We all knew, even before the pandemic, that our run-in was going to be challenging and we all hoped we would be safe by then.

Safety has been achieved of course and should we end the season on the back of 8 successive defeats, given the age of the squad, the circumstances of playing a succession of games in a short time period, and the fact that there will be changes in personnel,there will not be undue concern.

In the final analysis when the PL fixtures are published our name will be featured and that is the 'Bottom line'.

Which may well continue if the premier league adopt the IFAB decision.

The main problem for me with the thought of 8 straight defeats or no wins in the last 8 games, is what that will do to the squad's morale for the new season, especially if there are no significant incoming transfers.

As has been said elsewhere much will depend on what our opening fixtures are in the new season. Give us a tough start and it may well be curtains for us. Morale and confidence are so important.

With the oldest and perhaps smallest squad (of regulars at least) we were always going to struggle in this period. Add to that the heat, 5 subs and our lack of rotation and this isnt at all unexpected. The team hasnt managed quick turnarounds all year.

So what could Roy have done. Without Schlupp, Tomkins and Kelly his rotation options were severely limited.

Ward, Zaha, McArthur, PVA and Ayew havent been rested. Luka has had one sub and Guaita missed one. Kouyate played 5, sub 1, missed 1.

He could have subbed Kouyate into the backline and made better use of Mccarthy and Riedewald. Different formations could have been tried. I would have liked to have seen Meyer and Riedewald tried in creative roles for a few games to see how they went.
Mitchell has had 2 subs and Pierrick 1, big opportunity missed to give them game time especially as Roy never subs till post 60 and usually 80.
Roy hasnt been great in tournament conditions and this has played out. We need a significant influx of new players next year to assist with the rotation and 5 subs and a condensed schedule or we will be in trouble.
Probably time for Benteke, Sakho and Meyer to move on and relieve the wage bill, I'd shift Townsend as well. Dann and Ward need to be backups not first teamers. Zaha needs to go for his own sake if not mine. And it would be nice not to start with 3 defensive midfielders.

Based on our transfer windows this season think 42 points and where we are in the league is about right. It was clear from last season where the major problem was in relation to the team attacking wise but that wasn't even tried to be resolved this season with no new players within the team, either transfers or youngsters. As a result I think we have got away with one this season and hopefully the management can all sit down at the end of the season and agree as well. This scenario really needs to be resolved, one way or the other. Either by bringing in new recruits that Roy will play or changing the manager if Roy is the problem in relation to this. If the defense remains where it is, a worrying if as injuries have cost us on this bad run presently, and new blood can improve the attack think we can possibly have a better season.

“ [T]here are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.There are known unknowns; that is to say there are things that, we now know we don't know.But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know. ”
—United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld