LeePhilpottsBaldSpot

We won the league last season... Subjective. I think it's a good thing that we've lost unmotivated and/or old players and added 5 who played regular top flight football last season (Buononatte, Decordova, Okoli, Soumare and Kristiansen) and 2 exciting young talents (Fatawu and Golding). I get people being underwhelmed (and I certainly hope we do some more business before the window closes), but the reaction of many seems disproportionate.

More batterings than the 0 we've currently had. Also that one fit striker cost £6m and is a young player with loads of potential - exactly the sort of profile our fans seem desperate for. He should be supported, not left to play in a toxic atmosphere. As I said, we have problems. I'd just rather enjoy football and support my club than act like a petulant child about not signing somebody a Twitter 'journalist' randomly linked us to because they're good on Fifa.

We do have the most pathetic fan base in the country. All this whining after winning the league and adding five players who were top flight regulars last season (Okoli, Decordova and Buononatte, as well as the returning Soumare and Kristiansen), as well as adding two great young talents (Fatawu and England youth captain Golding). Appreciate we've got problems going into the new season but the amount of toys going out of the pram is embarrassing.

I think Justin is good enough, and I'm pretty confident Mavididi can make the step up. Decordova was a regular starter in the Prem last season - getting on a bit, but he can add value. I have huge concerns over Wout Faes, but he does start for Belgium so I'm sure he'd get in some Prem teams. He's the sort of defender who could be very good if he had the right partner. No idea about if Okoli is that partner! Definitely concerned about the squad depth and strikers, but I think we can compete with at least 6 or 7 teams over the course of a season. Maybe I'm naive, but I'd rather be that than as miserable as some of the posters on this forum!

Couldn't agree more. There are improvements to be made (and should have been made at the start of the window), but our squad is nowhere near as bad as is being made out.

Fair enough, I think I got his age mixed up with Zaha! But he still started most games last season for a team that finished 10th. He can be an asset next season - on the pitch and supporting players like Mavididi and Fatawu off it!

I really do not understand this thread. Palace fans love him, can play in loads of positions and is a consistent top flight player. At 31 he's got a few years left in the tank and he's cheap. I can understand being underwhelmed but the massive negativity seems over the top! IMO he would be the Marc Albrighton replacement and Hlozek would be the Iheanacho replacement. Both feel like upgrades at this stage of their careers.

A shame if it doesn't come off, but blimey there are some hysterical reactions on here. I also think Ayew is a decent player. There's a reason he's been a regular starter in the Prem for years and years, would be a useful asset.

Having lived a mile from Selhurst Park for a few years, I can say with absolute certainty that Zaha is loved both personally and as a player by their fans. He opened up something like 50 of his properties for NHS staff to live in for free during the pandemic. Does loads of stuff for local charities. I think he's an arsehole on the pitch, but so are a lot of players. He's incredibly driven and a terrible loser, but that doesn't make him a bad apple in the dressing room. Probably more like a Vardy than a Collymore. Only concern I have is I did once see him coming out of the local chicken takeaway!

Edit - Sorry I misread your post. I have a 4 week old baby and am very sleep deprived! Ignore me

Anyone who doesn't get behind a manager who has just been appointed is welcome to go and 'support' somebody else. Steve Cooper is very well liked by the fans and players of his former clubs. Give him a chance FFS.

As I get older, I tend to not get too carried away in a positive or negative way - especially in pre season. I learned my lesson after writing off Jamie Vardy as not good enough both when we signed him and then before the great escape! But it is weird that we seem to really need new options at AMC and CF. But we only seem to be bringing in wingers. Mavididi and Fatawu were two of the players I'd be most confident in stepping up. We need to be be able to rotate and have depth so I get buying BDR and Buonanotte. But we're still seemingly linked with Asprilla, Ayew, Nelson and Zaha. (All good players - but similar in profile to what we:ve got, and you'd have thought the very limited money could be better spent elsewhere). Maybe some of those I've listed are more versatile than I appreciate and could play as a 10 or centre forward, but it seems strange to be basically linked to no players other than wingers.

