Farewell Eze?

[Hrolf The Ganger]

Understand the frustration but we need to be realistic. Players love playing in champ league as seen as ultimate test even if you don’t win it. I have made my peace with it and glad it is not spurs. It is what we do next that matters

We need to be realistic because our club is not achieving it's potential. It never has.

We need a stadium to match our ambitions. I'm tired of excuses.

 

[JHB]

Perfect summary of how I feel.

Even our star player who was born round the corner always dreamed of a big move.

I can accept the situation for what it is however I’d rather we go about our business sooner than later as opposed to whining about something that’s done.

Thanks Ebz and farewell however I’m a Palace fan and we have a big season upon us now. Please don’t let it be a car crash!

As well as the Champions League I am sure doubling his wages is attractive. As ever I can’t really begrudge a player moving to a higher quality of team for more money for doing the same job. I think most of us would do the same. In Eze’s case he helped us win the cup and has still shown commitment to us so he goes with sadness but no hard feelings

 

[rikz]

Don't disagree - strongly think we've been reactive and it's put us in a tough position.

...having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a financial issue somewhere even if it's not PSR. Our net debt rose quite a bit last year and as much as there are Billionaires in the board room, their commitments are questionable. 1 is brand new (with a poor reputation at the Jets) and the other two have been rumoured to be trying to buy other clubs in the past year.

If we were in an okay position we'd have bought El Khannouss before the clause expires and added a couple of bodies elsewhere as you suggest. It's obvious the squad is too small for 4 competitions.

A big f*** up was not sorting out the main stand in ~2018 before costs ballooned. We've still got the revenue and P&L of a bottom 6 side and are punching well above our weight right now.

150 million is nothing for 3 owners with a combined wealth of 17 billion, I still don't think Parish has been completely transparent with us about the stand.

I can accept PSR prevents our owners spending money on the squad, I can accept we will lose players to the big teams or just in general, thats football but if our owners can't even improve our stadium, what's the actual point of them owning us.

 

[Paaalaaace]

Sky seem to think he will still feature tonight. He has to surely, one last hurrah and get to give him a send off at Selhurst, on the European stage…

If he played and Palace ended up winning this competition believe he could end up with a medal.

 

[JHB]

150 million is nothing for 3 owners with a combined wealth of 17 billion, I still don't think Parish has been completely transparent with us about the stand.

I can accept PSR prevents our owners spending money on the squad, I can accept we will lose players to the big teams or just in general, thats football but if our owners can't even improve our stadium, what's the actual point of them owning us.

Depends on whose view point. From their viewpoint the point of them owning us is to grow their investment in line with the growth of the Premier League and then cash out having made money. Same as their investments in US sports teams. This isn’t the same as Man City or PSG where the winning trophies is what matters for the prestige. It’s cold personal financial interest.

 

[Paaalaaace]

I understand your frustration at this and I would have liked to kept him too but our business model appears to be based on selling players at their top value and reinvesting in players of a lower age who can then go on to give 5 years or more at Palace. Realistically Eze has about a further 2 to 3 years at the very top and will then be worth significantly less, at which point we will need to reinvest with a lower pot available to spend. Now of course we could make a complete mess of this money and reinvest in players who don't deliver, so this approach does have significant risks. I remember Spurs wasting almost all of the Bale money for instance.
Olise was the one who we should have made more effort to keep because of his age and his ability but the contract he signed had a release clause and one of the biggest clubs in Europe triggered that clause.

Marco Gabbiadini comes to mind

 

[Hrolf The Ganger]

150 million is nothing for 3 owners with a combined wealth of 17 billion, I still don't think Parish has been completely transparent with us about the stand.

I can accept PSR prevents our owners spending money on the squad, I can accept we will lose players to the big teams or just in general, thats football but if our owners can't even improve our stadium, what's the actual point of them owning us.

A new stadium that increases revenue considerably means that far fewer players will want to leave.
The only way wealthy owners can elevate the club is to create the income that a big club makes.

Because of the rules, they cannot just spend on players.

I don't feel any animosity towards Eze, but equally, I don't care about him once he goes to Arsenal.
His ambition is not the problem. It's ours.

 

[chris123]

Depends on whose view point. From their viewpoint the point of them owning us is to grow their investment in line with the growth of the Premier League and then cash out having made money. Same as their investments in US sports teams. This isn’t the same as Man City or PSG where the winning trophies is what matters for the prestige. It’s cold personal financial interest.

They are all highly dependent on tv money though

 

[OnTheBreak]

Maybe I am being overly emotional but if we can't keep our top players after the greatest season in our history then we have a lot to think about.

I understand that football is a food chain but it just doesn't sit right. Big, big shame.

 

[crvenaeagle]

150 million is nothing for 3 owners with a combined wealth of 17 billion, I still don't think Parish has been completely transparent with us about the stand.

I can accept PSR prevents our owners spending money on the squad, I can accept we will lose players to the big teams or just in general, thats football but if our owners can't even improve our stadium, what's the actual point of them owning us.

I'm still not entirely clued up on the mechanics of PSR so would appreciate if somebody can explain in instances like this season where we need to sell to buy, why the owners can't use personal wealth to buy players early in the window and "balance the books" later?

