If I were Guehi I'd deck Mateta for going in hard on a youngster in a heartbeat. After all, he barely goes in on anyone during games. Useless f***er.

Red and Blue Army!

I have seen or heard names being mentioned but who on earth would have answered the call in our current predicament : Benitez, Favre, Hassenhuttl etc etc ?
A team that had not recorded a win in 2023, only 10 games remaining, transfer window closed and a possibility of a relegation on their CV.

I'm not convinced we couldn't get a manager in, providing there was a clear plan and budget for how we would try and get back up again and a proviso that they wouldn't be culpable if we were relegated.

I am sure providing the remuneration is sufficient and there is a clear plan that can be sold, then we should still have been able to attract a decent manager.

I am sure if West Ham sack Moyes they would still get in a decent manager.

Dear god this is a bloody nightmare... however here is my 10 cents worth.

PV was just not interested and looked clueless at the end. I've not missed a minute of his time as a manager and it was like he checked out after the World Cup. I run a business not big but big enough that if I am not on top of things then the guys working for me can go a bit off plan and the whole thing starts to break down. It is madness to think that things will be working like a well oiled machine if the head of that machine is not doing there job. The only surprise for me was that he was such a great player, that you would think he would not allow those standards to drop. That said how many great players turn into great managers... this is a cliche for a reason.

On to Roy.
10 games to go, Parish was never EVER going to turn to anybody else. Nobody with any sense would have taken this challenge on just for 10 games and who would take this up not knowing what league we would be in next year, who would risk that? Plus most other names would have been a much bigger gamble in my view as they would be going in completely cold.

I hated watching Palace at the end of Roys last stint but nobody can argue that he did exactly what he was there to do. Got us punching well above our weight and most of the time he was in charge we were easily safe in the league. I would reflect on his time with us and Fulham rather than dwelling on the Watford stint.

Watching us since the World Cup has been even more painful than the last season or so with Roy. It became a similar style but my view it was never implemented as well as Roys team and the players looked lost most of the time, devoid of confidence and fitness.
We did get a couple of good results (Liverpool and Utd) but we should have got a win against Brentford and we should have got something from Villa. I think these are the games that made Parrish panic. Also seeing how far Brighton have gone passed us should be a wake up call to the board... but it probably won't be.

With the games we have coming up, on paper we should be fine with Roy, all he has to do is get players he mostly knows to buy into the fight, the newer players will then get on board and hopefully we will be safe before the last couple of games. If Parish had waited until after the first couple of games agains those around us and we lost then I think it would have been too late so I think there was no choice.

Moving forwards, It is hard to see where we go. The funds are not there, After PV and FDB do we have to accept that we will never get this flowing style of football Palace and on our budget? As hard as it is to accept, Liverpool and Man City we ain't.
Loved last year as it was so fresh but that appears to be more down to 1 player being amazing for a period of time and lifting those around him than it was because of anything else. No matter what we are Palace and we get behind the team.

Can't agree more than with this Willo. The way the fixture list panned out means Parish was on a hiding to nothing. Sack Vieira and you've done it before the 'easier' fixtures come along. Stick and we don't win the next three or four and Parish gets it for not sacking him earlier.

However, where I do feel the board is culpable is that they must have seen the gaping holes in the squad and done nothing to address it.

If we had bought another 3 or so players in the summer to help in the problem positions, I doubt we would be talking about 1 win in 16.

I have no recollection of posting this on HOL, however I shall take your esteemed word for it, concluding that medication was having an adverse affect on my cerebral matter or that I was in a state of mild inebriation !

Leading up to his departure, I had a different mindset !

Edited by Willo (22 Mar 2023 4.45pm)