Given our recent results and perusing the fixtures in December I am far from optimistic about our prospects.

I have actually started to consider the possibility that we may well be lured into a relegation battle.

That’s also my thoughts, we have lost to Luton and unconvincingly beat Burnley and earlier in the season Sheffield Utd. These are the 3 teams we think we are better then. Big question mark over that presently in my opinion. As for worries further up thread that if we employed Potter it will be the end for Olise and Eze. What does that matter if the money gained from them get’s Potter type players in that makes our squad good enough to compete further up the table? Also Andersen and Geuhi would bring in money to make our squad bigger and stronger? Not saying we should sell all of them but we need a stronger 11 and bench (as was shown yesterday and matches before that) to stay in the premiership. Not saying Potter is the way forward but Hodgson has done his job in replacing PV and making us stable again. Until recently that us?

1. Wrong. In fact he would be a lot wealthier had he not sold his stake in GAC.

2. What do you define as '' world level '' then ? Are the Brentford and Brighton owners that ??

Then your other comments ;

Look at the players Roy was forced to put in before because he had no other option and they put in performances Mitchell was one of them so was a right back we received 50m for from United remember him.

Roy has one way of doing things this is the issue and why we always struggle against teams we should either be beating or drawing with.

1. I stand by what I said. Hodgson isn't being forced to play Richards at right back while Ward and Clyne are available. So you have to assume that he doesn't rate him in that position.

2. Riedewald - good technique but too one paced. I don't see him as worthy of a left back position.

3. I'm not jumping on any negative Edouard bandwagon given that my view of him hasn't changed in the last 18 months. Agreed his goal return this season looks impressive. When he doesn't score, he contributes virtually nothing. It's going back a bit, but you may remember a player called Ian Rush who scored goals for fun but was also described as Liverpool's first line of defence. Edouard was described as '' timid '' in a write in The Times and that sums him up.

4. We all know that Roy has his methods. Like them or not, they get the results he needs to achieve his objectives.

Old, Ungifted and White

Have you considered that they might be under instruction from the manager not to venture too far forward too often? Roy does love his defensive "shape".

I have a reputation on HOL of being a doomsayer and a glumbucket but even I was cautiously optimistic about our prospects this season.
Alas, recent results and impending fixtures have altered my thinking and I am filled with a sense of foreboding to the extent that my optimism is heading in the direction of 'Net Zero'.
I smell the heady ether of decay.

I figured it was for injuries or fitness. An issue I've always had is we seem to only ever have eleven (or less) decent players - as though they'll all play all 38 games.

Red and Blue Army!