After one of the most unconventional seasons ever for Crystal Palace, behind closed doors in the midst of a global pandemic, supporters are poised to return next season to a club they do not even recognise.
The south London side have reached a defining crossroads period, where it is clear a new era needs to begin. The manager is departing and fifteen first team names are coming to the end of their contract. The burning conundrum, therefore, is how best to go about the looming transition.
On Tuesday morning Palace confirmed 73-year-old Roy Hodgson will be walking away at the end of the season following the expiration of his contract, meaning the reigns will be handed to a new manager to take control.
Yet Palace's predicament stretches much deeper than simply who stands at the helm. The very shape of their squad for next season is firmly up in the air and there have been no clear indications over which direction the club will choose to take next.
Hodgson will now focus on a positive end to the campaign for Palace after they once again ensured their Premier League status relatively comfortably, with remaining fixtures against Arsenal and Liverpool.
But several of the stars who will play a role in the effort across those final two games are also, as it stands, heading for the exit door. The uncertainty must be a source of frustration for the club's passionate and vocal fanbase.
Many of the names poised to walk away are not fringe members under Hodgson, either. They have all played a big part this term, and brought plenty of experience to a team which just a few years ago looked in real danger of the drop.
The likes of Christian Benteke, Patrick van Aanholt, Gary Cahill, Andros Townsend and Jeffrey Schlupp will all leave at the end of next month unless agreements are found and extensions penned.
These are all seasoned heads in the Palace dressing room and have been prominent under veteran boss Hodgson. James McArthur, James McCarthy and Joel Ward, three more experienced players, also find their deals up imminently.
Having once again avoided relegation, Palace are in a good position to undertake a drastic overhaul of their squad. There can be no denying one is needed sooner rather than later.
The average age of their starting line-up in the league is the highest out of all 20 clubs. In fact, they hold the record this season, with one of their teams having chalked up a 30.5 figure.
In their last away win, a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United, four of the players that lined up from the off, Vicente Guaita, Ward, Cahill, Luka Milivojevic and Benteke were aged 30 or over.
There were three, Wilfried Zaha, Townsend and Schlupp, who were just under that mark. Only two of the XI, Tyrick Mitchell - who recently scored his first goal against Aston Villa - and Eberechi Eze, can be classed as youngsters.
This will come as little surprise. After all, Palace's squad has been built and moulded over the years with a focus on experience, and wise heads who have seen and done it all in the top-flight.
That method works for a little while at least. Eventually, players get older, become more worn, and are then pushed to one side. Of course, there will be no big transfer fees for them and, without major investment, the cycle repeats itself.
Palace's conundrum appears to be based around this pattern and there is now a feeling at Selhurst Park that it is time to rip up the tried and tested rulebook.
Having been a mainstay at the top table for so long now, the club will be targeting more than the bare minimum. A shift in policy beckons.
This summer, there is a willingness to make the transition and it is expected that more youth players will be introduced into the first-team set-up.
There is plenty of promise in those ranks at Palace and the time has come to use them.
Talent will be procured from both inside the walls and outside. The supremely gifted Eberechi Eze arrived from Queens Park Rangers last August for just under £20million and is already paying off that price tag in spades.
Nathan Ferguson also joined, signing a long-term deal after leaving West Brom on a free transfer. These are players that Palace will be able to help flourish for many years to come, and potentially then make a hefty profit from.
A first professional contract was awarded to Jesurun Rak-Sayki, one of Palace's most exciting prodigies, and first-team member Mitchell committed to the club until 2025.
It has been reported by The Athletic, meanwhile, that 'positive' discussions have been held with some of the senior players whose deals are up soon. While there have been no offers tabled as yet, this may change before the end of the season.
Retaining experience is never a bad move for a club, provided the wage packages are within their means, but the mission to bring down their squad's average age will be in full swing.
On paper, a core of players in their prime being flanked by team-mates bursting with youthful exuberance seems a winning combination. It will not be Hodgson who oversees this next step, but the ingredients are there for progression. What matters now, crucially, is selecting the right person to steer the ship.
Palace's financial results made for interesting, and perhaps slightly concerning, reading when they were released last month. The statistics, taken from 13 months up to last July, revealed a loss of £58m and a 93 per cent ratio of income-to-wages.
This is a trap the club will look to shift away from, starting from this summer, with the coronavirus pandemic having also taken its hold on their coffers.
As a result, any of the players who want to pen new contracts may see their wages reduced. It would seem foolish to let Benteke, centre back Cahill and forward Townsend just slip away, but compromises will have to be made.
Either way, big decisions that will directly impact the future and direction of the historic football club are looming on the horizon.
The new approach to the upcoming market will be a very welcome one, and retaining at least a few of the current battle-scarred veterans would also be a sensible move.
Then, with the right coach - with former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard among the early frontrunners for the position - Palace may finally be able to set their sights on loftier goals.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com