Hold on. No. Because, actually, we are sort of doing that and that is still a big issue. In part because we aren't spending it - although we never spent it all under the Walker Trust either - but mostly because supporters, rightfully, want us to hold onto good players in order to put together a competitive squad. I'm not trying to compliment our current owners, but those saying that they turned us into a selling club are absolutely wrong.

Right, so think about it. How hard were we fighting to keep players when we'd made it a standard policy to put release clauses into contracts? Under the Walker Trust and John Williams we had accepted the idea that we had to be a selling club and turn a profit on players when possible. In some instances, this probably helped us to sign certain players (Bellamy), but we also created a culture that made that the standard approach for contracts. I'm not defending Venkys, but they would be crucified if they were putting in release clauses at the rate that we were in the 2000s. You'd struggle to find another club that not only put release clauses in for virtually all of their key first team players, but also set them at a relatively low number.

It's as if we would have sold Duff the season before we were promoted - although even then he was more proven than Wharton is now. Duff had made more Premier League appearances before we were relegated than Wharton made appearances for our first team before he was sold.

I just don't believe that for a second. His agent was far more active in the months leading up to the window and a lot of effort has been put in to build his profile in the time leading up to the move and immediately following it. I'm sure he enjoyed his time here. I'm sure he loved playing with his brother. But this was a big move to the Premier League, more money, and a bigger stepping stone. Many believe that he wanted to stay, but it likely isn't the case. After all, if he had really wanted to stay he would have turned the move down. Oh wait, I forgot that he supposedly took the move because the club told him how desperate they were for money...

Did we ever really do that? I can't remember any point where we've really put up a great fight to keep players. Duff went fairly easily. Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Bentley, Jones... It's not really anything new.

Mainoo, Elliott, Chukwuekema, and Buonanotte have all definitely impressed this season. Then you have some highly touted prospects like Rico Lewis who is playing as a right-back but could definitely have his future in midfield and players like Lavia who haven't really played this season. It's not a knock on Wharton. He's very talented and he could go onto big things, but as he was our player there is a tendency to look at his talent as being more unique than it probably is. Still a long way to go before he even starts putting himself in England contention. *I'll also add that I'm almost certainly forgetting or overlooking certain players as I don't watch as many matches from some clubs. Again, we benefit from paying attention to Wharton in a way that we wouldn't have had he just signed for Palace from Leicester.

I think you'll struggle to find something saying that I didn't rate him. I think he's very talented, but I've always said that there are players of equal talent dotted around clubs in England. As for not many? It's a relatively short list, but there would definitely be 5-10 on it virtually every season (including this one).

Wharton definitely looks very comfortable at that level, but he is something of the flavour of the month and a lot of the praise is a bit overboard. Even yesterday, he played well, but he wasn't that involved and really should have been part of a Palace side that lost by 5. I wish we had kept him for a bit longer - although I think Wharton and his agent had more to do with that move than they are given credit for - but he still has a long way to go in his development until he is the player this thread would make him seem like. Let's also not forget, much like the Duff kissing the Chelsea badge, Wharton has become incredibly active on social media with a lot of 'up the Palace' stuff. But, he didn't want to leave, right?

We can be hard on our squad, but we've got more quality than they are currently showing. Over 50% of our starting 11 would be in the running to start for most sides and a couple would be definite starters for virtually every side in the league. What more do you need in order to be competitive? With 1 win in 13 you'd think that he was managing a newly promoted side. And not a side promoted from League 1, but a side promoted straight from League 2 or below. That type of form is unacceptable for ANY SIDE in this league. We can't drop our standards this low.

🙄

But, you just happen to believe it to be sound policy at the moment and have indicated that you would have also seen it as sound policy 3/4 years ago. It ultimately proved to be a pretty correct assumption.

So what words was I putting into your mouth?

OK, which player under 23/24 do you think we should let walk at the moment?

Maybe you would have been. Maybe, that's the benefit of hindsight. I know I didn't. In the same way that I don't want Gallagher to be offered a new contract right now. If Gallagher re-signs and we get more of the same then it will prove to have been a massive waste of money. If we let him go and he goes on to score 15-20 goals at a Championship club next season, supporters will be questioning the decision. BBD had done nothing to justify a new deal and, by the time he did, he was too late. You're basically advocating that every player under 26/27 should be offered a new deal to protect our investment. That will work out some of the time, but it will lead to some awful contracts.

Having printed masks in the past for some events we've hosted at UNESCO, you'll need a far higher image quality than that if you want to avoid us being the laughing stock of the footballing world for a day.