Only one thing to discuss from this week, and that is of course the managerial search which at the time of writing has still not been fully completed.
Tony Pulis is expected to be announced as the new man at the helm, but exactly when is not such a sure thing. Keith Millen appears to be all set to take charge of the Hull game, which is a good move by the board as it will avoid any major disruption a day before the match.
Much has been said of the hunt for the new man, and it would seem that the fact it has taken so long would be in part down to not being able to tie anyone down to actually taking the job. Rumoured talks with Karanka and Petrescu have broken down or never took place, depending on what sources you read.
This would suggest that the job is not as attractive as it seems, given Palace’s league position and likelihood of survival. Whilst it has taken some time and many names have come up and soon disappeared, which suggests a difficulty in persuading someone to take the job, what also could be the case here is that it has merely been a point of making sure the board get what they think is best for the club.
They have taken their time and come back to Tony Pulis, a name that first appeared in the immediate aftermath of Holloway’s departure. But the board did not rush into this and instead have looked into other possibilities. How much of this was down to their process and how much of this has been forced on them due to difficult negotiations with many parties will never be known by the supporters.
But what it shows is that they feel that considering all they have gone through they are now looking to get the person they feel is right. This of course is not seen by everyone, and Pulis’ reputation has left many feeling deflated by the potential appointment.
Whatever happens with the manager, this process has certainly taken longer than any of the supporters expected, and based on what the owners have said to the press during the search, they probably didn’t think it would take this long either. Once the new man is in, the one thing that is certain is that his impact needs to be immediate to help the club in their fight.
A brief note must also be made to congratulate the under-21 team, who this week found themselves 3-0 down inside the first 25 minutes away at QPR but managed to turn the game round and clinch a 4-3 victory in the last minute. That sort of turn around will certainly be welcome for the first team as well.
Daniel Smith - @dmsmith1987
Source: PalaceMAD
Source: FOOTYMAD
