Also Roy praising KaiKai helps the transfer. If he said he was s***e would they take him on? Ignore most of what you hear in transfer windows it is often bs from agents, clubs and players to assist moves. Unfortunately most clubs will do deals at the end of the window because time pressure makes deals more likely. Look at brexit. Two years of fannying about and now not until the last knockings do things start getting serious.

Edited by martinelliff (22 Jan 2019 7.28pm)

Kaikai was never going to make it as a PL player. He has had chances (last year against Ipswich he was very poor and completely outshone by Lokilo). At the age of 23 time for him to move on.

I don't think it is an excuse and it's not about SP not wanting to put his hand in his pocket it's more him not wanting to financially cripple us. Yes you can argue some of his transfer dealings have put us here but hopefully this is a sign he's putting an end to those bad transfers. There was that report last year showing how Palace are the highest in the league in %turnover (around 79% I think!) spent on wages. That's just not feasible long term.

[Link]

A look out our subs bench the other day highlights our huge problem (only 1 maybe 2 of whom realistically stand a chance of getting into the starting 11 when everyone is fit.)

Some of subs bench against Liverpool with approx rumoured/reported wages:
Benteke 100k plus
Wickham 50k plus
Schlupp 50k plus
Meyer 80k plus
Dann didn't he sign an 80k extention?
Kelly 40k plus

Now I think it shows we do have a decent squad and one I believe can stay up but we certainly can't continue to add more big wages onto it. Hence the transfer inactivity and seemingly large clearout.

I think in the summer there'll be more departures if we can find a buyer (i.e Dann). Not because the players are bad but because we can no longer justify 50k plus for bench warmers. And as others have mentioned I hope we do start replicating Bournemouth's model of costly league players with potential but crucially on much lower wages and potential big sell on.

I do think there'll be some movement before the end of the window but I'll be happy if it's just a loan or young player and hope that we can avoid injuries and Benteke/Wickham can start finding the net. Both could be a big ask but I'll take it over getting more panic buys in which is why we're in this position.

Edited by samprior (23 Jan 2019 1.48am)

Edited by samprior (23 Jan 2019 1.49am)

The money put into the club by the American investors comes with interest payments. This debt needs to be serviced and sucks money out of the club.

SP has his new stadium dream, that costs money.

The club's opaque structure means that just where all this money goes is virtually impossible to track but it sure does look as if our aspirations are yet again to survive by the skin of our teeth and it is expected the current squad can do that.

Are we really expected to believe that our dedicated scouting team led by Dougie are saying there is not a striker anywhere that fits the bill?

You know this how? Have you evidence from the company accounts? What about the buy in money when they became shareholders? Is that still ringfenced then? Or is it not ringfenced and never existed?

COYP

Hodgson has said it is not his job to scout players.And our options are limited at the present time.

Given that we are only 3 points off the relegation zone and our problems in the striking department are well documented, this is all very concerning.

Edited by Willo (23 Jan 2019 8.43am)