The point I was trying to make is that across the board, judging from the highlights, I see teams getting forward, committing players to attack in the right moments, and playing with a higher level of effort and intensity than anything seen under Vieira this season. Therefore it's only a matter of time before some of those teams catch up and pass us on the way. We can't score, they have started to score. As you yourself have suggested, the trajectory can only be downward unless we start to find the back of the net with some regularity.

I agree about Hughes but, come on, McArthur hasn’t played a competitive game fir about a year, he is nowhere near match fit. He seemed to be running in treacle yesterday

I really do not believe that the trap-door on the gallows is being oiled in anticipation of usage.

Crisis, what Crisis?

Lots of great comments and thoughts on this thread! Unfortunately that old Einstein cliche seems to apply .... so what is going to change. I tend to agree with Willo, not very much at our end, wait and see what happens to the teams below us. Of course that other cliche also applies about rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. So, the real risk is waiting for the situation to become a full blown crisis, then our destiny is in other hands.

We can't change the squad, (even though it has been so obvious that we needed to) so the only short term (high risk) option is to change the coaching.

Parish and Co. seem to be bystanders in this train wreck in the belief that making a coaching change is a higher risk than the status quo. Who knows ..... but usually when people are underperforming, top leaders have the courage to change the root problem, weak leaders cannot face reality and adopt a wait and see approach, usually to the organizations demise. Damned if you do, damned if you don't! Good leaders know how to evaluate the risk equations, so who knows what the conversations are in the board room, but, there are only 2 options, make a decision, maybe after the Arsenal game, stick or twist. Personally, I have seen enough to know that PV is definitely not a long term solution, so if after the next three games and less than 3 points, the risk equation will have shifted and a coaching change will be absolutely necessary. I hope someone is planning for that option to play out.

We have a business model that positions us as "small" underfunded club in that our options are limited and maybe we are destined to be a Championship club..... the academy strategy and new stand will not prevent that from happening. Having a minority owner, whose heart is in the right place, but not the skill sets to manage the current downward trajectory and continued poor player recruitment, compounds the issues. Surely, someone must have learned from the Pardew, Boer, Benteke and Sakho debacles; apparently not.

Edited by radicalsteve (05 Mar 2023 1.24pm)

Yes a lot of my customers seem to say to me every week “you ain’t going down” etc but the problem is they only see the league table they don’t see the “dross” on show weekly and everything else that concerns the supporters

“This is a crisis, a large crisis.... in fact if you have a moment, it’s a 12 storey crisis, magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24 hour portage , and an enormous sign on the roof saying “This , is a large crisis” - Edmund Blackadder

Indeed, but supporters are aware that we have not won a single game in 2023, have only won 1 of our last 12 PL games and only scored 6 goals in those games.They are also aware that we were defeated at home by a struggling Southampton team in the FA Cup.
The portents are not encouraging.

Edited by Willo (05 Mar 2023 1.38pm)