I won't bother quoting but someone on the 1st page mentioned a fear of it happening again. This is Pard's biggest stumbling block unfortunately and I believe a hurdle that cannot be overcome.

In September, we got 9 points on the bounce out of Stoke, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. That is really impressive even despite the quality of opposition.

But did anyone truly think that Pardew wouldn't have another massive slump soon after? We haven't won a game since. If he wins the next 2 games do we all pop the champagne and declare he's turned a corner? No, we all sit quietly agitated waiting for when the next slump starts.

Now imagine if we sacked Pardew and got in Allardyce or any of the shortlisted managers and their next 3 fixtures were Middlesbrough, Stoke and Sunderland and he takes 9 points.

Do the fans and players start worrying about the next slump? Of course not, everyone declares the new manager a genius and kicks on, having a steady if unspectacular season from that point onwards.

Correction: Without Parish, we'd be lucky if we were playing Bromley - if at all.

As a kid in the mid-1950s, seeing the old floodlights from our kitchen window in Whitworth Road, the writing was on the wall.