Its true we were in a worse position when Pardew was sacked - we were 17th, one point of bottom 3, with 17 played with 8 defeats in the last 10 - [Link] - but the basic story of the run starting the previous season and being split by the close season is basically the same (without a run to the cup final!). I think one of the things SP has done well has been to move early when a change was needed and get ahead of the curve of other sackings. Slow out of the blocks this time maybe because the contract only runs to the summer and, due to the hopelessness of other teams, we might be ok. The next 6 games are so crucial though. If we lose them we are deep in it. With wolves up in a few days I'd be surprised if anything happens before then but if we lose...

No. For most teams more shots miss or are saved than go in. It's expected.

But, we had 6 shots in total they had 17. That stat may have something to do the Roy's tactics.

I have now sufficient funds to last me the rest of my life. Provided I don't buy anything.

This is incredibly selective to suggest we could have got a 3-2 win. It overlooks that Antonio should have had two for example. If you’re gonna cherry pick Wilf missing then you need the similar Antonio misses as context. Putting aside individual bits of play and just looking at the overall picture WHU were far better than us and we made a number of tactical mistakes.

1) Trotting out 442 irrespective of opponents is a mistake
2) Refusal to bring on subs earlier when it isn’t working is a mistake
3) Continuing to play Kouyate is a mistake. He was admirable filling in when we were short and his early season form was great. He’s been bad for a number of games now and is only being picked based on sentiment and early season form. He shouldn’t be ahead of any of the “full time” CBs
4) Stubbornly not playing Jairo is a mistake

These are all on Roy

Benteke is a very easy and convenient scapegoat but Roy has ruined him. In the five Premier League seasons prior to Roy arriving, Benteke's lowest goal tally was nine and as high as 19. Indeed, he scored 15 league goals for us the previous season.

Then Roy arrives, installs a tactical philosophy that completely starves the strikers of any decent service and, lo and behold, Benteke scores nine goals in the following 3.5 seasons. No wonder his confidence is shot.

It isn't just Benteke. Ayew managed nine last season during a purple patch but, otherwise, has been average. Sorloth couldn't score for us. Wickham couldn't score for us. I honestly don't think Lewandowski or Kane would score for us, such is the negativity of our system.

And it doesn't have to be this way. On the rare occasion that we do actually decide to have a go, we usually play well and win, the victories over Leeds and WBA spring to mind.

I think we massively miss Cabaye and any attempt to bring in a technical midfielder to replace him (Meyer, Riedewald) hasn't worked as Roy has just gradually alienated them, preferring industrious midfielders instead.

Nobody is demanding that we go out and try to play like vintage Barca but lets at least not play like vintage Stoke. We have to show some ambition because after eight years in the league we're still playing like a newly promoted minnow.

It's no wonder that Wilf wants to leave and we keep missing out on players like Bowen and Benrahma to West Ham. Even playing for that bunch of lunatics must be more entertaining than playing for Roy. And don't say that they're going for the wages because we have the seventh highest wage bill in the division.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

Total nonsense!

Conjunctivitis.com - A site for sore eyes.

Indeed they did and we were - very flattered.