[Slick_Footwork]

Well, the next four games are against two top teams (Spurs and Manure) and two near us (Burnley and Brighton), so it will be a fair indication of progress with the new players. Like all of us on this board, regardless of my views on the manager, I want him and the team to succeed, I want us to stay up. I agree, Slick, on the relative merits of the squad but the reality is that, when we replaced the managers (Pulis and Bilic), both squads were at the bottom of the league, both new managers were brought in to remedy that situation and both failed, although Allardyce may yet prove me wrong...I hope so.
Just as Pardew was brought in to improve what was there, so was Allardyce and, let's be honest, the latter arrived in a fanfare of "Allardyce the saviour, miracle worker, never been relegated", descriptions that none of us ever associated with Pardew. My problem is that, to date, I think we've gone backwards under Allardyce, we've not even stabilised, let alone improved. By all means judge him after the next four games and your comment  that not to do so when most of his signings haven't yet played, is very fair. I'm just basing my pessimism on what I've seen to date but I would seriously be delighted to be proved completely wrong.

Your pessimism might well be merited. But I think we can't be 100% sure he'll not improve us yet. Based on his historic success as a manager, I'd like to see him given a few more games at least with his new signings.

I would agree though, he's failed miserably in terms of improving the personnel we have at the club.

I don't think we're getting any worse mind. We are, at least, committing more men forward, while being equally dreadful at the back. I think we look a bit more like scoring. I thought we looked a bit impotent under Bilic. Although we have been generally an embarrassment under both regimes.

For comparison:

Bilic - 13 League Games - 7 points - 0.54 points per game.
Allardyce - 9 League Games - 5 points - 0.56 points per game.

So it's almost the same. After our first 9 games under Bilic, we had 3 points.

So I think the next 4 games will give us a clear comparison. At that point both will have had 13 league games.

As you say, Man United at home might be a write off with their form on the road. But the others are certainly games that you can take points from, especially with Kane missing for Spurs. If we're unable to gather 4 points from these games (which I think is the minimum acceptable) then we might as well let him go and get someone else in to build for the future. If we can knab a win and a draw and show signs of improvement, maybe give him until the end of the season to save face. Next season will be it's own unique (and very tough) project I feel.