The logic in asking Roy to help out is fairly obvious, and I'd think even those very much against it will accept that it is likely only for the next ten games.

The strongest case against his appointment is also self-evident; the team have been quite good at the things Roy brings, we are struggling with the things he is unlikely to improve.

All of which casts the change of manager in an even more intruiging light. When making previous mid-season managerial changes Parish has tended to replace a more open style of play with a more conservative one. That is his comfort blanket, for understandable reasons.

In this case though Vieira has been playing Royball already. Our team shape out of possession has been good, the back four, keeper and defensive midfielder have generally played OK, we just look tedious in possession and toothless up front. Tactically, nothing will change now.

In it's way, that is a far greater indictment on Vieira than if he'd been sacked with us losing open, high scoring games. Parish isn't even looking to change what the players do, he just thinks Roy, who isn't an impact manager or a radically different tactician, will do the same thing Vieira was already doing, just better.

If, as widely reported, Vieira hasn't been on speaking terms with and has been avoiding Parish more or less altogether since January, then unless he's very, very stupid (which frankly, he's not), he surely will have known that the end was coming sooner rather than later. It's not credible that a football manager whose team hasn't won in three months doesn't realise his job is under threat. And in any industry (football is hardly unique) successors are lined up when the outbound employee is still in place if the job is an important one and continuity is vital. I imagine Vieira would have been more surprised if Parish hadn't been sounding out possible successors than to learn that he was.

I have been pro-Vieira and anti-Parish throughout, but I don't think Vieira has any grounds for complaint. One has done a piss-poor job of managing a football team; the other a piss-poor job of running a football club. Which in simple terms explains why we're in the state we're in now. If absolutely nothing else, Roy is competent which is more than can be said for either Vieira or Parish. Perhaps we should be thankful for his brief return.

Edited by sydtheeagle (22 Mar 2023 9.35am)

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

What's done is done.

The most important thing now in the next 10 days is to get the team FIT

This basic weakness is one thing we can condemn Vieira and Roberts for neglecting.

We start off reasonably well and then things always go downhill.

Maybe one of the reasons we are more vulnerable in the last ten minutes.

For the older players understandable but never for the others.

Benitez

Yep.

To summarise my (optimistic) thinking it is that Roy's position before was "Here's what you've got, don't expect much support and try to make the most it". In all fairness he did, he fulfilled his mandate of keeping our PL status in tact. In fact we literally waited for him to leave before spending any money on the team. Whilst the Luka, Jairo, Schlupp and Ayew comments might make for some amusement, that is what we had at the time. It's not as if Roy refused to pick prime KdB, Salah, Kane and VVD for the sake of these players.

Again, very optimistic, but my hope is that it is a similar ask of him now however there is some real talent in there. If he gets the most out of that then we should be OK.

My biggest criticism of us this year is that we looked unfit and uncoordinated. A recipe for disaster and quite a basic requisite for a team at this level. Get them running, get them well drilled and motivated, we should be fine. I think, or at least sincerely hope, Roy, Ray et al can achieve that. Roy will also have a game plan in place, perhaps not one we want to see, but a necessary one. PV looked to only ever have half of one in place this season and towards the end it was f**king awful.

Edited by Nicholas91 (22 Mar 2023 10.44am)

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I understand that TL but who did we really have in our locker at that time? First, second and third were Wilf, we also had Townsend and in that time we resorted to playing them two almost up top in isolation and even that somewhat worked. As others have mentioned, Roy also did very well with an only somewhat more attack resourced Fulham side.

I did say it's massively optimistic but I really don't see any point in letting myself dwell in anger or self pity. Must also say I do not completely buy the whole 'Roy can't do it' or 'it will be exactly the same as before' argument as set in stone. This squad is different, much different. Let's see. My initial reaction was exactly how you have articulated however I am opting for something different.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!