Could the delay in an announcement being made - whether Roy is staying or not - be dependent on us being mathematically safe in the PL?

Yes, I know we are almost certainly safe but maybe a new appointment is being delayed for this very reason?

FWIW I think we need a change, although a risk.

Edited by Melbourne Eagle (07 May 2021 1.52pm)

So basically we need to take a risk. Why? And to achieve what? We’re comfortably mid table, nowhere near relegation at any point this season or the couple prior.

If we take a "risk", fail to invest and start trying to play like City, we will either go down or be in deep trouble and have to bring in a firefighter manager (who’ll probably spend the next 5 years of our transfer budget on firefighter players). And for what? Even if we do spend this summer - why doesn’t Roy get to work with the investment. After what he’s achieved at the club, doesn’t he deserve that?

We're the Arthur over ere!

No reason at all. For me, the real reason Roy's position is in doubt leading into next season (if it is) is a result of either one of two things:

1) he is genuinely retiring
2) Parish knows that if the discontent of the fans boils over, Roys' position will quickly become untenable & things could get ugly.

I don't mean this in an insulting way but I've genuinely never been so disappointed at the conduct of our fans. Roy has conducted himself honourably throughout and has done an excellent job - he should really go down in the clubs history for it.

Instead, he's being hounded out. And for what? As you said, he's earned the investment, and if we're not investing then Roy is absolutely the man for the job.

Edited by Mstrobez (08 May 2021 8.41am)

We're the Arthur over ere!

I'm not anti-Roy but some of the limp thrashings this year have been appalling, Liverpool, Chelsea and City away, and Burnley at home, and though Roy's hands have been tied to a great extent, Parish will have hated those performances as much as the rest of us, and I think that's what's ultimately convinced Parish it's the right time for a change. We need new, younger, faster players and a manager who has a clear idea what they want to put in place for the next three or four years, and that man can't be Roy.

100% on the money.

You argue just like my wife and she's never wrong either

i would argue that is very much not the case given (arguably) our entire 1st choice defence has spent almost the whole season injured bar right back...weve played a midfielder as CB all season, and yes weve taken some hidings but on the whole managed really well.

im pretty sure we've had the worst injury record this season alongside liverpool.

then we lost wilf for a period of covid & injury.

‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’ Ian Holloway

Agreed but I think questions should be asked how/why we pick up so many injuries in training, did Wilf have COVID? wasn’t aware of thst

Edited by Spiderman (09 May 2021 5.50pm)

Injuries wise that's a fair point, but I meant the performances themselves, as nearly every club has had some serious injury problems, including most of them around us. You look back over the season and the only games we really looked comfortable winners was against a very weak Sheffield Utd and WBA, easily the two worst teams by a country mile. Our first two wins of the season were basically us taking advantage of two teams who had little to no preseason and so were half asleep. The win against Newcastle was fortuitous (although they were probably lucky to beat us in the reverse fixture) and the win against Brighton was hilarious.

But for a dubious offside the Leeds win might not have gone our way and many of the draws were basically down to motm performances from Vicente (Everton and Spurs being notable examples). Even the 5-1 win against WBA was heavily influenced by a soft red card for Perreira. The only significant thing I remember going against us was the Ward handball, which at that point was technically a handball.

Considering our ageing and depleted squad our points tally is undoubtedly commendable, but my point was that I look at our squad and the way we are playing and I think we are in trouble if we don't make some changes as we got the rub of the green in many games when we didn't always deserve it.

no he's spot on, doesn't make him disloyal because he's over 16 years of age