The issue we have is that we’ve repeatedly failed in the transfer market. Most clubs hit on a couple of players occasionally which they can sell for a profit. We’ve not sold anybody outside of Bolasie for ages. Exclusively signing and not propping up the balance sheet with the odd big player sale is not sustainable.

It’s the main reason I’m accepting we’ll sell AWB. As good as he is, he’s a right back and they aren’t the most pivotal position on the pitch. As much as I love AWB if I had the choice of AWB and no signings or starting Ward at RB and reinvesting say £60m on a new central midfielder and striker I’d take the latter.

Chopping and changing styles cost money but that hasn’t happened at Palace, if you were to group every premier league manager along a line from organised and defensive to free flowing and creative then Warnock, Alladyce and Pulis would all be up one end along Dyche and Mourinho. Hodgson would be probably not be too far along . With Pardew we still had an effective counter attacking team until he tried to turn us into a more possession based attacking team and the defence fell apart.
Most of the players you list are still with us and would be first teamers or seen as god squad players, Hennessey, Dann , Kelly, Zaha, McArthur, Wickham, Townsend, Tomkins, Schlupp, PVA, Luka, Sakho. Not sure what has happened to Wickham since his return but looks like he is in Hodgson's plans. Ledley was solid but upgrade by Cabaye and moved on, Campbell went the same way, Soure had his horrific injury but has been upgraded anyway.
Fryers,I’ll add Sorloth and Riedweld to this, were a gamble on youth that didn’t pay off. McCarthy had a terrible started and was shot for confidence and sold on by Pardew , Mandana never settled and moved neither of which was not due to change in manager preference. Cabaye performed consistently and was chosen under several managers and he moved on for a big pay off.
You point makes sense for Mutch and Chung-Yong ,in that Pardew wanted to change us from a counter attacking team to a possession based team. Both were attacking more creative players brought by Pardew that never really worked for us and Alladyce was never going to play them. My fear would be Max Myer might go the same way, someone we want to break down organised defences but can’t quite work out how to fit him in.
Finally Benteke, he looked like he was an upgrade on the big number 9 from Cameron Jerome, Campbell, Wickham to the ultimate big lad up front Benteke. First year he did well but then his confidence went he still does most things you want from a number 9 except the important one score. You could argue that with Zaha and Townsend being encouraged to come inside it has meant less balls into the box but he been consistently picked by successive manager and if starts scoring again he will be picked.
The reason we have not kicked on over the last few years is we haven’t had a fit or decent forward, Wickham has only just returned Benteke has lacked confidence and been out regularly and Sorloth wasn’t up to it. If we had taken our chances against Cardiff, Newcastle and Brighton at home we would be challenging for Europe ,small margins at the end of the day.

Edited by Ketteridge (16 Apr 2019 11.02am)

One supporter of hacking argued that without it "you will do away with the courage and pluck of the game, and I will be bound to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week's practice -Blackheath secretary at first meeting of the F.A

TBF you could say this about most teams.....

i agree with you, thats why i feel 1 of 3 things will happen:
A, not spend in the summer, maybe sell one or two of dead wood and see out roy's contract treading water hoping for more of the same - complete overhaul next year.
B, Back Roy - fund it by the sale of an asset and give him a year extension to see him take us to mid table and not near the relegation scrap and in 2021 shake his hand and next project.
C, New manager this summer, get him to tread water for a year then invest - or sell an asset now and invest.

This was once a quality forum....

You've answered your own question. It's precisely because the team is over reliant on Zaha that there is an imbalance in the tactical approach to the attacking side of our game. I recall years ago the Spuds had a similar problem when Ginola played for them, everything went through him and it became easy for the opposition to double up.

I totally agree. Others should step up to the plate and share the load. Ultimately this would be down to the manager to get across.