What a really good thread this is turning out to be - thoughtful, intelligent and conducted in a relatively constructive manner. I've just re-read it from the beginning and now can't resist throwing in my own two penny worth!

I do think that canny recruitment is so central to any strategic plan for survival (or better) in the PL that we need to be looking at what makes others apparently better/more successful at it than we currently seem to be. Lots of good ideas/observations already made here but one that does seem to have slipped under the radar is something that both Brighton and Brentford (perhaps others?) use and that has helped both punch above their weight.

What both of those clubs seem to have recognised is that while having a good scouting network is a probably a given there is also another essential (more objective?) tool in the box: data analytics. It's probably no coincidence that the two Bs are both owned by men experienced in the world of professional gambling where data analytics is a key component in risk assessment. Nothing probably betters a good scouting network for identifying potential but data analytics provides assessment of the likelihood of that potential being realised. (It might possibly even be useful in assessing the potential of our academy players.)

If I'm right (more importantly, if they are right!) it won't take long before others cotton on so I just don't think we can afford not to start exploring its potential if we're not to be left far behind. Unfortunately it doesn't come cheap: Brighton's latest accounts reveal they paid a Data Analytics company £3mn for their services.

Finally, I'd have to say that I do have worries that our scouting network itself may not be up with the best and unless we get that sorted all the data analytics in the world won't count for a didley s***. I'd be interested in others' thoughts on that point.

You can't change the way things are but you can change the way you are with the way things are.

Your points on Brighton and Brentford are valid, but its taken them a longtime to reap the rewards, its not a quick fix. Palaces problem is they are already in the Premier and are try to change from buying older players and now investing in youth with the Academy. We are currently in our longest period in the top flight ever, so we must be doing something right, staying there is the prime objective until the Academy starts to deliver.
If your not backed by the wealth of an oil rich nation, you have to try something else, there is no easy answer.

I would suggest that quite a few issues coming to light surely come down to having a pretty poor Director of Football.
Surely, recruiting is a major focus of DOF.
But also, if our coaching is poor, would that be noticed by a Director of Football?
I think we should look for an experienced Director of Football.

Red and Blue Army!

OK, going to play a bit of devil's advocate here and stick my head above the parapet (gets ready to duck).

Is our recruitment that bad?

In the last couple of years we have purchased Guehi, Andersen, Eze and Olise. I honestly think all of those players have been value for money.

I get everyone is looking at he likes of Brighton and Brentford and their recent success in recruitment which is notable I accept. It is interesting Brentford shut down their academy, are the resources that would otherwise have gone to that being used to fund their scouting and recruitment network. No possibility of `homegrown` local lads coming through the ranks there. how would the fanbase feel if we did not have an academy at all?

although Brighton and Brentford stand out at the moment, it is always the case that at different times different clubs seem to be in the ascendency with regards to recruitment. Not so long ago people were applauding the likes of Southampton for their ability to find players not to mention Swansea. Where are they now?

As much as there is a Brighton and Brentford there are also the clubs who have done a lot worse. Look at the likes of Everton! spent stupid amounts (Moise Keane, Sigurdsson) and news today they are being referred by the PL for breaking FFP.

When we got promoted, it was out of the blue. It was based mainly on a combination of freebies, loans and youth. Even the players we did buy were absolute snips. Through an incredible team spirit the whole thing just came off and we gained promotion. However, we were like a fish out of water and somehow Pulis galvanised us and we managed to stay up against the odds for the first time in 20 years. There was never a structure or plan in place. Do you remember Holloway buying so many players that we bought too many and I think it was a French guy who never even made the squad and had to leave. Basically we did a Forest but on a fraction of the money. Teams like Brentford and Brighton had a structure and plan in place well before they finally made it into the Premier league.

Unfortunately running a club like that can only get you so far and I still actually think it’s a miracle we are where we are. Don’t you walk around Selhurst Park, trying to miss the buckets full of water from the leaking roof in the most modern stand, which is 30 years old now, and think how are we in the Premier league playing and in the main competing with great clubs week in week out. There is no other club like us, we are truly unique.

What I see this season is literally every club now spending fortunes and we simply can’t match that amount of expenditure. With shear fighting spirit and passion hopefully we will get through this season but until we start investing it will just get harder and harder to compete.

For me, the quality of the signings is okay. What we do with them once we own them is where we're awful. If you can't add value to your younger players, let your older ones go for free, and don't invest in the stadium to bring your revenue up to the levels of the teams you're competing with, it's a mathematical matter of time until you're completely f***ed.

1) We haven't added much value to the younger players. AWB is our only bolter. Olise is worth more than we bought him for, but purely because we got him so cheap because of that contract clause. Guehi was worth more than we bought him for by the September of his first season.

Versus the end of last season, are any of Mitchell, Guehi, Eze, Olise, Plange, Ebiowei, Ferguson etc. etc. worth any more today? Rak Sakyi and Phillips are probably the only two, and they were starting at basically zero and are now not much above a couple of mill maximum.

2) We manage the 27-31 year olds horribly. It seems that once you reach the age of 27 at Palace, we'll keep you until you're barely good enough to hold a spot on the bench any more and then let you go for free.

Van Aanholt, Sakho, Kouyate, Townsend, McCarthy, Dann, Meyer, Puncheon, Sako, Wickham, Cabaye, Chung Yong-Lee, Benteke-ish. Soon to be Luka, Ward, Tomkins, Schlupp, Clyne, Ayew, Zaha...

Edited by ambrose7 (26 Mar 2023 11.37am)

26th January 2010 - Enter Administration
2nd May 2010 - D-Day 1 - Survival at Hillsborough
1st June 2010 - D-Day 2 - Survival at Lloyds
7th June 2010 - CPFC2010 exchange contracts.