On that basis, as we have the oldest manager then he must be the best in the world? I think a few would argue against that.

All sport evolves, Roy has his ideas that he has used to a reasonable level of success for 50 years with different levels of team. He has had opportunities to dominate with top teams but never has and top teams fans he has managed would say he is a poor manager. I don’t think he is a poor manager but I do think his ideas are outdated.

When you respond to people Tickled you don’t need to follow up your argument with an insult if they don’t agree with your way of thinking.

I think this sums up the different mindset of fans. What have we achieved? Not getting relegated, yay! Smacks of the lack of ambition and pathetically low expectations that a lot of fans are fed up with, me included. You make it sound like we're a charity and Roy is doing us a favour. What other Prem club would offer such an outdated manager the change to prolong his career in the top flight? Let's see when he finally chucks it in at Palace how long the queue is. He came in the steady the ship, and granted he did it, however it should have been a two-year stint max to stop us stagnating like we have.

Last season they won 10 of their last 12 games to clinch promotion.

Only after they had a month or two’s rest due COVID and no football being played!
It gave them the rest they needed to recharge their batteries and go again.

Leeds won 5 games in succession before Lockdown, they then had to play 9 games in a month when football returned.

I concur with these sentiments.

Steve Parish is only one of the 'Hierarchy'.
If the Hierarchy in general are unwilling to swell the coffers as much as supporters desire, SP is working within certain parameters.

Roy has held the fort and we remain a Premiership side. Academy and stadium plans are coming to fruition, which is a plus sign.
However time waits for no man and the policy of signing experienced pros on big wages has led to an ageing squad, a number of whom will be soon out of contract. We find ourselves at the crossroads, in need of an overhaul of the playing staff. During our current stint in the Premiership we have not particularly progressed, rather we have been treading water, more often looking down rather than up. I see no grand improvement between this side and the side of Pulis; rather, Pulis achieved more overall because he was arguably working with less.
The owners either don't want to or cannot spend the funds necessary to make the next step, and yet an ageing squad needs replacing. Something has to give. The lack of transfer activity combined with filler loans has highlighted the extent of our ambition whilst this current set of owners are in charge.

Edited by southnorwoodhill (21 Dec 2020 2.44pm)

Yep, the current scenario cannot go on any longer.

1. The manager's contract expires at the end of the season. He will be 74 at the start of next season. Will he realistically carry on again ? He is already the oldest ever top flight manager when he reached 71.

2. Our squad is really starting to age now. Players are getting into their 30's rather than reaching 30 now. That's without all those out of contract.

The club are in situation where things simply can't carry on.

I would expect us to survive again this season, and maybe reach mid table status (10-12). But come the summer we will be in all sorts of problems if things are sorted out soon.

Otherwise we will be a typical Palace situation of searching for a new manager in the summer, then trying to get new players in (which we are not particularly great in sorting quickly).

I agree with all of this. I'd like to add though, that I do wonder if the club are preparing for his inevitable retirement. There should be s predecessor put in place or at least a coaching team in place to take over from him now, so there's minimal upheaval when he does leave.

La la la your mum