yes, because of fat sams janaury spending

read this, you may understand more

[Link]

also look at the figures in the attached screenshot

Attachment: 8E027961-915A-445C-A064-6258D4DC3280.jpeg (50.49Kb)

‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’ Ian Holloway

Or sell

I’d still be happier if we bought a striker winger full backs and a couple more though

All jokes aside thank you, that’s one of the most informative posts I’ve read recently and feel better educated for it!

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Good read.

A complete oversimplification would say we've got the 9th highest wage bill and we are 9th in the league.

This looks like our situation point for the time being unless we can find a comparative advange elsewhere.

To progress, we will need, a larger matchday income. Which can only really be achieved through stadium improvements

We also need a way of lowering the wage bill, bring through more young players, better training facilities/coaches to get more out of what we have. Better scouting network to find better deals.

Otherwise we are pretty much stuck, being stuck at your optimum level with the resources you have is a massive achievement. Especially when you look at all the massive clubs below us, not just those above us.

I think you are entirely correct which is why the investment in Selhurst and the Academy is so critical. Equally, it is is entirely understandable that any spending will be minimal and very prudent.
There was an interesting piece in the FT last weekend on the model adopted by Lille. They only have revs of Euros 53.9 vis a vis CPFC at £150m but basically follow exactly the same model - invest heavily in the academy, sell on players like Pepe for E80m and attract significant private equity investment. Lille reckon they have made a net transfer profit of almost E200m these past 2 years - certainly food for thought.

Absolutely, in these days of crazy transfer prices and player wages, clubs like ours need to invest in our academy and attract better younger players for development through to our own first team. it is inevitable that some of such academy players will end up at one of the bigger clubs in the EPL.