Most certainly. It strongly appears that they couldn't get anyone else in after the demise of PV and were actually in contact with Hodgson whilst PV was still in charge. Come the close season and still no new name on the table, and surprise surprise, Hodgson accepts another year. Didn't he retire at some point previously? I wouldn't trust any of them.
One would have have thought that if the board had done a truly honest appraisal of the playing staff during the close season, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and with £50m to spend, then purchasing a sicknote keeper, an unknown quantity Brazilian, and a sicknote Arsenal reject was a gross misuse of funds in light of the actual here and now glaring needs of cover for certain areas that existed then and still exist now. Those purchases have provided nothing thus far, whilst weak areas are exploited by the opposition, hence our undeniably poor form.
With this in mind it occurs to me that the current squad is the weakest since our PL arrival. The uneven nature of it, individual player ability, lack of cover exacerbated by injury, players serving no role except to collect a high salary, all because Parish and his football director prefer it that way and have managed it to be in an existential sense. With correct scrutiny and honesty it could have been very different but hubris has gripped them both.
It's an incompetent shambles, and that's being polite.

Edited by southnorwoodhill (10 Dec 2023 8.27am)

Isn't that just palace though

Whichever happens it’s going to be a nail biting season. Bring it on .