if we changed the title of this thread to 'Roy out ... in the summer' I reckon there'd be far less disagreement. Pearson or Bilic to take over for me.

See how we get on against Arsenal and Man City.

If we manage draws in both I'd say 'carry on Roy'

but, if we lose both as expected, he should hand in his notice to give a fresh tactically efficient replacement to plot where the 18 points to ensure safety are coming from.

Most agree, we have the talent but not a manager capable of using it.

Everyone can see the case against Roy. However, having tried to press 'Roy Outers' to:

1. Name a premier league club of our budget level who play the kind of football you want to see at Palace.
2. Point to a time Palace ever stayed up playing decent football in the top flight.
3. Name the (realistic) replacement manager they wanted.

...it seems pretty clear that by and large people can't.

Southampton are having a little purple patch, but the evidence is overwhelmingly clear: Clubs our size have a far better chance of staying up by playing ‘anti-football’, and a far better chance of getting relegated playing decent football.

We haven't had more than one season in the top flight since the early 1990s. For those too young to remember, I assure you: that brilliant team was not one for the football purists. Palace have never played good football and survived in the modern top flight. I repeat: Never.

The argument that it is up to the club to find not just a replacement for Roy, but (and people forget this bit) also an upgrade, rather than for the fans to know who that might be, doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. If prospective new managers were well known, then we could name them. We can’t, so there isn’t an obvious one out there. If potential new managers aren’t well known (i.e they’ve not worked in the premier league before) then they are, by definition, a massive gamble. For every left-field appointment that does well there are five or ten that don’t.

There are folk who want our current system of mandated government, or even capitalism itself to be dismantled, eloquently (and often accurately) explaining the faults of both systems. Ask them for a better alternative though and they can't, often resorting to:’ Well, anything is better than what we’ve got now’.

I’m sorry, but that is the attitude of a child.

We are the 16th highest spending club in the league, and can’t spend much more due to FFP. We have a long term plan in place to become a slightly bigger club, but it won’t happen if we get relegated. Anti-football is the most likely way to stay up.

Roy is the symptom, not the cause.

As long as any prospective manager is prepared for the following type exchange and accepts, all should go swimmingly:
Parish: "We have an exciting new Academy with a couple of first teamer prospects coming through in a couple of years. We also have a number of first teamers over the age of 30 whose contracts are due to expire. You and I will work together to assess who needs keeping and who not. We have a budget of £10m for new transfers. I'd like us to play an entertaining attacking style of football.
Still interested in the job?"

I do keep seeing about how Roy has the best squad we have ever had and he is wasting our talent.

I just don't think our squad at the moment is very strong. I honestly love the team and effort is not questioned imo however honest assessment would be:

...

Okay waffling now but what i mean to say is... i don't think our squad is as good as we like to believe and we are 'probably' about where we could expect to be.