I also considered, "For fuck's sake, please don't give me another heart attack this year for the love of all that's holy and good."
Starting this one a little late this year, but in a good mood after a win against Fulham to start the season (and a perfect pre-season campaign), a new 5 year deal for Wilf, and an extension for Roy Hodgson. The team is in pretty good shape, considering that only Spurs spent less money. Somehow losing Cabaye, Loftus-Cheek aand Fosu-Mensah doesn't feel like the end of the world with Meyer coming in for free, the emergence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the way that Hennessey has seemed to improve with a solid defense in front of him (no losses with a Tomkins/Sakho partnership) and some additional help from proven vets like Jordan Ayew and Chiek Kouyate. Or maybe it's some kind of mean reversion and we're on the up-cycle that is the yo-yo of Palace fandom.
Big test tonight for that defense when they play Liverpool at Selhurst. Though to find the dark lining in the clouds, it will be without the Holmesdale Fanatics -- a big part of the "famous atmosphere" at Selhurst Park. If you want to save yourself reading one of the most poorly edited news stories in a long time (at the link), basically, the guys all in black at the corner of Selhurst wanted to move to the middle and get an even rowdier atmosphere. Those who had tickets in the middle said, "we're fine where we are, thanks" and the HF didn't like how the club handled it, so they've scattered to various corners of the park. On the excellent Five Year Plan podcast, they decided that they'd rather try and sort out the Israel-Palestine question than try and discuss this issue.
This does feel like an opportunity for the team to make a move forward. For me, that would be finishing somewhere 8-10, with a GD around 0 (give or take 5) and a full season of not panicking about going down. That would be a very successful year from where I sit. Then see if there's a chance to move to the next level (say a Burnley-type finish) from there in the years ahead, maybe spending on some new talent to get them to the next level.
It feels to me that with a 5 year deal, the Wilf question is pretty much put away for good. He's worth much more to Palace than to any other team, he's financially secure, the fee (and wages) it would take to lure him away limit that possibility to only a few clubs, and it probably only becomes so compelling for one of those clubs if he has a year where he scores 25 goals - in which case, they're probably already in the equation for European football, which would be the main reason he'd want to leave. Hopefully I'm right about at least this part, because he's the main reason that this club is so fun to watch. I wouldn't want to see a Palace team without him right now.
Starting this one a little late this year, but in a good mood after a win against Fulham to start the season (and a perfect pre-season campaign), a new 5 year deal for Wilf, and an extension for Roy Hodgson. The team is in pretty good shape, considering that only Spurs spent less money. Somehow losing Cabaye, Loftus-Cheek aand Fosu-Mensah doesn't feel like the end of the world with Meyer coming in for free, the emergence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the way that Hennessey has seemed to improve with a solid defense in front of him (no losses with a Tomkins/Sakho partnership) and some additional help from proven vets like Jordan Ayew and Chiek Kouyate. Or maybe it's some kind of mean reversion and we're on the up-cycle that is the yo-yo of Palace fandom.
Big test tonight for that defense when they play Liverpool at Selhurst. Though to find the dark lining in the clouds, it will be without the Holmesdale Fanatics -- a big part of the "famous atmosphere" at Selhurst Park. If you want to save yourself reading one of the most poorly edited news stories in a long time (at the link), basically, the guys all in black at the corner of Selhurst wanted to move to the middle and get an even rowdier atmosphere. Those who had tickets in the middle said, "we're fine where we are, thanks" and the HF didn't like how the club handled it, so they've scattered to various corners of the park. On the excellent Five Year Plan podcast, they decided that they'd rather try and sort out the Israel-Palestine question than try and discuss this issue.
This does feel like an opportunity for the team to make a move forward. For me, that would be finishing somewhere 8-10, with a GD around 0 (give or take 5) and a full season of not panicking about going down. That would be a very successful year from where I sit. Then see if there's a chance to move to the next level (say a Burnley-type finish) from there in the years ahead, maybe spending on some new talent to get them to the next level.
It feels to me that with a 5 year deal, the Wilf question is pretty much put away for good. He's worth much more to Palace than to any other team, he's financially secure, the fee (and wages) it would take to lure him away limit that possibility to only a few clubs, and it probably only becomes so compelling for one of those clubs if he has a year where he scores 25 goals - in which case, they're probably already in the equation for European football, which would be the main reason he'd want to leave. Hopefully I'm right about at least this part, because he's the main reason that this club is so fun to watch. I wouldn't want to see a Palace team without him right now.