I have been making this point for some time both inside and outside of HOL and suffice to say it was not met with universal approval with some referring to me as an ancient Elijah of doom,a glumbucket and a gargantuan doom-monger.!

Edited by Willo (05 Jun 2021 12.04pm)

Now now Willo, were those actual words used?

I can't make a choice as to whether to be positive or otherwise about the season. Too many uncertainties and moving parts for now.

Watching the documentary has reminded me that my expectations are actually pretty static from one year to the next:

Don't spend what we can't afford, or at least afford to borrow. Making sure we always have a club to support is more important than reaching 'the next level', as much as I'd like to.

Be pragmatic. Nobody likes a month of nil nil draws but a month of 4-3 defeats would be worse. Our length of stay in the top flight is irrelevant to the style of football we 'should' be playing if we've got the 15th best budget all that time, so don't be pressured to play in a way that's unrealistic. Box clever.

Make what we've got go as far as it can. We've tried matching the big boys wages to get 'next level' players, and they just aren't worth the money. Big contracts are OK if they are a reward for what players achieve for us, but otherwise don't waste the money. The wage structure should reflect a clear meritocracy, not a random hotch potch of market forces.

When recruiting, get the best fit for us rather than the best available player. A Palace player should be a hungry player first and foremost, and I'd far rather see a humble player strain and sweat to achieve 6/10 ratings than see a former champions league player delivering the same performance level for three times the wage.

Keep the club in the ownership of people who care about it. If the Americans sell their shares then OK, but I wouldn't want Parish to sell his controlling interest to Qatar oil sheiks or shady far Eastern investment vehicles, no matter what money they might have. Man City are no different to PSG who are no different to Chelsea as far as I'm concerned. I love that Palace are a different entity to that.

I'm hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.

If we go down, so be it. It'll be a chance to regroup and, hopefully, return to the Prem leaner, meaner and stronger.

Also, if we do get relegated we'll then, again hopefully, have the excitement of actually winning something... promotion!

If I'm honest, I'm finding life in the Prem boring. We just tread water in mid table mediocrity, and, the 2016 FA Cup Final and beating the riff-raff from the South coast with a last minute winner after getting well and truly battered apart, not really achieving anything.

I'm hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.

If we go down, so be it. It'll be a chance to regroup and, hopefully, return to the Prem leaner, meaner and stronger.

Also, if we do get relegated we'll then, again hopefully, have the excitement of actually winning something... promotion!

If I'm honest, I'm finding life in the Prem boring. We just tread water in mid table mediocrity, and, the 2016 FA Cup Final and beating the riff-raff from the South coast with a last minute winner after getting well and truly battered apart, not really achieving anything.

My recollection is that comments were aimed my way which left me in NO doubt that I was viewed as a prophet of woe and certainly not a lighthouse of joy.