3 days to go...

And still no news takeover news. The initial Supporters Trust meeting went ahead last night and although the notes won't be out until later today, it looks like there is the expected enthusiasm to proceed and a date for Round 2 has been agreed for 15th or 17th September (to be confirmed). As long as there are people willing to take on the roles required, this can only fail if there is a lack of support from the massed ranks and that looks unlikely with things as they are.

Wyn Grant seized on a piece in The London Paper yesterday which alluded to the fact that Parky has still not been confirmed in his position and is still working to his contract "which expires at the end of the Summer." The announcement last week of Tim Breacker's appointment and confirmation of extensions and roles for Mark Kinsella, Damian Matthews and Phil Chapple seemed to have secured the management team, especially with Parkinson being quoted as having championed the cause for Breacker's appointment. Strange then that Parky's own position was not clarified at the same time. Maybe it's just timing and negotiations on his contract are scheduled? Parkinson himself referred to it as a "delicate situation" which raises eyebrows bearing in mind the widely-held view that he is being tolerated on financial grounds. He has also been brave and realistic enough to acknowledge that the squad is light in places and that more players are required which sounds a little like getting your retaliation in first to me. Pardew refused to do that last pre-season when it was obviosu that the squad had been weakened during the close season. In fact he was bold enough (or stupid) to claim that he still had the resources to get the club promoted.

I was firmly in the "out" camp at Christmas after his trial failure, but I feel he has been treated extremely poorly since May and would not hold it against him now if he was given another go. If this happens, I hope the Board (whichever one it turns out to be) have the balls to make it a season-long deal and not mess about with deadlines and conditions which they might not have the funds to enforce.

In any event, Parky must feel enormously undermined having been left in Limbo all Summer, especially so if he has watched those around him re-confirmed in their jobs without assurances about his own role. Richard Murray is too big a man to have frozen him out like this, so you'd have to expect that Parky has been reassured privately and that his contract will be extended in due course. If not, it's hard to see how the side could be expected to function optimally with a damaged and insecure manager.