No

We move in the direction of our thoughts.
Just think a little.

Yes, of course. Does that mean Mark Bright will become the new DoF?

Edited by eagleman13 (08 Feb 2020 4.32pm)

This operation, will make the 'Charge Of The Light Brigade' seem like a simple military exercise.

Pardew capable??

I think part of the issue with Roy is that he views himself in the same league as Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough etc - whereas he is a journeyman manager who was competent without ever being more than that.

Any questions about his ability or decisions meet with a response that is generally arrogant of contemptuous of the questioner*

See England and Harry Kane on Corners,
The Iceland Performance
The Interview about getting the Liverpool job.

Everything he does is functional - which undoubtedly has it's qualities - but for Roy it seems in the last 10 years or so there is a pattern that emerges post Fulham.

Get a side that is in a bit of disarray (West Brom,
England, Liverpool, Palace)

Stabilize said team by bringing organisation and signing solid journeyman players.

Said team expected to kick on post stabilization.

Said team employs same tactics and signs further journeyman players as when in state of disarray.

Team loses it's momentum.

Opposition figures out tactics and malaise sets in. As results falter, team becomes more negative in a battle to address this.

Roy isn't one to be dynamic. Back in 2012 he picked Martin Kelly for the England squad. Martin ***** Kelly! Now I like MK, but he is not and never will be an England player, but he played for a big four team and so got a look in.

Aaron Wan Bisakka wouldn't have got a look in had it not been for injuries. None of our other youth players will either.

Every signing RH has made is functional - two more defensive midfielders. This is a side crying out for some characters - when Big Sam came in he stabilized but at the same time brought in players who improved us. Luka was signed for around the same price as Kouyate - he was what we were crying out for at the time and managers such as Sam aren't frightened to scout. Sam knew the side needed character and I suspect someone like Meyer would be getting more game time.

RH may give a list of players he wants but if you look at the players he signed for West Brom and Liverpool. Very few made any impact. He can pick a defensive player certainly, but there is a lot of average dross in there as well.

This is a side in the identity of Roy. It repeats the same thing week after week and what makes him a good manager in sorting out a mess and being a steady pair of hands is arguably exactly what makes him the wrong person here. Wash, rinse, repeat.
His tactics are contributing to this.

Granted the lack of investment isn't helping, but this side would play defensively first if we had Ronaldo, Messi and Robben as a front three. He organised England to a 0-0 versus Italy early on in his England reign by being an organised, predictable and functional side - but then this is exactly what cost us against Iceland and Costa Rica.

It's been figured out, and when your side is so utterly predictable you immediately start every game on the back foot and it seems that the players don't feel trusted.

A front three of Townsend, Benteke and Zaha should be able to tear sides apart but the midfield isn't being used as a secure platform behind them, it's being used as another line of defence (and even then it's disjointed). When is the last time we had a midfielder burst into the box or the side pour forward.

Everyone looks a bit bereft at the moment and the leadership isn't coming on the pitch or from the sidelines. To me Roy looks lost and complaining about a lack of investment when letting one of your strikers out (who incidentally appears to be able to get in the right place at the right time) is just mental. If you don't rate him - fine, but don't let him go if you haven't got a replacement lined up.

At Roy's stage, this has to be his final job - so I just personally can't understand why he isn't prepared to actually have a go sometimes. Fair enough not at Man City away, but the game against Derby - again even before Luka got sent off, we were defensively minded and it just seems to me he's more concerned with proving his way is right, rather than addressing solutions to our inability to look like a coherent unit going forwards.

So in short - yes time to go Roy.

Very good post and I mostly agree, although I will note that we played some fantastic football at the end of his first season and at the end of last season. The difference? Creative players in the line-up, including Batshuayi, Townsend, and Loftus-Cheek. We would be doing a lot better if Roy had been properly backed in the transfer market, but it remains nonetheless that Roy is not doing well enough with what we've got.

Yes