VinceHilaire
Member
- Location
- London
- Country
Ukraine
I get why you’re feeling like that — that hollow, “was that the peak?” feeling after something genuinely magical ends. It’s brutal because 2025 didn’t feel like a fluke run, it felt like the start of something. And when players like Olise, Eze, and Guehi move on, it doesn’t just hurt tactically — it hurts emotionally. That team felt ours.
But here’s the thing I’d gently push back on.
What you witnessed wasn’t just a great season — it was a proof-of-concept. Palace didn’t win the FA Cup by accident or nostalgia. They did it with a clear identity: fearless football, elite youth development, players who went on to be genuinely top-level. That matters more than people realise.
Every club outside the super-elite goes through this cycle;
You won’t just be telling future generations “I was there when…” — you’ll be saying:
“That’s when Palace stopped being content with survival.”
That FA Cup win is permanent. No one can take it. It changed how the club is perceived, how players view Palace as a stepping stone (or even a destination), and how fans see what’s possible. Selhurst isn’t suddenly small again just because the stars moved on.
Also — and this is important — Palace fans are used to joy being rationed. So when it comes all at once, the instinct is to clutch it like it’s the last drop. But clubs like Palace don’t get one golden moment. They get eras, even if those eras come in waves rather than straight lines.
Right now you’re in the comedown. That doesn’t mean the party’s over — it just means the room’s gone quiet for a bit.
And honestly? Years from now, when Palace lift something else — because they will — that 2025 team won’t feel like “the end”.
It’ll feel like Chapter One.
You’re allowed to grieve it though. That team deserved that.
But here’s the thing I’d gently push back on.
What you witnessed wasn’t just a great season — it was a proof-of-concept. Palace didn’t win the FA Cup by accident or nostalgia. They did it with a clear identity: fearless football, elite youth development, players who went on to be genuinely top-level. That matters more than people realise.
Every club outside the super-elite goes through this cycle;
- build something exciting
- get raided
- dip
- rebuild
You won’t just be telling future generations “I was there when…” — you’ll be saying:
“That’s when Palace stopped being content with survival.”
That FA Cup win is permanent. No one can take it. It changed how the club is perceived, how players view Palace as a stepping stone (or even a destination), and how fans see what’s possible. Selhurst isn’t suddenly small again just because the stars moved on.
Also — and this is important — Palace fans are used to joy being rationed. So when it comes all at once, the instinct is to clutch it like it’s the last drop. But clubs like Palace don’t get one golden moment. They get eras, even if those eras come in waves rather than straight lines.
Right now you’re in the comedown. That doesn’t mean the party’s over — it just means the room’s gone quiet for a bit.
And honestly? Years from now, when Palace lift something else — because they will — that 2025 team won’t feel like “the end”.
It’ll feel like Chapter One.
You’re allowed to grieve it though. That team deserved that.
