In the deepest depths of South East London, there appears to be an enclave that might not be as undesirable as it appears to those on the outside.
Momentum maybe shifting – are Palace finding themselves in their most fashionable era?
Once the poorer relation to fellow London clubs, dealings in recent years may indicate a shift in direction, that we are serious contenders for those recognised talents and that SE25 is more than a creditable option to ply your trade.
Initiated by the decision of Michael Olise to rebuff even the strongest of interest and offers from one of Europe’s giants, we can now take stock of where Palace are as a force in the best league in the world, and in their bid to attract talent to the club ahead of other potential suiters.
Palace have the march on those outside the capital, often known that London is a major attraction to any player looking to switch clubs or join the Premier League, and recent seasons will further strengthen the case.
With this, let’s not underestimate nor undervalue the work of Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish. It’s without question that both individuals have Palace at heart but has often been doubted whether they have the experience, knowledge, ruthlessness and clout that fellow Chairmen and Sporting Directors possess.
With recent dealings, they must now be considered a team of strength in the Palace side much like we would consider our defensive unit and midfield duo on the pitch, these two are pulling the strings in the backroom.
Owing to Patrick Viera’s appointment being a benefit in making recent signings, we must also consider the likes of Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Cheick Doucoure, Michael Olise, Sam Johnstone, Eberechi Eze, and even the likes of Will Hughes who have strengthened not only the first team, but that of the bench and options from the whole squad.
These additions can also be measured by the departure of our long serving talisman, Wilfried Zaha. In recent years, we have prepared ourselves for the worst as such but have never looked so prepared to wave goodbye and replace Wilf with a wealth of talent we could only have dreamt of when Zaha began his journey with the club.
Olise’s contract extension not only served as a huge middle finger to the big boys, and there are very few groups of fans that will display this any better than the Palace faithful we are sure when we meet Chelsea.
Is there more we can read into OIise’s new contract? Let’s not kid ourselves, we know the new release clause will be met in the future, Olise will showcase his talents amongst the best, he will have his moment in Europe.
The Olise situation is a repeat of history but this time with more impact. Zaha was long courted by the top four candidates, contract offers and regular football was our promise and this, no doubt, is what we pushed at Olise, but this climate is different to that of Zaha’s transfer speculation. Todd Boehly’s Chelsea have knocked at many doors and, as far as I can recall, these doors have not been shut in their face, they get their man, on their terms with a huge transfer fee, long contracts and all the ingredients to allow FFP to sit back and observe from afar.
The Palace hierarchy, social media, and fans appear to have treated his contract extension with much more impact than that of Chelsea. For them, he is another cog in their huge mechanism, potentially lost amongst the army of talent as their disposal. At Palace, he’s the major cog. Chelsea didn’t get their man but Palace have.
Are Palace now a more fashionable option? We offer the capital life, we offer Premier League football, we offer development, we offer quality throughout the squad and now we offer the training facilities to match. Next up, the stadium and the ability to secure a coaching team to take Palace to the next level.
The season now needs to reflect the aspirations of the management team and the board to further demonstrate how the unfashionable South Londoners are becoming fashionable.
