Palace have one of the highest wage bills (as a % of revenue) in the Prem and this has limited our transfer activity over the years. Transfer fees are only 1 part of the total player package and so SP must take some of the blame for paying too much and giving players too long contracts. Similarly the big purchases and wages of Benteke and Sakho restricted our transfer activity for the next 4 or so years.

Jairo is a classic example. He is in his 7th season with the club yet has only played 70 odd league games, and many of those were as sub. To give him a 2 year extension when he still had 18 months left of his original contract was bizarre.
He clearly could go back to Holland yet knows he will have to take a massive pay cut so seems happy to take his £50k a week. The fact that he is a LB and DCM, areas where we have injuries now, and he still can't get a game speaks volumes.

Tomkins is the same. Has now rarely played for the last 4 years (including the season before MG and Andersen were signed), and when he has, has looked off the pace, but keeps getting renewed.
He must still be on a decent wage else he wouldn't renew and it must be more than say Champ sides could offer (as for example both Cahill and Dann dropped to Champ after we released them).

When i look at players like Hughes i can see why Watford weren't prepared to give him a payrise and he left to come to us. He's 28 and should be at his peak. He should definitely be able to cover for Doucoure, yet he's so off the pace it's embarrassing.

When you buy players from Arsenal and Man U (Holding and Hendersen) you know they will be on big wages so to give them parity they need to be first teamers. The fact neither has played 1 minute of league football for us speaks volumes.

Yes we have injuries in midfield but on paper this is probably the area we have the most cover - the fact they are not good enough is the issue.

CM - Doucoure and Lerma are first choices. Options include Schlupp, Hughes, Jairo, Ahamada and also young Ozoh. The 1st 3 are all on over £50k a week and the 4th cost over £10m.

Palace have one of the highest wage bills (as a % of revenue) in the Prem and this has limited our transfer activity over the years. Transfer fees are only 1 part of the total player package and so SP must take some of the blame for paying too much and giving players too long contracts. Similarly the big purchases and wages of Benteke and Sakho restricted our transfer activity for the next 4 or so years.

Jairo is a classic example. He is in his 7th season with the club yet has only played 70 odd league games, and many of those were as sub. To give him a 2 year extension when he still had 18 months left of his original contract was bizarre.
He clearly could go back to Holland yet knows he will have to take a massive pay cut so seems happy to take his £50k a week. The fact that he is a LB and DCM, areas where we have injuries now, and he still can't get a game speaks volumes.

Tomkins is the same. Has now rarely played for the last 4 years (including the season before MG and Andersen were signed), and when he has, has looked off the pace, but keeps getting renewed.
He must still be on a decent wage else he wouldn't renew and it must be more than say Champ sides could offer (as for example both Cahill and Dann dropped to Champ after we released them).

When i look at players like Hughes i can see why Watford weren't prepared to give him a payrise and he left to come to us. He's 28 and should be at his peak. He should definitely be able to cover for Doucoure, yet he's so off the pace it's embarrassing.

When you buy players from Arsenal and Man U (Holding and Hendersen) you know they will be on big wages so to give them parity they need to be first teamers. The fact neither has played 1 minute of league football for us speaks volumes.

Yes we have injuries in midfield but on paper this is probably the area we have the most cover - the fact they are not good enough is the issue.

CM - Doucoure and Lerma are first choices. Options include Schlupp, Hughes, Jairo, Ahamada and also young Ozoh. The 1st 3 are all on over £50k a week and the 4th cost over £10m.

Whilst we have issues of quality back up players and one or two first team players my view of the situation is that without multiple injuries to our key players we would not be having this conversation. Any squad outside the top 8/10 would be in the same situation as us with the loss of key players and would feel just as vulnerable as us.
My take on it now is that because of the situation we are in there will be significant signings/loans to cover for the situation and then when the injured players return to full fitness we will return to out to our mid table position. I don’t think any of us believe that with the squad we have when all available we would be relegation fodder so the addition of a few others in January and the returning player will resolve the issue and make us stronger in the run in.COYP

I thoroughly agree that we must know going through a season that there will be injuries and that we need to have cover for them of such a standard that it will not affect us badly. We clearly have not and in addition we have not brought in players in areas of weakness going back several years. My point really is about survival and that when they get back playing we have a team that can more than hold their own in the league and if we can get additional players that are ready to play then we will end up with a squad more than capable of survival. This in no way suggests that I believe that our recruitment has been adequate to date. COYP

Edited by Brinscalleagle2 (12 Dec 2023 4.17pm)