a while but eventually teams realised that there were obvious tactical flaws and worked out how to beat it. To me, this is the same. How much success is Big Sam having, has Pulis had and now, perhaps, Roy? Are there parallels)?

It is and has been obvious, for all to see, where there are gaps in the team. We have tried to cover those gaps - for example Kouyate in midfield - but we play him as a centre back. We drafted in Meyer (lightweight or not) and Eze and play(ed) them as wingers. We brought Ferguson in who hasn’t played for over a year and never for us. (Pointless signing? Beginning to feel like it).

We (fans) get excited about the youngsters - the club itself regularly loves to boast on social media and other platforms about their success - but even with long term injuries, we don’t sit them on the bench for a taster. (Not sure about the ‘bubble’ reason either. Our loanees appear to go straight into the team they’re loaned to and other clubs manage to put youngsters on the bench, I believe, without 10 days isolation).

And it’s a fact, only a very few Academy players actually make it through (but we’ve spent all that money - I assume to change that - otherwise what’s the point)?

This would appear to be a decent group of talented young academy players and I refuse to believe there are not 1 or 2 that would do any worse than some of the seemingly uninspired senior players I keep seeing, if given a 15 minute cameo towards the end of another game where we’re getting smashed. Burnley WAS a disgrace. They failed to score and almost lost at home to a 10 man West Brom side yesterday. They smashed us. Freak result? Possibly but then we shipped in a load from Villa and 7 from Liverpool. I am supportive of the club and always will be, and my knowledge of the game can be written on the back of a postage stamp compared to Roy’s but I’d like to think that he and SP have witnessed the last few games, looked long and hard at their players, kicked some over-hyped, over-compensated arse and we will see a different set up and different performance against Brighton. If nothing changes (not win, lose or draw but performance and heart) then I personally think Roy has to go as, being a Croydon boy, he’ll appreciate the meaning of this one. If he cannot motivate this bunch of Jessie’s to get up for this game, hope is lost in my opinion.

Edited by Helmet46 (21 Feb 2021 8.48am)

Gotcha, you are not happy with the managers team selection (including who he puts on the bench as back up) and tactics, particularly in light of several crap performances and results this season. Add in poor effort and output from a couple of well paid older players and you might conclude that change is needed in the dugout and on the pitch.

You're not exactly on your own, as I'm sure you appreciate, but even if you were you'd be well within your rights to form your own view on those issues, as are we all.

My point was, and remains, that it's wrong to conflate one's opinions on tactics, selection and performance with one's assessment of the wider state of the club. They are not the same thing.

Let's say one of us thinks Eze should play behind the striker, whilst the other thinks he is better coming in off the left. One of us thinks Meyer was useless, the other that he was misused. We agree to disagree because these are matters of opinion, and neither of us is wrong.

If, however, one of us says the club has no long term strategy, or that FFP can be ignored, or that there is an established tradition of Palace playing positive football, or promoting a higher than average amount of youth players, or that we have neglected to sign young players, all despite the facts clearly proving otherwise... Well, that's not a difference of opinion. One of us is demonstrably, evidently wrong.

I just think the difference between the two is important.

So you think that signing a goalkeeper where age doesn’t matter, a full back who has not kicked a football in anger and Eze in 4 years exhibits a policy of signing decent young players? If that is one of your facts then I have to accept that I am wrong and we obviously do have a wonderful policy attracting and buying decent young players that have slotted seamlessly into the side.

Mateta is a loan with an option to buy, so he is not yet our player and is still an unknown quantity. Batshuyai is a loan with an option to buy which we will not be going through with as he is not good enough.

So, effectively, one player in 4 years, but I’ll grant you that is a fact.

Just the point I was making in my email to club glad to see others feel the same way:

The group hung a banner outside the training ground that read: "Palace pandemic of apathy. Change this mentality. Restore the pride, ambition and vision."

The banner was accompanied by an open letter, published on Twitter, that criticised the club's "safety first" approach to games.

The statement read: "Losing games without a fight, flair players shackled in negative formations, a lack of leadership and pride on the pitch. This is not the Palace way.

"Our 'safety first' approach is being exposed and our spineless defensive tactics show no ambition or vision. Unused spaces on the subs bench instead of adding youth players to the first team bubble highlights the lack of inspiration.

"'Consolidating' just above the relegation zone with no plan for progress is not sustainable and breeds a negative atmosphere. This and the continued for cup competitions shows a lack of respect towards supporters.

"We must re-evaluate our long-term vision and use this opportunity with so many expiring contracts to make substantial changes across the club to rebuild with the spirit and mentality of the promotion squad."

"Committed winners fighting for the shirt, attacking football and youth put front and centre - at the very least given a genuine chance. A transfer policy based around young, Championship players and others desperate to make an impact, not overpaid 'marquee signings'."

"Restore the positive values and together we will push forward. Anyone not aligned with these should not be involved.

"The committed supporters deserve better. The club is sitting on huge potential but apathy is limiting ambition.

"Brighton next Monday will expose those who care and those who don't."

There’s an interesting piece in The Telegraph about the club, including a summary of the proposed recruitment plan for the summer.
It states that it is intended to extend the contracts of four players, sign another four and loan two more (I.e 6 new players).
No further details and may be guesswork rather than hard facts.
But it has a ring of truth.