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Patrick Vieira sacked by Crystal Palace ahead of Premier League relegation battle.
After 20 months in charge, Crystal Palace has sacked Patrick Vieira.
The Eagles are currently 12th in the Premier League standings, only three points above the relegation zone as the Arsenal legend departs Selhurst Park. The replacement for Vieira or take charge for Sunday’s Premier League match at the Emirates have not yet been announced by Palace.
The early frontrunners for the position are former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and ex-Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, although a permanent replacement is unlikely to be in place before the Arsenal game. Vieira’s sacking was announced on Friday, March 17 – which, ironically, is St Patrick’s Day.
Vieira’s backroom staff – Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun – have also left Selhurst Park. Dean Kiely will remain as goalkeeping coach. Palace chairman Steve Parish admitted, “It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made.
“Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status. That said, Patrick’s impact since joining us in the summer of 2021 has been significant, and he is held in the highest regard by myself, and all of his colleagues.
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“He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and respectable 12th placed finish last season playing some exciting football, which was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad prior to his arrival.
“Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service. We also wish Patrick, Osian, Kristian and Saïd the very best for their futures.”
In July 2021, Vieira was appointed by Palace to succeed Roy Hodgson, the former manager of England. He led the Eagles to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League and the FA Cup semifinal, where they lost to Chelsea. His first season at Selhurst Park was a success.
With a 2-1 triumph against London rivals West Ham, Palace won five of their first 13 Premier League games this season. Yet, since the World Cup in Qatar, they have only won one game. Vieira’s last 11 league games in charge did not result in a victory.
As a result, Palace is now in a relegation fight. The lowest nine clubs all have a chance of advancing, and the Londoners are only three points above the danger zone. There are just five points between Southampton in 20th and Palace.
The 1-0 loss to rival Brighton on Wednesday was the last straw for Vieira. The failure of Palace to score was his doom. Only Wolves, Everton, and Southampton have poorer records in the league than they have with only 21 goals scored this season (all scored 20 goals).
“Of course when you create chances but don’t take them you worry about that,” said Vieira after the defeat to Brighton. “Our front players have to change their mindset. We have to be more aggressive going forward.”