Embarrassing is a very apt description. Having endured the first 25 minutes only today with a very unbalanced line-up, it is clear we are in a heap of trouble. I certainly don't buy all that complacent rubbish about being 'safe' on 29 points as the winnable games are certainly running out and sadly I don't see us getting anything next time out at our friends on the south coast. So many injuries again that we cannot fill 9 substitutes, but hey, lets loan all the young players elsewhere for the season.
12 players out of contract in the summer and a number of those, clearly on today's evidence, just running them down without a care in the world.
Big money wasted on contracts for Wickham, Sakho and Benteke and until recently Meyer.
Only Palace would sign a player in Ferguson whose injury record clearly wasn't the best or a new forward who we don't then start.
Roy clearly did a great job in turning around that horror start of P7 L7 in his first year but something now is clearly very wrong, motivation is and substitutions are issues as we have better players than results show. Please God he is not ultimately replaced by smug Eddie Howe, a real championship appointment there.
What of Mr Parish ? If we stay up this year, next year will be the 9th in the top flight during which this club will have made more money than ever before, ever - but does anyone feel our club has the feeling of being an established club at this level ??
Rather, it feels like a constantly newly-promoted one, due to always being run on a budget.
I guess that though is the result of chronic complacency and the acceptance of mediocrity over of a good number of years - of course SP and his consortium did a marvellous job in saving the club and taking it on but the jury must still be out on his ability to take the club to the much fabled and mythical 'next level' as his efforts so far have seen him recruit possibly the only American 'Investors' who don't ! The only thing that fans seem to hear from him currently is how the construction of the new academy is coming on so well. Naturally, this is a real bonus for a club of our size, but arguably more use in the championship given Palace's poor record of blooding young players in the Premiership
If we do stay up, the club faces 1 of the biggest close seasons in it's history, with significant investment in the defence alone needed to avoid being relegation candidates next year.

out thought, out fought, out Roy

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.

Bloody spot on Gaz pathectic performance, no fight, no energy, no passion.

It looks like now even the players have given up. Those out of contract should be either playing to earn a new one or in the shop window advertising their skill. But ours are all in their twilight days probably knowing firstly that this is their last big payday and also that however bad they are Palace might just extend their contract as has been evidenced by recent awards.

We have a manager whose tactics are rooted in ancient history who ponce his plan A of do not concede lasts on average a couple of minutes, has no plan B and who these days I do wonder if he actually sees training, such is his penchant for odd team selection and playing his favourites out of position.

Chuck a chairman who will simply not change anything - possibly as he cannot afford to, a chairman who likes to surround himself with ex players including a D o F who signs poor players or one's the manager does not play and you have a recipe for disaster.

We have failed to deal with underlying issues like poor player acquisition and huge wage bill for so long we may have to take a few big steps backwards now before we move forwards again.

Most youngsters tend to blow hot and cold. It’s why they get cameos and cup games, so they can be considered, worked upon and learn from the seasoned pros and first team coaching staff. Some may not make it - we’ve seen a few of them over the years - but a few, once they get a taste of it, adapt and fly.
However, if we’re not even prepared to promote some and have them on the bench, maybe throw them on when we’re 0-3 down - rather than sticking rigidly to the formation that led to the trouble and striving to defend a defeat - then the academy becomes pointless. The last couple of defeats have been lethargic and some of the players clearly look despondent. I bet if you asked them, in an unguarded moment, they would articulate their dissatisfaction with the same tired tactics. We don’t have bad players, we have, in my opinion, tactics that don’t match the personnel and play to their strengths. (They may be decent strategies when Zaha, McArthur, Tomkins etc are fit - but you have to adapt to the players you have and we are simply putting square pegs in round holes as we seem incapable of adapting the tactics, when we don’t have these players).
A young, hungry, U23 player, to come on and show his passion, desire and drive was what we were crying out for yesterday. Our new forward could be that but again, came on far too late in my view and had to play the same way. Awful.

I love Roy, but stick him upstairs or Chuck him in the academy. I’m rather hoping that Parish is chatting to Eddie Howe or someone today. But Freedman is NOT the answer. Need fresh blood.

Edited by Helmet46 (14 Feb 2021 10.19am)

To do what?