As we approach the end of our seventh year in the Premier League, are we actually any better than that first season in the division?

According to Google our wage bill in that first season was £46m which has increased by 63% to £72m this time, the eighth highest in the league and more than Leicester, Burnley, Wolves, Newcastle and Burnley. Our wage bill is more than double Wolves and over 5x more than Sheff Utd according to this table... [Link]

That season we finished 11th with 45 points, 33 goals scored, 48 goals conceded and a goal difference of -15.

This year, after 33 matches, we have 42 points, 28 goals scored, 40 conceded and a GD of -12.

With fixtures against Chelsea, Villa, United, Wolves and Spurs remaining we *might* beat that points total but I'd happily wager that our finishing position, goals scored, goals conceded and, as a result, goal difference will all be worse.

Player for player if you look at our squad that season then not many of them would get into our current side. We'd definitely take 2013/14 Bolasie and I think most would agree that getting rid of Murray and Gayle were errors, that's probably it though.

Our transfer model is extremely short-termist and basically seems to be paying as little as possible on transfer fees and recruiting 'experienced' players with the lure of high wages. This season, for example, we've brought in Cahill, McCarthy and Ayew for a combined £5/6m but they reportedly earn around £150,000 a week in wages combined (Cahil £75k, McCarthy £50k and Ayew £25k).

Though Cahill and Ayew in particular have been good signings, it's such a short term approach. They have an average age over 30 and would have minimal sell on value even despite Ayew's heroics.

As I said in the match thread yesterday, I'm certainly not saying I miss the days of Pardew and the seven goal thrillers that came with it but there has to be some sort of middle ground where we can show some sort of attacking intent in games whilst still staying relatively solid.

We always hear about our huge catchment area in terms of young fans and players but which youngsters will have watched our recent games and thought Palace are the club for them? Indeed, what is the point of a shiny new academy if the only time we will give our youngsters a chance is when the manager has no other option?

In my opinion we are at best standing still, if not slowly going backwards and, unless we make a huge effort to alter our philosophy this summer and inject some youth and ambition into our squad and playing style, I fear for us next year.

Here is the Wiki page for that first season up in case you want to have a look... [Link]

Edited by Canterbury Palace (05 Jul 2020 10.56am)

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

We're still there, still competing. I agree that the team that went up was a good one and that the current team need a major freshening up. There are no teams that consistently, year after year, achieve their potential.

We are a club with a championship infrastructure competing in the premier league. It will never be pretty until we put that right. I just wish the club would take a more long term view and invest in our future. I wish less of our fans were wanting and moaning for more short term spending.

I would like to see a central midfield set up that operated more like we did back then with two screening and one more advanced. Think we could do this with Reideweld playing alongside one of Mcarthur, Mcarthy, Luka, Kouyate in the two screening roles, with Reideweld utilising his passing ability from slightly deeper areas. Then play Meyer in the more advanced central role where he can play between the lines and link things together. I think in doing this it gives us better options across the pitch rather than just passing it to Wilf whether he is in space or marked by two players. I have liked what I have seen from Reideweld so far albeit he needs to get a bit fitter/ more minutes in his legs and the mixture of his passing ability with a decent work ethic to break things up make him a decent option.

Is the rest of the league better than 7 years ago? It's possible that as the Premiership has flourished, the overall quality has improved. Match-to-match and season-to-season success may have become more difficult, too. Perhaps we're better, but we've only kept pace.

I really don’t understand the constant pessimistic view towards the upcoming season, regarding relegation.

We have been in the league for a number of seasons and what I think people want to actually happen is the club get relegated just for them to say ‘I told you so’

People actually wishing the Championship on us, no thanks, been there done that, appreciate that we are in the Prem and not scratching around playing teams that don’t provide any real appetite to leave your home for.

Can’t people see, Big Sam, hugely experienced, Pulis was hugely experienced, Roy Hugely experienced, not getting relegated!!!!

Yes the football can be brain numbing my boring, but look at our points in relation to Norwich, Bournemouth and villa and for all the Angst on here we are not worrying about relegation.

I just think a lot of people are not happy unless they are moaning and hoping we get relegated do they can points score.

We are a better team now - as the players we have now are established top level performers in comparison to the players who came up from the championship!

I think we are much better than when we were promoted.

But each season will be much the same as the last - the race to the required number of points to stay up. Without a mega cash injection that's the reality.

Questioning the Academy investment in the way you have suggests that you have totally missed the rationale behind it. Think about it - it's a project for the long term and Hodgson will be but a memory by the time that bears fruit. So you won't be able to blame him if the youngsters don't get a chance !

I do agree that the club is being run on a short term basis. Hopefully the investment in the Academy is a sign that things are changing - they need to.

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