I don't think there's a team in the division with a wider gap between the 1st choice 11 and the back up players. If Saturday and the games before it showed anything, it was that. Lady Luck will have a big say in where we finish.

If you want to live in a world full of kindness, respect and love, try to show these qualities.

To be honest if you think about it most teams outside of the top 4 dont have much squad depth. West Ham and Everton and Stoke are pretty much in the same boat as us, brilliant first 11s on paper but their benches fail to inspire.

Its a huge ask to have a good squad depth if you are anything but top 4. Top players will demand to be in the first team. If you cant offer that they are not going to join us.

No player worth his salt is going to join us to fight for his place on the bench when they can quite easily find a club who will slot him straight into their starting 11.

I think our squad depth is pretty good (apart from the striker position!!) - we brought on Fosu-Mensah (highly rated at Old Trafford - and can play right back, centre back, and defensive midfield) Riedewald the same, and Tomkins was on the bench as back up centre back. Souare is now fit (one of three possible left backs) Loftus-Cheek was ineligible on Saturday, and Benteke is currently injured, as is Wickham. What we need is a couple of strikers and another goalkeeper and its then probably the best squad anyone of us can remember

This is so worryingly true.
Our first 11 on our day, I believe we could even give Bayern Munich or Real Madrid a game, but..... take 3 or 4 key players out of our team and we cant even hold our own in the division we are in.
If Parish really has aspirations to become an established top ten team he needs to forget about the WAY we play and start thinking about beefing up the system that works.
This means 3 top class keepers, three top class strikers and 2 quality players for every position.
Instead of 8 centre halves and no strikers!

Bollox. Teams might miss a star player or 2 but they don't fall to pieces because 1-3 players are unavailable. Parish c0cked up with Frank as per last season and we have to now hope luck with injuries and playing teams at times that suit us and Roy magic will give us a good chance from 31st January when Parish signs a striker and another.

COYP

Just need to change/evolve into more passing rather than flip flopping every 6 months. Bewildering it was attempted again after Pardew onto Sam. As the dross leaves, hopefully better comes in, whether 1st team or back up, to make it hold together with any injuries.

Frank did have about 12+ outfield players to improve the passing. He just didn't have them available. But the stubborn fool advertising his ability to the football world couldn't wait and it cost him his job, Parish and CPFC £2mil and still possibly our premier league status.

COYP