You can say it is not that important at junior and youth level cause 12 year olds may lose or gain advantages in time, but when you're already playing in one of the best competitions in the world, the Premier League, it's selection that makes you climb higher. You need to see the broad picture, not just for a season. Ask yourself: how did the big clubs get to be big? Obviously, there's a status-quo that is very difficult to lose when you get to the top and Man Utd and Liverpool have always been powerhouses, but some who had been in the top did go down too if they weren't careful (Leeds for example, Champions League semifinalists, now in the 2nd division).

Also, some have moved up. Why is it top 6 now? It used to be Man Utd and Arsenal 20 years ago. Then it was United, Araenal, Chelsea and Liverpool (top 4). Then it became top 6. Of course, Chelsea and City had powerful sponshorship, Liverpool had its legacy. But Tottenham? They're top 10 in the world right now. And you know how? Bale did a lot of difference. A player who allowed them to get 100 million to keep the wheels rolling. After him came to Tottenham world class players who otherwise would not have come. Some were successes: Ericksen, Son Min Heon, Lamela and some where more modest or didn't stay long: Chadli, Capoue, Paulinho. But they weren't bad, they were players who incresead the level. English youth talent was attracted (Dele Alli) or stayed at the club (Kane). Today Tottenham is definitely up there withthe other clubs mentioned above. Could you imagine that for Palace in the next 10 years? I can and there is a certain road to follow to get there.

Let me tell you a little story of a German club called Borussia Moenchengladbach. Great history behind it, but in the last 20 years up until 2011 it had remained a mediocre team in Germany. A young 18 year old by the name of Marco Reus had been bought in 2009 from Rott Weiss for 1 million after scoring 4 and assisting 3 in his first 2.Bundesliga season after coming through the youth ranks with good results. He scored 8 and assisted 4 in his 1st Borussia Moenchengladbach season, scored 10 and assisted 8 in his 2nd and in the 2011/12 season he scored 18 and asisted 13 as Moenchengladbach finished 4th and got a Champions League position. It was innevitable for him to go and Dortmund bought him for 16 million (at that time it was a pretty good sum). And what did this open the door for? How did they invest? They have since brought Granit Xhaka for 7 million, Raffael for 4.5, Thorgan Hazard and Jonas Hoffman for 7 each (both are best assisters in the Bundesliga this year) and some other players to keep that position up there, because they didn't want to drop into the mid-table mediocrity again.

And they succeeded, they managed to replace Reus with other players who kept them up, finished a lot in the top 4 and played 3-4 times in the Champions League (which made them even more money). At the start of this season they made their biggest investmment convincing Alhassane Plea, Nice striker and Champions League player, to come to them. Why did he? Because by now Borussia Moenchengladbach has become a name. They did spend some money on him, it's true, 20 million, but he has come good: 12 goals and 3 assists for him so far this season.

This was the team which only paid 2-3 million at the most for players before selling Marco Reus and becoming a powerhouse player. That decision made by someone in the club: to pay 1 million on that 18 year old kid who would later become one of the most appreciated football players in the world, that decision changed the club's destiny. Just like getting Bale changed Tottenham's destiny, just like having Zaha coming through the youth ranks changed Palace's destiny.

I just know what a player is going to do long-term. It's a gift. /b]