Tooting Gull
Well-known member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,033
It's not the only thing governing how we do next season...but it's by far and away the biggest thing.
I think we and everyone else knows we have a lot of what you need to be a Premier League club (ie stay up next season somehow and then consolidate).
But in recent years I think you can pretty much look at every club that has either stayed up or gone down, and put their fate down to recruitment decisions, value for money and effectiveness. Boro and Sunderland got it spectacularly wrong last summer. So did West Ham, they have just got away with it. Swansea and Hull also poor.
I would actually say Palace recruited pretty well last summer, so they have to go down as under-achievers.
We all know we have to strengthen, but those players have to hit the ground running and do well from day one, we can't afford any £10million duds like some clubs.
There are still loads of variables of course. How will the players we THINK are good enough perform; how many of those will there be; injuries; players/manager being targeted with huge offers; how will other teams do; will we get a good start, and a bit of luck.
But recruitment is the big one, I trust Bloom/Barber/Hughton implicitly to get it right, and would love to be a fly on the wall for those three-way chats about our future. Snatching Tom Cairney would be a good start if Fulham don't make it, especially since Newcastle are interested there.
In the meantime, I'm already over the minor title disappointment and can't wait for Sunday's parade, down with the family for the day and ready to party.
I think we and everyone else knows we have a lot of what you need to be a Premier League club (ie stay up next season somehow and then consolidate).
But in recent years I think you can pretty much look at every club that has either stayed up or gone down, and put their fate down to recruitment decisions, value for money and effectiveness. Boro and Sunderland got it spectacularly wrong last summer. So did West Ham, they have just got away with it. Swansea and Hull also poor.
I would actually say Palace recruited pretty well last summer, so they have to go down as under-achievers.
We all know we have to strengthen, but those players have to hit the ground running and do well from day one, we can't afford any £10million duds like some clubs.
There are still loads of variables of course. How will the players we THINK are good enough perform; how many of those will there be; injuries; players/manager being targeted with huge offers; how will other teams do; will we get a good start, and a bit of luck.
But recruitment is the big one, I trust Bloom/Barber/Hughton implicitly to get it right, and would love to be a fly on the wall for those three-way chats about our future. Snatching Tom Cairney would be a good start if Fulham don't make it, especially since Newcastle are interested there.
In the meantime, I'm already over the minor title disappointment and can't wait for Sunday's parade, down with the family for the day and ready to party.
