I cant help feeling underwhelmed and agree with the thread's title.

I know Roy is not a bad appointment, but it doesn't feel like long term strategic planning.

It would have felt better if he'd renewed before the end of thebseason. Being announced at the start of June, makes it look/feel like Parish was after other targets first.

But onwards and upwards to a top half finish

The long term strategy is to build the new stand, relegation isn’t really an option for that to happen. So appointing Roy is fairly risk free and the players respect him, any other appointment would of had a large element of risk to be dragged into renegotiation.

Of course nothing is risk free, so then you look at what you need to do to mitigate the risk. Watford is not a fair comparison, their players had mentally checked out before Roy got there.

I don’t know what you mean about “ backing ourselves “. I thought it was largely understood that financial circumstances mean that the course of action currently being taken by Parish makes the most sense.

It’s frustrating I know. We aren’t far off being a decent team with a few well chosen additions

Old, Ungifted and White

I was totally uninspired by the return of Roy last year, but I had to eat some humble pie. He did things that I didn't think he was capable of.

I thought I'd be the last person to endorse his return.

Ever the optimist, doesn't it give us a full season to now scope out a new long-term manager?

Of course, we could still leave it until the last minute or see if we can eek out another year from Roy.

In other words, we are kicking the can, but that can be a fun game when you haven't got a proper football. We just need to make sure we conduct a full and proper search for a very good football when we get to the end of the road with the can.

I think this is sensible. A London based Premiership club with a good squad, good fan base and established in the division. I'd be very surprised if there weren't some good coaches out there that wanted the job. I know for a fact Brendon Rodgers wanted it (but wanted way way too much money) and Graham Potter confirmed not too long ago he'd held talks with Palace (neither party revealing whether an offer was either rejected or even made in the first place).
I think this boils down to a few issues. Were any of the candidates a good fit? Did their wage demands fall into what we'd pay? Did they want to splurge 100m on new players? Were they uninterested in our proud youth system and indicated they'd not be looking to promote from within?
There are literally loads of issues that can become road blocks to a deal. I dont see Roy as a 'sticking plaster" and I imagine he might find that analogy a tad insulting considering his credentials. When you look at how he got us playing last season and how the players clearly want to play for him I think its a no brainer. He knows the club, knows the players, he knows the financial capabilities of the club/owners (by the way none of us do, despite speculation on here dressed up as fact).
This decision buys the owners and Freedman a year to draw up a shortlist of candidates that will fit the right profile. While that search goes on behind the scenes I believe Roy will run a steady ship. One thing I've always liked about Roy is unlike some managers he doesn't bulls*** the fans/media. When interviewed towards the end of last season he said he categorically believes that with the squad we have and decent pre season behind them this season's manager should 100% be aiming for a top 10 finish. He wouldn't say that if he didn't believe it.
I'm personally looking forward to seeing how he does. Lets face it, this will be his last job and his boyhood club at that. I'm betting he'll be using every trick and turn he knows to get us up that table. Sticking plaster? Yeah, a sticking plaster with 50 years experience will do me!

1 of 2 things will happen given this announcement.

Roy will get the sack part way through the season and Parish will stick Paddy in until the end of the season in the hope he can become an immediate success and guide us to safety.

Or

Roy will guide us to mid table safety, Paddy will have spent a full season learning from Roy and Ray and will pick up the role the following season.

Either way I look at it all things point to Paddy and those are the cheap options for Parish as he knows both Roy and Paddy will operate within the financial constraints he puts upon the club.