Much has been said of our latest attempt to appoint a new manager. Maybe too much.
In any other walk of life, the loss of a manager would rarely be immediate. There would be a notice period worked and that provides time for the employer to fill the position, sometimes with some overlap. Football is a completely different world.
If a club intends to get rid of a manager, it may seem immediate. Reality suggests that they would have done their homework in terms of who is available and a decision would be made as to who they would bring in. Contact should not be made before a sacking but we all know it does.
Palace face a different scenario. For the second time in less than twelve months it has been the manager and owners that have decided to part ways. It was not planned, it just happened. Last time the owners took several weeks to appoint Pulis with more names than I have had hot dinners linked to the job.
The same thing is happening here. Names are in the frame, or at least with the bookies, of those who have publicly stated that they have not had any contact with the club.
It is often said that Palace do their business quietly but that is very difficult to stick with in the top division in the country. It is not just this country now, the Premier League is looked upon across the world and the club are the only side not to have a manager at this moment.
The performance on Saturday was not what we as fans have been used to. There was a real lack of direction out on the pitch and it was only a matter of time before the off field uncertainty was reflected on the pitch. The loss at home to West Ham makes it clear that we need to appoint and soon. There is a week left of the transfer window and there have to be plans in place. Regardless, Pulis did not have the luxury when he joined, he had to drag Palace to January with a fighting chance.
It is far from doom and gloom though. The manager pretty much has a blank slate to work with in terms of the new season. Only two games have gone and thirty six remain. Time enough to hit the ground running and more importantly, there is a break after the Newcastle game so time to work with the players, or at least those not on international duty.
The owners will appoint who they feel will be the best fit. Time is being taken which is perhaps understandable. Here are the runners and riders in a race that will hopefully end this week.
Neil Warnock
The former Palace boss has been backed heavily to return. He left when the club were in a second period of administration from which the current owners saved us from. Warnock was the highest paid employee remaining at the club at the time and it was inevitable that he would leave. He took over at Queens Park Rangers and followed that up with a stint at Leeds United.
Neil Lennon
As manager of Celtic, Lennon achieved three titles in the Scottish Premier League and two Scottish Cups. That has been his only management job and it has become clear that he is looking for the right job south of the border. He was linked heavily with the West Bromwich Albion job.
Steve Clarke
The two club man only played for St Mirren and Chelsea achieving a total of well over 500 appearances. His post playing days have taken him to Newcastle United, Chelsea, West Ham United, Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion. They were all assistant manager jobs until he took the head coach job at West Bromwich Albion. He steered them to their best finish in the top division since 1981.
Tony Pulis
Odd to think that a manager who left and creating the vacancy is tipped to return. The odds have shorted on a Pulis return since Iain Moody left the club which speaks volumes about what may have gone on behind closed doors.
Keith Millen
The loss at home to West Ham and the manner of it ended any chance that Millen had of being offered the job full time. It is clear that the owners would like to retain the spine of the back room staff and this may well be the stumbling block when attempting to recruit a new manager.
Dougie Freedman
It has been a struggle for Dougie since he left Palace to join Bolton Wanderers. Struggling financially since relegation from the Premier League, it has been difficult for them to establish themselves in the Championship. They have not looked close to challenge for promotion.
Paul Clement
The esteemed assistant. Currently at Real Madrid alongside Carlo Ancelotti as he was at Paris Saint Germain. He coached at Chelsea under him as well. You have to argue why he would want to leave his current position at Real but there must be a desire for assistant managers to give the top job a go themselves. It remains to be seen if Clement is truly interested in the job or if this is just the bookies talking.
Outsiders – Chris Hughton, David Moyes, Roberto Di Matteo, Martin Jol, Phil Brown
These are long odds for a reason as neither look close to showing interest in the job at Selhurst. Many have suspected David Moyes will have something to prove after his nightmare at Manchester United but wages may price us out of any move.
I will end by urging Palace fans to stay calm and see what happens. The situation is very similar to last season when Holloway left. It took several weeks to make an appointment but take a look back and see how that turned out.
