As I have previously posted, Roy has to accept some responsibility for the current situation. In my mind, his is team selection, preparation and tactics. He doesn’t have too many options in terms of selection and I’m sure his preparation is sound enough. Tactically we all know he’s rather inflexible.

What added to the frustration of the other night was Steve Parish’s pre match interview. He talks about his ambitions for the club, but his words sound hollow given the performance that followed and the signings made in the summer. Added to that, he said he will be looking in the loan market for experienced players in January. More short term planning as he starts to get the relegation jitters.

I’ve previously been behind Parish, but I’ve lost confidence in him. And his Director of Football.

Maybe I have been “ spoiled “ because I have been a supporter since 1967 and through all the dire times that have gone with that. Now I am struggling to raise any enthusiasm when the Club are in the top flight and playing against some of the best players in the world. So I’ve been through so much worse. I think I’m just bored with the inability of the Club to be anything more than Premier League survivors.

It is unfortunate, but its exacerbated by the level of the squad.

We've got no worse injuries than any other club. Failure to invest means that we are now playing a CB in CM and a reserve RB at LB.

As I have previously posted, Roy has to accept some responsibility for the current situation. In my mind, his is team selection, preparation and tactics. He doesn’t have too many options in terms of selection and I’m sure his preparation is sound enough. Tactically we all know he’s rather inflexible.

What added to the frustration of the other night was Steve Parish’s pre match interview. He talks about his ambitions for the club, but his words sound hollow given the performance that followed and the signings made in the summer. Added to that, he said he will be looking in the loan market for experienced players in January. More short term planning as he starts to get the relegation jitters.

I’ve previously been behind Parish, but I’ve lost confidence in him. And his Director of Football.

Maybe I have been “ spoiled “ because I have been a supporter since 1967 and through all the dire times that have gone with that. Now I am struggling to raise any enthusiasm when the Club are in the top flight and playing against some of the best players in the world. So I’ve been through so much worse. I think I’m just bored with the inability of the Club to be anything more than Premier League survivors.

Couldn't agree more.

Unfortunately, I am in the same boat.

Neither some of the attempted motivational speeches and pitches Parish gives, nor the activity and business in the transfer market, mirror any reality for me nor do they correlate.

We will be right in the relegation battle in January, if not in the 'zone', and weak (yet still hard to put faith in) sentiments about a loan market do not scream 'we'll sort this out'.

There's something about the cold hard truth that is far more palatable then social media posts and pageantry which seem quite obviously intended to create a false reality for us as fans. That really irks and is not anything I wish to indulge in.

I feel as though we had such a stellar 'half-revamp' via the likes of Eze, Olise, Doucoure, Andersen and Guehi that this has led to complacency from the club so now we are exactly back where we started - having to 'react' to dire straits as opposed to executing a well devised strategy; only 7 recognisable first XI players (less with injuries), no depth to squad and a manager dragged out of retirement and unfit for purpose.

My hope for this season has completely eroded, which is strangely comforting and relieving in a way, but also you feel somewhat robbed. I think it's unlikely we'll get relegated, but certainly very possible, and I wouldn't be surprised to see 1 (or 0) loan arrival in January who probably won't really play either, a loss to Everton in the FA Cup which we'll all probably be thankful for with Roy at the helm until season close. I genuinely feel as though I want the season to end already.

Woohoo

I wouldn't be surprised to see 1 (or 0) loan arrival in January who probably won't really play either,