I agree this is a brilliant team, potentially our best ever and Patrick wants us to eventually challenge for the Cups and get into Europe etc

I feel each season was a step forward, in the right direction, even under roy, at times we were excruciating to watch, but it was all part of the wider plan - I never knew PV would be this good and we really need to enjoy this, as it doesn't happen often.

It's almost like Roy was a stop gap, hold the line whilst we sort our affairs out.

We now have a great academy, we have the cash to invest, we have - look at the England call ups.

I think PV was the missing piece and I honestly couldn't believe it would be like this.

I have always said, a comfortable mid table finish and a cup run each year, league or FA is what we should be aiming for.

Breaking into top 10 is nice and all, but as long as we get to 40 points with with 5 to go, and a semi in our hands... I am happy.

Ohh matron.

This was once a quality forum....

He did. I think we over-burdened ourselves with expensive wages in our drive to solidify Premier League status. Benteke, Zaha, Meyer, Sakho cost a fortune. Only Zaha consistently played/performed and only Meyer could be considered young (I see he's now playing on loan at FC Midtjylland on loan from Fenerbahçe). Upgrading from the Championship side was expensive and we always went with experienced players who always get paid more. Roy did well to hold the fort while we moved on from this phase.

Going with youth seems so much more logical for a club of our stature. The Championship has a lot of quality in there. I do fear losing the gems we currently have, as inevitably there's a 'stepping stone' aspect to their signings. But hopefully Dougie has a thorough succession plan for all positions. Watching Forest this evening, you just know we've been watching Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson (we certainly need a right back). Our acquisition seems more precise.

Not too long ago it really felt like we signed players touted by agents. We signed players that were available, often with their club's eagerness to offload them. Now we are in control. It's almost ten years since the debacle signings of Elliot Grandin & Florian Marange. Compare that to Olise and Mateta, carefully considered, well-scouted, and excellent value.

Parish and Freedman have come a long way in their twelve years or so. They deserve a lot of credit, both inexperienced at the time of their appointments, both learning on the job, in a high stakes, high pressure industry. We've had our pants pulled down a few times, but they've got so many decisions right.

Some good posts/thoughts on here.

I know this may sound a bit too fancy and romantic but I have become more and more impressed with our ownership as years have rolled on and quite frankly this club has changed over the last 10 years.

We started off facing the prospect of going out of existence, then somehow managed to get promoted, at which point more than a single season in the PL would have been a huge achievement in my eyes. We manged to secure consecutive seasons in PL with a bit of clever firefighting, we had Roy to hold the fort whilst all else seemed lost and now we are playing the likes of Everton in the QFs of the cup, not just beating them but by four, whilst looking the far better team, and sitting somewhat unnervingly in mid-table with relegation seeming far off the mind even for an eternal 'catashtrophiser' such as myself.

We have rejuvenated the squad without spending ridiculous amounts of money (cough, Everton) and the future looks bright. Having Wilf, Olise, Eze, Gallgher and to be fair a goalscoring Mateta on the pitch was an exciting watch. Guehi looked fantastic at the back with Anderson, Mitchell, well... Mitchell!!! and then even the now aged CLyne put in a decent shift.

Somebody started a thread recently about this being a 'golden time' for our club or something, I think the incremental improvement has perhaps sometimes skewed the reality of where we are now to say even 15 years ago. Great times indeed (uses red and blue handkerchief to wipe single tear from eye).

Very very proud of our club yesterday, long may it continue.

COYP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Listen, I don't disagree with anything said above, but by way of balance...

This time last season we had 3 more points. Our goal difference was - 16, but it is the points that count.

Roy ball was unwatchable dull, but it was effective.

And then there is the fitness. The new support facilities are putting us on level pegging with most of the teams in this division. And - most importantly - the physio room, for the first time since we came up, is not resembling a combat hospital. We are not hearing weekly reports of yet another player injured in training. Yesterday, we only had Nathan Ferguson and Macca out. You could argue that, given the better players and lack of absentees, why is PV not doing better?

I suspect we are where we are in the league as the team is still in transition. Hence the need to iron out those silly errors that converted wins to draws and losses.

I wouldn't swap what we have with what we had last season. That was a holding pattern. This one is dynamic and can only get better.

Next season, I hope the progress continues and, perhaps, we may be playing European football in the next, possibly with the ability and resources to replicate what West Ham are doing now.

We have done outstandingly well thanks to the good luck of having 3 managers turn us down and end up with the best one, also John Textor for his 90m which has helped immensely, the next step is getting the overpaid also rans of the books, compare the list

Wilfried Zaha £130,000 £6,760,000 28
Christian Benteke £120,000 £6,240,000 30
Luka Milivojević £80,000 £4,160,000 30
Odsonne Edouard £79,000 £4,108,000 24
Joachim Andersen £70,000 £3,640,000 25
Cheikhou Kouyaté £67,000 £3,484,000 31
Jairo Riedewald £65,000 £3,380,000 24
Jeffrey Schlupp £60,000 £3,120,000 28
Vicente Guaita £57,000 £2,964,000 34
James Tomkins £55,000 £2,860,000 32
James McArthur £55,000 £2,860,000 35
To this
Ebere Eze £37,000 £1,924,000 23
Will Hughes £36,000 £1,872,000 26
Jack Butland £35,000 £1,820,000 28
Joel Ward £35,000 £1,820,000 31
Jordan Ayew £35,000 £1,820,000 29
Nathan Ferguson £34,000 £1,768,000 20
Michael Olise £34,000 £1,768,000 19
Marc Guehi £31,000 £1,612,000 20
Jean-P Mateta £30,000 £1,560,000 24
Tyrick Mitchell £25,000 £1,300,000 21

Top heavy salary wide with the wrong playeres

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn