The concern is if injuries don't improve he has shown no idea of how to work around it. He hasn't tried untested players to any great degree, he hasn't come up with any new offensive tactics, he hasn't gone down the route of a more physical and aggressive approach, or worked out a way to go more direct. The one change was to go 3-4-3 when we don't have any wingbacks, Schlupp is not a right winger and he puts Eze out on the left. We are no longer that hard to break down, we can't defend setpieces and our offensive set pieces have no creativity at all. I just don't see anything that he's getting right at the moment.

Sometimes changing the manager just gives the place a boost. It's not always fair on the manager, but it works so often if you make the right choice. The fact is any half decent manager will keep us up when the core of the team is fit.

To say it's a fact that the young players are not good enough is unproven.
It's possible they are not good enough at the moment,but it's not an absolute fact.
Largely they've been thrown on when games are already gone and, in the case of Ahamada, played out of position and set up to fail.
It may be they are not deemed 'good enough' for Roy's rigid system but would flourish under a more progressive manager.
I note that young players are being given extended opportunities at Brighton, Newcastle, Wolves and Bournemouth and by and large are doing well.
I suppose the retort will be that their youngsters are all better than ours, but I don't necessarily accept that.
Indeed DeZebri commented that the club have a policy of young players recognising that they will mistakes along the way.
That's the very nature of gaining experience.
Gaining 10 minute cameos here and there when games are already gone, which we do, is not necessarily conducive to obtaining proper experience.

There is this tired old argument that the younger/fringe players are not getting a chance. I dont agree. Franca is one example where he has had a lot of cameos now. He may be young and settling into a foreign country but sooner or later you have to grab that chance and make the position your own. Play so well its hard if not impossible for the manager to drop you, Even when everyone is fit. Franca just has not done that. Neither has Rak=Saki when fit. None of them have. Roy (and to a lesser degree Ray and Paddy) see these players day in day out on the training ground. Do you not honestly think that in view of our injuries/absences if they saw even a glimmer of magic from any of these lads that they wouldn't start and get a full 90 minutes? Of course they would. Its time to face facts, At the moment they are not up to it.

Ozoh has shown he can be a PL player with regular starts. He's already contributing at least as much or more than Schlupp and Hughes when he gets decent minutes as occurred when Hodgson was forced to play him at the Etihad when Ward got injured in the first half.

Some will say Ozoh hasn't done much since. However, how many of Hodgson's favoured experienced pros make a meaningful contribution when they're given 10 minute cameos? Answer = none; so why expect the youngsters to break into the team when they're only given those kinds of opportunities?

IMO, the real problem is Hodgson's rigid system which he only trusts his seasoned pros to play and at present some of them are making a pig's ear of it and dragging down our better players as a result.

Even without Olise, Ayew and Doucoure, we don't have a squad that's relegation quality. It's better than that, but not, it seems in Hodgson's hands.

There is this tired old argument that the younger/fringe players are not getting a chance. I dont agree. Franca is one example where he has had a lot of cameos now. He may be young and settling into a foreign country but sooner or later you have to grab that chance and make the position your own. Play so well its hard if not impossible for the manager to drop you, Even when everyone is fit. Franca just has not done that. Neither has Rak=Saki when fit. None of them have. Roy (and to a lesser degree Ray and Paddy) see these players day in day out on the training ground. Do you not honestly think that in view of our injuries/absences if they saw even a glimmer of magic from any of these lads that they wouldn't start and get a full 90 minutes? Of course they would. Its time to face facts, At the moment they are not up to it.