According to reports, Tim Sherwood, The Man in the Iron Gilet, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Tony Pulis at Crystal Palace, after impressing during a brief meeting with the club’s decision makers.
The Search for the next Crystal Palace manager
Fewer than 24 hours after watching his side lose 2-1 at The Emirates, the Palace co-chairman Steve Parish conducted a round of interviews. Keen to make an appointment as soon as possible, Parish obviously wishes to give his new man time to add to his squad in what remains of this summer transfer window.
Also looking to return to management, Cardiff City’s former messiah Malky Mackay is reported to be a strong contender. Palace’s current sporting director Iain Moody enjoyed a very successful relationship with Mackay during his spell at the Welsh outfit, and this could prove to be a leading factor in the final decision. Although he left Celtic a few months ago, Neil Lennon does not seem to be a contender for the lucrative position, while Chris Hughton, Steve Clarke and Roberto Di Matteo all remain distant outside chances.
How can the Eagles replace a man who achieved the entirely improbable, almost impossible? Having completed a feat of absolute wizardry last season at Selhurst Park, Tony Pulis led the club from the depths of relegation to mid-table refuge. Whoever is chosen to replace the ex Stoke manager has huge shoes to fill- Pulis wears size 13s.
Nevertheless, just 48 hours before the Premier League season kicked off, crisis talks with pompous Parish couldn’t persuade tenacious Tony to stay put. Pulis will have no problem getting a new job, just wait until Christmas, a period when two or three clubs will be picking up the phone and calling one of the toughest, shrewdest managers in the game.
While Tony Pulis can be assured of securing another top flight position, will Palace pick the right man to keep them in the top flight?
After eight months out of the managerial limelight, Mackay must be keen to show Vincent Tan he was wrong to give him a one way ticket out of the Welsh capital. Also, his eagerness to rekindle a working relationship with Moody could very well make him a strong contender. But Parish, a man who resembles a morph between Ellen DeGeneres and Robbie Savage, seems destined to recruit someone with real Premier League pedigree, either in a managing or playing capacity. Considering Mackay played a handful of top flight games for Watford and coached in the EPL for just 20 weeks, he does not look like the man Parish wishes to appoint.
While Sherwood’s managerial experience was just as ephemeral, he did previously work as Spurs’ technical co-ordinator under André Villas-Boas. Having left the club in May, Sherwood guided the North London club to a sixth-place position, finishing above the once mighty Manchester United. Although Daniel Levy opted to activate the break clause in his 18-month contract, Sherwood amassed 42 points in 22 games at the helm. His managerial career might have been as short as Verne Troyer’s pinkie finger, however, his playing career was anything but. A great player for Tottenham, Sherwood also captained Blackburn Rovers in the EPL, a side that boasted the likes of Colin Hendry and Alan Shearer.
If hired, no doubt, Sherwood would look to bring Les Ferdinand and Chris Ramsey to Palace, two men who formed the nucleus of his coaching staff at Spurs.
David Moyes has also been linked with the vacancy at Selhurst Park. More than 10 years of tireless work influencing the Everton-evolution was wiped away by a disastrous nine months at Old Trafford. Even though Palace might be the club for his salvation, one can’t help but think that the Scotsman has higher aspirations.
For now, Gilet: The Best A Man Can Get looks like the best Palace can get.
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