What progress is this? An over reliance on 2 x 29yr old defenders to throw their bodies on the line.
Our attack is abysmal, we go to the likes of Fulham and set up to not lose. How on earth is that progress?
Coady and
Tarkowski are upgrades on Keane and Holgate. They are also durable and have good injury records unlike Mina, who though a good defender, is a sick note. You point out their age does show they are short-mid term solutions, I think ideally you would want at least one defender with a bit more athleticism to allow us to play on the half-way line a little bit more.
I can't really argue with our attack being poor, DCL has had injury troubles, Gray will always be hit and miss, Gordon and McNeil are young, Maupay was a cheap option as he has a half-decent record in this league. Not sure I lay any of that at the manager's door necessarily, we lost Richarlison and he still has not been adequately replaced.
As for the small signs of progress, see the Palace game were we've played as good as we have since Ancelotti was in charge, see us being able to see out the wins we have this season. And even the Fulham game you referenced is a game we would have lost in recent years. But for me, I just track how we are doing from the death spiral last season, we haven't yet earned the right to go away to any away ground and win. It takes steady progress, especially given what a shambles of a club we've been in recent years.
If your whole point is that until we have a manager who is regularly getting away wins then no progress has been made, I would direct you to our away record over the last 10 years.