It's becoming Crystal clear...

...that Curbishley is under serious pressure for the first time in several seasons. Losing in the League Cup is par for the course; losing to Palace reserves in front of an impressive 19,000 crowd is unacceptable. Infact, the most disappointing thing for me was the attendance.....I was expecting it to be 10-12,000 - the fact that many of those extra fans are unlikely to make the effort again is disappointing to say the least.

To criticise the team's recent performances is to genuinely take nothing whatsoever away from what Curbs has acheived. Indeed, however he ends up leaving this club, I would always offer him a standing ovation. However the team this season has lacked passion, desire, shape and tactical nous....there is something wrong and everyone who loves this club knows it, even those like myself that are living thousands of miles away. The players we have brought in are not Charlton-type players.....Curbs has commented in the press that the players he likes are ones that are 'hungry' and have something to prove. This was why he surprised many of us by bringing in Di Canio. But what does Murphy have to prove? And Rommedahl? I genuinely feel sorry for both since last season they played alongside the likes of Gerrard, Owen, Kezman and Van Bommel, and now it's Lisbie, Kishishev and Stuart. We had a once in a generation chance during the summer to take the club onto the next level but instead we've taken a huge step backwards.

The league table flatters us but the goal difference column tells the real story. We are in a relegation battle and anyone who denies it is fooling themselves. Where is the next away point coming from? Who do we fancy three points against at home? I'm not suggesting Curbs resigns or the Board takes drastic action....the situation isn't that dire (yet). But the club is not moving forward, and it's the first time in ten years that this has been true. Loyalty is a rarity in football and it has served the club well. However the stakes are too high to use loyalty as an excuse not to make a brave decision. Let's not be rash, but let's not deny what is obvious to most of us.