I would quite happily settle for the team to setup defensively in order to get a result, and the fact was we used to be able to it well.

This isn't the case anymore, we are simply not as good defensively as we used to be.

Roy sets up with a defensive/negative game plan against City in order not to get hammered. When infact, we managed to achieve getting hammered even by setting up defensively.

Bodes the question, if we cant defend as well as we used to, then we obviously need look at things differently. But that's where we dont.

I'm so glad someone has posted a reasonable argument to back up Roy. It's frustrating that recently people have just been claiming he deserves praise for being from Croydon, having 40 years experience, and most irritatingly of all - achieving a 0-0 draw with 10th place Arsenal.

I agree that Roy should be keeping the club in a safe mid table position. I'm not even that fussed about the style of play - just that Roy is too conservative with his tactics and substitutions especially against teams lower down the table when we need to chase a game.

Where we digress is what the definition of "safe mid-table" is. 14th last season was acceptable but below expectation, our second lowest premiership position since promotion (although Pardew got us to a cup final).

Between 14th and 11th is about what we should be expecting.

The issues are that we are on the decline. Final positions of 11th, 12th, and 14th show that.

In the 2020 calendar year we achieve 35 points, with a catastrophic end of the season. Relegation form - not safe mid-table form, over a prolonged period. He should have gone then.

A couple of wins catching Southampton and Manchester United off guard and underprepared help paper the cracks, but 23 points is a reasonable total at the half way stage. Only 3 points above were we need to be to survive. But if 14th to 11th is mid-table, then mealy surviving is unacceptable.

We've currently won 2 of our last 12. Including very disappointing performances vs Burley, Newcastle, Liverpool, Villa, Wolves, and City. Those wins came against the team in 19th place (with 10 men + and own goal), and 20th.

Something has to be done to top this accelerating decline.

At 73 and with 6 months left on his contract. To put it into context, Hodgson is definitely too old to get a mortgage, and would be very fortunate to even get a small loan. No sensible business would invest millions of pound in him - especially based on the performance over the last 12 months.

We've got a reasonable cushion, let's give someone else ago - it would give everyone a lift.

In recent weeks, many of the players have been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons, Luka's party, Eze's visit to QPR, Meyer's exit, and Batshuyai's fight. Issues in isolation wouldn't be that bad. This doesn't seem to be happening at other clubs and must be a red flag?

I'd prefer a manager that would be less of a "yes man" and put more pressure on the board for the sake of the club. Whilst player age, contracts, signings, youth progression, might not be in the managers remit, it would still be in the interest of the club to employ someone who takes a stronger stance on the matters.

To be fair, Hodgson has publicly voiced both his hopes and disappointments in the club's approach to transfer markets.

Roy is an employee at the end of the day. He either accepts the conditions of the job or he doesn't.

If he was to leave at the end of this season, then the new man will inherit a rebuilding job which will require investment. For me that is the main concern looking ahead.

Old, Ungifted and White

There are many issues:

However, on a positive:
* we are not in the zone
* we are not really close to the zone
YET

On a negative, we are not playing football that is enjoyable to watch. I understand that there is something to be said about grinding out a bore bore to gain a point.

The first issue is that we are incredibly negative not just against the top teams (which I get) but even against teams at the bottom.

We even concede possession against The Blades!

Secondly, we have a star in the making with Eze, who is playing out of position. He is stuck out on the left, where, even though he has shown what he can do, but not what he is capable of. They are two different things.

At QPR he was played more centrally where he can orchestrate and create chances.

As a team we do not create many chances at the moment.

Secondly and I'm sure many will disagree, but Wilf is not an out and out striker or front man. He is better attacking the box from either flank, where he causes more problems.

Finally (for today), Roy has lost the plot. He has no new ideas or strategies and his defensive, negative tactics are not paying dividends.

YES, I know we were never going to beat or draw against Man City, but we have no ambition at all against anyone currently. We are team waiting to be beaten.

Hodgson OUT. (Please)

Good reasoned post. Roy's ability to plan and motivate have declined hand in hand with the player's ability to turn in a good performance on the pitch. Of course it's not solely Roy's fault, and the reasons why have been discussed thoroughly, but the bottom line is the manager always takes the can, not the players. As I mentioned in another post, Roy has done no better than Pulis, and yet he his praised as our saviour because he's from Croydon, wahey!
I'd like to think Parish has a plan, he seems an ambitious type of fellow...

You are one of the mainstays of explaining how aged our squad is getting. We are on the precipice of a cliff and about to topple over because they are mostly going to become unsuitable for the PL at the same time. Squeezing more and more time out of both our manager and our players is a policy that will only ever lead to relegation. By setting us up to merely try and stop us losing is not helping our future one jot and all I see week in week out is our ability to trouble teams gradually diminish.

The board either have to put their hands in their pockets or just accept that next season we are proving to be relegated.

If it is with the same manager then we will also see yet another terrible season of negative football.

The target of just staying in the PL is killing our club and turning young supporters away from choosing us as their team. Not sure anyone gives a toss about this any more however.