Willo,for perhaps the first time I agree with you.

A meltdown of delight.

As bad as Sunday was in terms of levels of entertainment the draw we picked up has pretty much made us safe for another year. Being pragmatic, you couldn't really ask for more in terms of commitment and points on the table and Roy had clearly worked hard to nullify Fulham's threat, to the point that he even played Bentenke for his defensive qualities! [Link] I think what will be more telling is how we play once Wilf returns, and possibly 2-3 other first teamers. At the moment Roy is trying to grind out results with an injury list worse than Liverpool's and as much as it's painful to watch he is probably willing to suffer flack if it means we get points on the table. The question is, when the squad is stronger again will we be braver with the ball and take more chances? If we aren't then I see no case for Roy having his contract extended.

Roy's blinkered and dogged approach is what you want when you're fighting for your life, but the growing concern is that this increasingly seems to be the way we will play even when relegation is not a threat. A new manager is a risk, of course, but what is life without risks? 38 games of negative football is certainly not living, it's just surviving.

Edited by taylors lovechild (01 Mar 2021 9.58am)

So easy (and disingenuous) to take a person's words out of context.

Hodgson did NOT make that comment in the context of thinking that that was all he thought we could get BEFORE a ball was kicked, but, after it became apparent during the game that our players were struggling to compete with Fulham's pressing game, he believed that 0-0 was the best we were likely to get.

Along with Taylor's LC, I will be interested to see how we set up and perform after the 3 week break when hopefully several of our better players (Zaha, Schlupp, McArthur) will be back. If it's the same turgid Alamo stuff then I'll be rooting for Hodgson to leave in the Summer. If we show a bit of attacking ambition then I'm happy for Parish and Co to make whatever call they decide on the management team and see what changes the Summer window brings.

There is no reason to think a new manager would not lead to the salvation of the club, under certain circumstances. And the argument against it doesn’t suppose that it could not be the case.
The problem is ,it is so blatantly obvious , that the issues this club suffers from, and the manager has worked with have been made by the restraints , placed on the situation valid or otherwise by the club it’s self.
In short if anyone thinks all you need is a change of manager , it has to argued to the contrary.

That's really a strategy that's been forced on us by lack of squad depth (together with injuries), meaning we have to grind out results rather than demonstrate flair and play what might be called attractive football.