Feels like we're going to struggle until we offload the dross signed in Rodgers' last 12 months. Daka, Faes, Soumare, Kristiansen, Souttar etc - none are good enough, and they commanded inexplicably high transfer fees and wages. Sadly I can't imagine too many offers coming in for any of them, so we're probably lumbered with them (and this situation) until they leave on Bosmans.

Excellent! Must admit I'd never heard of him, but all reports suggest he'll be a really useful addition

Would be a great signing! Not as convinced as others that he'd want to go back to Palace - he's done everything he can realistically do there.

Ha yes very true - but those days are long gone now!

He'd only come here if he was first choice. We'd only pay that fee for a first choice. Either nonsense or Mads is on his way. I suspect the former.

I didn't say that, and while I can't understand the constant negativity these days I doubt we'd be arguing in real life. The sun's out and we just got promoted as champions. Fatawu and Mavididi are going to electrify the Prem and we're lucky to support the most bonkers football team in the world. Enjoy the rest of your day!

According to Transfermarkt our squad's average age is 25.7. Ranked 7th in the league, and people are losing their minds about links to a 32 year old Re-sale value sounds good on paper but hasn't played out much recently - Tielemans, Soyuncu, Iheanacho, Perez all left for free. And Daka, Soumare, Souttar, Ward, etc worth a lot less now than the prices we paid. All the reports from people who watch Ayew week-in week-out are that he's a very useful grafter who is a dream for other forwards to play with, and can play in a number of positions. Also has an existing relationship with Fatawu. As an Iheanacho replacement we could do a lot worse!

Signed for Sevilla - good move for him! http://sevillafc.es/en/actual/news/kelechi-iheanacho-new-signing

I don't understand why people think we're becoming Dad's Army. We've added plenty of youth to the squad - Fatawu (20), Okoli (22), Golding (18), Kristiansen (21). Linked with loads of other young players, and got rid of some older players too - Praet (30), Albrighton (34), Iheanacho (27). And the KDH sale has been balanced out by Soumare returning (both 25). Spoke to a Palace supporting friend and he really rates Ayew. Fulham fans the same re DeCordova-Reed. I'd like to see Ayew join, and suspect most of our fans would be happy to have him after actually watching him play.

Appreciate the point, but we do also have Mavididi, Fatawu, McAteer, Alves and Cannon - and have been linked with plenty of players with their best years ahead of them (Soule, O'Riley, Nelson). Anyway I'll absent myself from the thread - the negativity on this place is too much for me sometimes!

Yeah fair point, but there are loads of strikers who have had a positive impact while not being prolific. Taking a few Leicester strikers: James Scowcroft: 5, 10, 4, 4 Emile Heskey: 7, 10, 10, 6, 7 Steve Howard: 6, 13, 5, 4 My point isn't that Ayew will be as good as Okazaki, it's that there is a place for a non-prolific striker who suits a new manager's.style of play. A striker who can bring in goals from wingers can be really impactful and really exciting - I'd rather get behind that than just whining.

People writing him off should remind themselves of Shinji Okazaki's goalscoring stats. Cooper is all about split wingers and counter attacks. If Ayew can play that style better than what we've got, I can see the logic.

Agree there are some diamonds in English teams outside the Prem, but tbf to the club we've done that well in the past (eg Maddison, Justin, Schmeichel, Vardy, etc). While you list great players I’d absolutely sign with a time machine, there were plenty linked with similar profiles that I don't regret not signing (eg Josh Bowler, Nicky Maynard, Frazier Campbell). Similarly, we've had bad experiences signing lower league prospects who flopped like DJ Campbell, Demarai Gray, and Matt Mills. Even Harry Souttar (maybe still too soon to judge!). There's no guarantee they'll make the step up, and it's selective to focus only on the few that did.