Topcat

There is almost no insight from within the Club on what is going on. If it is down to Gao's lack of engagement then Ralph, with his reputation to protect, should by now be dropping thoughts into the media that this is being handled exactly as the main owner wants it to. Likewise Reed who's reputation will dive into the gutter if we are relegated. There are also several lesser known Executive Directors such as the MD and the "Marketing" Director who have their longer term careers to worry about.

Maybe Gao has not given them the authority to fire Pelligrino?

Is the cause of :- 1. The indecision over Pelligrino. 2. The slow stumbling approach to buying in new players. All just the result of having a remote main owner and a Board not empowered to take major decisions? Even the window for talking to Gao may just be a few hours each day if he only makes himself available during HKG daylight hours. Add in having Ralph based in Switzerland and often in North America and we have a recipe for indecision.

Yes that may save us. Palace have 0 (of 6) games against top 6 in April whereas we have 3 (of 6). Fingers crossed that WB, WH and Stoke play worse.

Ever heard of Blackpool? " Owen Oyston and his son Karl for more than a year over claims they had taken £27million out of the club after their season in the Premier League in 2010/11. Owen Oyston, for example, paid himself a director's salary of £11million." http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/blackpool-football-club-karl-oyston-natalie-christopher-a8192231.html

Particularly when the main owner has no cash to inject as he is under Chinese restrictions on investing outside China and had to borrow the £200m to buy the 80%. To get out of the Championship will require investment in a Manager and team (transfers and wages) to get promotion and that does not come cheap.

We are getting well beaten by a team with players that last season were in the Championship.

Does it need 4-0 or 5-0 or 6-0 to finish off Pelligrino? Merrington describing it as "very worrying". Effectively a gutless performance. Local hacks saying Saints are the worst team that they have seen there this season.

Les Reed would.

It might get rid of the Club.

Why not Dennis Rofe?

Maybe it needs a 4-0 or 5-0 defeat to change the Manager?

Yes we only play with one striker because it means we are less likely to lose........... Time to walk the dog for some luck.

Carillo will have some residual value. maybe £15m? Thus only a few milion loss on him. Ashby Saint has the point, maybe the downside for Gao is just to walk away with £20m to £50m more, all of which is outside of China? Why would any "wealthy" owner really want/need to make a profit from the transfers that take place when staring at relegation? Lowe took a few million profit in the relegation season transfer window.

Replacement value of SMS has got to be more than £100m in 2018 money. An asset that can be borrowed against.

Initially that makes sense but see it from Gao's view. He borrows £200m. He then has control of assets which have circa £200m of player assets, a stadium worth circa £100m and (if relegated) payments of £90m. So the first move is to get £50m in on the player assets. He only needs to cash in £100m for the players and trouser the parachute payments and then sell the Club for circa £50m and then fund a few million for the interest payments and he has had a positive gain in his net worth without spending a penny of his own money.

The simple truth is that we need wins, not draws to stay up. But Pelligrino only sets up to draw and if we go ahead then he becomes even more defensive. Three wins from 9 games would be enough, but can we even see 2 wins? Need a lucky win at Newcastle.

Our Home form is second worst in the division. It is that which places us under the threat of relegation. The away form is better than average but on previous (1 point per game) would deliver just 6 more points. Our odds have shortened to 7/2 for relegation.

George Graham.

Nigel Pearson.

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With just 3 home games left of Chelsea, Bournemouth and Man City, we may never see another home win this season or for a very long time in the Premier League.

Just being pedantic. Chairman tick 1st love is hockey tick We may only get relegated under a hockey loving chairman in my lifetime.

Yes the facts indicate that. Branfoot win % = 28.91 Pellegrino = 25%

I agree.