I hope you’re right! They need game time and a run as a front pairing while Zaha is injured is worth a shout. If they start scoring and Jimmy Mac is fit to play we’ll be fine. Two big “iffs” though.

so its not the players, is it.

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn

Some will of have an alternative viewpoint but what I would assert about Lanzo is that he is consistent and unequivocal in his messaging and is sticking to it akin to 'Wrigleys' on a 'Jimmy Choo'.

Edited by Willo (05 Feb 2023 1.15pm)

Whoever it is they need to be properly financed at this level to compete properly !!!!! & Parish isn’t up to it, he managed to get us webbed up with 2 American ‘investors’ who won’t and clearly he isn’t great in the direction of attracting/maintaining new investment.
Guardiola etc would struggle to improve the current squad with the lack of investment !!
It really isn’t difficult to grasp Lanzo Ad.

As I wrote on the Man Utd match thread, trying to play stylish possession based football is all very commendable, but you need the right players to do it. This team has not got enough of them to do it successfully. PV may have taken the job on the basis that he change the style of football, but this disregards the lack of adequate recruitment of such players needed. A good manager works with what he is given. Roy did so for 4 years with almost no backing in the transfer market. After only a week, Dyche has turned a disorganised collection of players at Everton into a team that beat the previously almost unstoppable league leaders. He previously took Burnley into Europe. Many sneer at the style these type of managers employ, but it’s pragmatic and gets results even if not pretty.

I think PV is too influenced by his time at Man City, where they do have the quality of players to play the expansive passing style of football. Trying to impose that on the squad at Palace is just not working often enough. Sure, there is the odd game when it comes together, but overall results show it’s not sufficient. Swansea tried and ultimately failed to use this approach to stay in the Premier. FDB had similar ideas and look how that turned out.

Turning the clock way back, Malcolm Allison had grand ideas of expansive football being played by Palace. I remember he even wanted to widen the pitch at Selhurst to give more room for passing down the wings. He was a highly regarded coach that also coincidentally had spent a successful spell at Man City. It was all a fine and commendable ambition, but again didn’t match the capabilities of the players at his disposal. Sure there were exciting times when it occasionally all came together, such as the FA Cup run in 1976, but ultimately what Allison achieved were successive relegations from the First Division/Premier to the Third Division/League One. He then failed two years in a row to get promoted back out of the third tier. Now I know this was back in the 1970s and many will say it’s ancient history. But as the saying goes ‘those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it’ and if the current board and management continue the way they are it could all happen over again.

A commendable contribution to the discussion.
I doff my hat.