 

[ambrose7]

I'm still not entirely clued up on the mechanics of PSR so would appreciate if somebody can explain in instances like this season where we need to sell to buy, why the owners can't use personal wealth to buy players early in the window and "balance the books" later?

They can, but if you don't get what you expected for the players (and you're in a weaker position because clubs know what you need to make) then you're up a cul de sac

 

[Jim_Cannon]

Neither are going to sign a new contract. In your world, this is the position we'd be in next summer:

- Guehi walks on a free
- Glasner out of contract
- Eze 1 year left - £30m maybe?
- Mateta 1 year left - £20m maybe? Tough to get him to sign a new deal with the above 3 all walking out at the same time.
- Wharton likely to be top of a lot of shopping lists

Trying to resolve all of that in one summer, whilst throwing away ~£70m in fees for Eze/Guehi that we'd get this summer compared to next, sets us up the type of bomb season Brentford might be about to have.

Yes, we could hold on to every one and try and have the best season we'd ever have. However, even if we did pluck £100m out of the sky* and spend it we're still barely top 10 in terms of squad investment this summer, and we're still only a Munoz, Eze, Mateta, Guehi or Lacroix injury away from no chance whatsoever of the top 6.

* clearly we are in a tight spot financially. We must be, otherwise the club would've just done the El Khannouss deal anyway 2 weeks ago.

The club are absolutely right to take what sounds like £68m for Eze. The thing they now need to do is invest it well enough so that 2 years from now, we have 2 Ezes.

Agree with your post. I think our issue is cash flow as lots of payments due rather than any long term concerns

 

[Jim_Cannon]

A new stadium that increases revenue considerably means that far fewer players will want to leave.
The only way wealthy owners can elevate the club is to create the income that a big club makes.

Because of the rules, they cannot just spend on players.

I don't feel any animosity towards Eze, but equally, I don't care about him once he goes to Arsenal.
His ambition is not the problem. It's ours.

Agree we can’t kick on until stadium sorted and a sustainable increase in revenue to compete at least effectively with the lower top half teams

 

[Jim_Cannon]

We need to be realistic because our club is not achieving it's potential. It never has.

We need a stadium to match our ambitions. I'm tired of excuses.

As I have commented earlier the stadium delays is SP’s big failure. Lots of other success but this is holding us back

 

[Hrolf The Ganger]

As I have commented earlier the stadium delays is SP’s big failure. Lots of other success but this is holding us back

There is no stadium in the plan. There is one stand which will take a decade to see any return.
This is just not good enough if we want this club to advance.

The way it is, we will be exactly where we are or worse when many of us are six feet under.

I can't criticise Parish. He has turned the club around. It's the next stage that will need much greater financial commitment and desire.

 

[rikz]

Depends on whose view point. From their viewpoint the point of them owning us is to grow their investment in line with the growth of the Premier League and then cash out having made money. Same as their investments in US sports teams. This isn’t the same as Man City or PSG where the winning trophies is what matters for the prestige. It’s cold personal financial interest.

Buying a football club of our size is probably the worst idea if you want to make money, relegation, thats 140 million in revenue gone, there's far more easier ways for them to make money.

Its like formula 1, doesn't it cost teams money to compete ? it's about the prestige, sporting competition, showcasing engineering.

 

[JHB]

They are all highly dependent on tv money though

Yep. The whole of football is essentially banking on the TV money coming in. When that goes wrong as with Ligue 1 in France then the whole thing comes crashing down. I think the next round of EPL rights could face challenges.

Sky can’t keep spending at the same level as their customer base is in long term decline and they have no idea how to turn it around. They already have more games than they want. They are trying to make a virtue of it but it’s actually just a cost as it doesn’t bring in any extra revenue.

 

[JHB]

Buying a football club of our size is probably the worst idea if you want to make money, relegation, thats 140 million in revenue gone, there's far more easier ways for them to make money.

Its like formula 1, doesn't it cost teams money to compete ? it's about the prestige, sporting competition, showcasing engineering.

It’s not easy but it’s worth the bet from their point of view. If it goes wrong they lose a few tens of millions which is peanuts to them. If it goes right they make an absolute fortune. Woody Johnson bought the New York Jets for $685m and it is now worth closer to $5 or 6 bn. Different market (no relegation in the NFL) but you can absolutely see why they make the bet in investing in an EPL club

 

[Teddy Eagle]

It’s not easy but it’s worth the bet from their point of view. If it goes wrong they lose a few tens of millions which is peanuts to them. If it goes right they make an absolute fortune. Woody Johnson bought the New York Jets for $685m and it is now worth closer to $5 or 6 bn. Different market (no relegation in the NFL) but you can absolutely see why they make the bet in investing in an EPL club

Which is OK as long as the decisions they make are for them clubs' benefit and not to boost their own profit.

 

[palace_in_frogland]

Anyone going to attempt an EJ Thribb?

So.

Farewell then Eberechi Eze.

You were a Ranger, then

An Eagle, and now to be

A Gunner.

You won us a cup and a shield,

But still had to go.

We will miss you.