After Patrick Vieira’s dismissal, Crystal Palace has approached Roy Hodgson about making a surprise return to Selhurst Park until the conclusion of the season.
The 75-year-old former England manager is reportedly interested in succeeding Vieira. Friday at 7 a.m., the Frenchman received a call from the club’s chairman, Steve Parish, informing him that he had been fired.
Parish views Hodgson, who was replaced by Vieira in July 2021 following the former England manager’s departure after the previous season, as a dependable candidate to navigate Palace clear of relegation trouble. The dismissal of Vieira followed a losing streak of 12 games in 2023.
Hodgson is scheduled to meet with Parish after Palace’s trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Sunday, but he is expected to be entrusted with the position until the conclusion of the season when other candidates will be available to fill the position permanently.
Lille manager Paulo Fonseca, who nearly became Tottenham manager in 2021, may be considered.
Hodgson managed Watford after leaving Palace 18 months earlier. After failing to keep the Hornets in the Premier League, Hodgson stated, “I don’t think I will be putting my name forward for any further stories.”
Paddy McCarthy, Darren Powell, and Dean Kiely will manage the side against Arsenal on Sunday.
It is believed that the decision to separate ways with Vieira was made on Thursday after Parish and his fellow owners John Textor, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer met to discuss the matter. Dougie Freedman, the director of sports for Crystal Palace, informed Vieira’s assistants Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson, and Sad Agoun of their departure.
Parish is believed to have been profoundly unimpressed by Vieira’s performances for quite some time. The side hasn’t scored in four games and lost to Brighton for the first time in four years on Wednesday.
The former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, Burnley’s Vincent Kompany, and Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick are reportedly on the club’s roster of potential long-term replacements for Patrick Vieira.
“This difficult decision has been made with profound regret,” Parish said in a statement posted at 8 a.m. Ultimately, the results of the past few months have put us in a precarious league position. And we believe a change is necessary to give us the best opportunity of retaining our Premier League status. Since joining our team in summer 2021, Patrick has made a big effect, and I and his coworkers respect him.
Later, Parish explained that his decision was “just football,” but he added that he felt the team needed “fresh impetus.” He told, “I believe that nothing was happening.”
So the mood was good, everything was fine, but certainly, we’re hoping for a bit of fresh impetus, a few new ideas, and perhaps a little bit of a surprise for the opposition by doing something different.”
“The mood is good,” Parish continued. “Everyone genuinely adored Patrick, as you know. The athletes had unlimited patience for him. His results showed that all his players ran and played for him.
After Vieira’s departure, no black men or women lead English Premier League clubs. Last week, the Black Footballers Partnership reported that 4.4% of English football managers are black.
