Why was Patrick Vieira's Sacked?
Patrick Vieira's tenure as Crystal Palace manager came to an abrupt end on Friday after he was sacked following a dismal run of form that left the Eagles hovering above the relegation zone. The former Arsenal legend had taken over from Roy Hodgson in July 2021 with high hopes of transforming Palace into a more attractive and ambitious side, but his vision failed to materialize on the pitch.
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| Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters |
What went wrong for Vieira?
Vieira inherited a squad that had finished 12th in the Premier League last season under Hodgson, who had stabilized Palace as a mid-table team with his pragmatic and defensive approach. Vieira aimed to inject more flair and creativity into Palace's play, bringing in young talents like Michael Olise, Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher on loan from Chelsea.
However, despite some promising performances early on, such as a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in September 2022, Vieira struggled to find consistency and balance in his team. Palace often looked vulnerable at the back, conceding 48 goals in 28 league games - only Norwich City have let in more. They also lacked cutting edge up front, scoring just 25 goals - only Burnley have scored fewer.
Vieira's downfall was ultimately sealed by a dreadful run of 12 games without a win in all competitions since New Year's Eve 2022, which saw Palace slip to 17th place in the table, just three points above the drop zone. The final straw came on Wednesday night when Palace lost 3-0 at home to fellow strugglers Southampton, prompting chairman Steve Parish to act swiftly and sack Vieira "with enormous regret".
Who could replace Vieira?
With only 10 games left to save their season, Palace need to appoint a new manager as soon as possible. The club have reportedly drawn up a shortlist of candidates that includes former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, ex-Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores and former Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo. Ange Postecoglou is also in speculations.
Howe is widely regarded as one of the most promising young managers in England, having led Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League and kept them there for five seasons before their relegation in 2020. He has been out of work since leaving Bournemouth by mutual consent last August and could be tempted by a return to top-flight management.
Sanchez Flores has experience of managing in England, having guided Watford to an FA Cup final and a comfortable mid-table finish in his first spell at Vicarage Road in 2015-16. He returned briefly for a second stint in September 2019 but was sacked after less than three months following poor results. He is currently unemployed after leaving Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua last December.
Nuno is another proven Premier League manager who took Wolves from the Championship to Europe during his four-year spell at Molineux. He left Wolves by mutual agreement last May and joined Tottenham Hotspur shortly afterwards but was dismissed after only four months amid fan unrest and disappointing results. He has been linked with several jobs since then but remains available.
Conclusion
Patrick Vieira's sacking was inevitable given Crystal Palace's alarming slide towards relegation danger under his watch. The Frenchman failed to deliver on his promise of making Palace more exciting and competitive and paid the price for his lack of results. The club now face a crucial decision over who will replace him and steer them clear of trouble before it is too late.
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