I think I agree with you.

And on that point...of the two Championship suggestions, I’d rather Ismael than Cooper. I think he is definitely one for the future.

Did he? Do we know that or have I missed something somewhere? there would have been informal chats between Steve and Roy sounding each other out about a contract extension. Many managers have lost their jobs due to fan pressure and this influencing either consciously or sub-consciously club owners. I don't see why we would be any different.

I go back to what I said the first time we were linked with Nuno - his apparent interest in Palace was worth pursuing but also deeply suspicious. I just could not understand why he would take a step backwards in his career like that. Best guesses ranged from wanting to live in London, to an emotional reaction to the fallout with Wolves. Neither are good reasons to take the Palace job, and the cold hard reality of running our club would have presented itself soon enough.

Palace and big names in their prime just do not mix. Never have. Whether it's players or managers we mostly just get the thin end of those deals, with blokes thinking they are doing us a favour, or correctly guessing that we are so desperate for what they can do that we never stop to ask why they want to come here at all. Most of these people just want to be a big fish in a small pond, partly for their own ego, but mostly for an easy life.

We need a grafter, someone who needs to succeed here, someone for whom this is a step up they will be grateful for and energised by. If that is Cooper then fine, let him get stuck in.

As I posted yesterday I'd little confidence in the whole thing and thought Steve Parish / The Yanks / Dougie Freedman / Mark Bright / our budget etc and Nuno and Super Agent Mendes were a match made in hell.

The real surprise to me was how far negotiations had apparently got.

Cooper in, Big Sam by Christmas

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn

But was it a step backwards. He hardly set the world alight in his European coaching career and took the Wolves job when they were in the Championship leaving them when they were one place and one point above us