Jeez - that is a great article and a fair assessment of where we are and what is happening.
Not a pretty sight!

Ownership - there's probably enough money in the club for the American "owners" just to walk away with what they've put in ... and a little more for their trouble. Parrish is unusually quiet this season.

Infrastructure - there isn't any foreseeable chance of the ground being developed to boost the chance of attracting a new owner. Partly attributable to red tape but there has been no commitment to spend money.

Overrated - Wilf reckons he's worth nearly twice as much as he's currently paid but his transfer value must be dropping every week after less than sparkling performances on the pitch. Enough has been said often about Benteke and Sakho.

Plan A - we still get served the same boring tactics at every home game and have been crying out for a consistent striker to score goals for years now. There is no Plan B on the pitch.

Masterly inactivity or just chaos - even Roy has got the hump over the lack of transfer activity. We had an opportunity to move players on and get some in last month but did virtually nothing about it.

I am left with the impression that no one wants to be at Palace anymore. When was the last time the crowd was singing and rocking in the aisles? It looks bad all round.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt

I've been one of the more patient fans in most regards, but it is hard to back the hierarchy when you look at the facts over the last few seasons. In the short-term it is imperative we find buyers to get the Americans out as Roy has previously publicly stated they are the barrier to spending, but as to the long-term plan that is something for which I hope someone is on top of!

The only one thing I would say is that although we have only won one game in the last 10 we did draw six with a severe injury list including no full-backs and no right winger, plus Tosun should be back after Everton. What will be telling is how the squad respond once everyone is fit. I do think we will stay up, but I think that is almost solely down to Roy & Ray rather than testament to Parish or the board's support.

I do agree with the article but will try to put up a few counter points because I think some of it amounts to 'accepted wisdom'.

The article says we have no strategy. Then it points out we have high wages but low transfer spend.

I think high wages and low transfer spend can be a strategy (and is ours). And if we pick the right players, it can keep us up with lower risks than trying to pick the stars of tomorrow. We instinctively think it's easy to buy a 21 year old for £10m and sell him at 25 for £50m. Maybe it's not. Maybe you just buy lots of 21 year olds for £10m.

What really happened, what has been a truly awful thing, is the signings of Benteke and Sakho. Immense asset depreciation, immense wages. Insufficient benefit of any kind.

The rest -- and the intrinsic structural flaws that the club must address -- should all be seem in the context of those two horrific decisions. (Both of which I personally blame the yanks for in large part).

Now onto another counter point. I suspect our finances may be slowly improving. We aren't spending, that's true. And may be our coffers are filling with premier league riches. Yes we had an awful last set of accounts, but I'm optimistic about the next set...especially if we can finish in the top half of the table this term.

Now, let's just imagine we get 1 youth player (I like Pierrick) come through, and two talented youngsters are bought. It wouldn't be everything, but it would mark a shift. And a change of narrative.

Up the Palace.

Edited by Ginger Pubic Wig (06 Feb 2020 6.17pm)

If you want to live in a world full of kindness, respect and love, try to show these qualities.

He writes for the Times.

A dash of optimism in the sea of doom. I like it

I think there were signs that we were, at least attempting to do just that. A real shame the Ferguson deal fell through, but another example of the club being scared to spend the money at the first sight of trouble (will have to give them the benefit of the doubt though, after all they were the ones that did the medical) But the intent to buy young talent is clearly there.
I really hope Scotty Banks succeeds too.

You're right in that the more we don't spend the more we have to spend later, but we can't keep offering peanuts and going into deals tentatively. This is why other clubs usurp our deals so often. It doesn't matter how much money you have, if you constantly look to get everything on the cheap.

Buy the right player at the right price.

"It was a Team effort, I guess it took all players working together to lose this one"