Obviously, being in the PL allows a club to trade at a higher level and our squad now is 100 times better than the one that got promoted.
Unfortunately, most of the teams in the PL have improved considerably during our time there as well. Therefore, we have not improved in relative terms so far but just about stayed the same.
Our useless efforts in the last two window have seen us slip back as could have been predicted and was predicted by me for one.

If you don't spend you go backward. We must find a way to improve in January or risk relegation. Our chairman looks frightened of failure every season and then makes the very same mistakes again the next. When will he learn that you can't wing it year after year? To rely on Benteke to find form again was bonkers and to have no decent back up was lunacy.

May I congratulate you on a very good post.
I am wholeheartedly in agreement with the general thrust of your message.

Bottom line … we just have to avoid relegation this season again and get a season closer to building our new stand. AND, when we start the build guess what?! We’ll have to ensure we don’t get relegated again that season until we become more of an attractive proposition for bigger investors than we have already got. AND until such a point, we will always be where we are and tbh we can’t honestly hope for more?!

Think about the last 6 or seasons … a play off final win, a host of very expensive players have arrived in different forms (whether or not they’ve been value for money is another things), our 6th consecutive season in the Prem, a number of internationals in the 1st team squad, the most talented player outside the top 4, an FA cup final appearance, a firm plan to start redevelopment the Main Stand … need I go on?!

If that’s not making progress from where we were 7-8 years ago I don’t know what is!

Yes, we’re shoddy at the minute. Yes, we can’t buy a win. Yes, we run the gauntlet of going down again (see 1st point in this comment) … but f*ck me, if you don’t like it then don’t go and let someone else have your ticket!

This is the key.

Parish has done and does do a lot of good things for the club, but one of the things Steve Parish hasn't figured out after all of these years is how to manage a squad. If he hasnt got it down by now he probably never will.

Benteke has been an abject failure for over 14 months now, and to address that we signed a guy in Sorloth who failed in the Dutch top flight, and Ayew on loan.

Its not good enough.

Yes we have assembled a solid defense and defensively solid midfield but other than Meyer, who often doesnt get to play, where is the creativity in the middle of the park?

Other than Wilf Zaha and our left back where are the goal threats?

RH does not have enough attacking options, and we are suffering for it with a serious lack of goals in our game at the moment.

RH not having enough attacking options is the responsibility of the chairman.

Trump lost. Badly. Hahahahahahaha.

Within seconds of the final whistle at Fulham hundreds were planning for Europa Cup travel in 2019.

Others, like myself, just wanted a season without the constant worry that has been a hallmark of our PL escapade, sometimes to the last couple of games, sometimes one or two more but I can't think we have ever been safe, mathematically or pragmatically after 32 0r 33 games and that being likely after say 25 games

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.

I disagree with your last statement. It is the manager and coaches job to improve and get the best out of their players. For all their good points, Roy and Ray have failed in the striker department. Benteke was a top striker a few years ago, he has gone backwards under Roy, why?
It’s an easy cop out to blame the chairman, but isn’t working with the players everyday.