Well, I predicted it may be the case yesterday whilst clearly hoping it would not be so. Yep, I have just seen the news that Crystal Palace manager Frank De Boer has been relieved of his duties and ultimately sent tumbling out the door. I must say even though I felt it coming I am still super shocked. To sack a manager only 4 games into a season and having only 3 months in the job is quite harsh and almost unbelievable, but the question now remains is there a specific reason other than results on the pitch?
If we take into consideration that his last job as manager of Inter Milan similarly only lasted 3 months you would have to conclude that it just cannot be coincidence. It must be something about the man, his attitude or perhaps his failure to convince the players to get behind him or understand his methods. It could even be that he is just not that good a coach, but I find this kind of hard to believe considering his relative success in his first managerial post with Ajax. Could it be just a case of Palace stopping the blood flow before it gets out of control and the club literally bleeds to death? Considering the amount of money we are talking about at Premier League level these days it is not beyond the realms of reality to understand that a club like Crystal Palace just cannot afford to risk relegation to the lower leagues. In this day and age that could very well mean the end of the club, so it may spur them on to making rash and harsh decisions. But if I was to take an educated guess I would have to lean towards the problem being Frank.
As a final point, even more concerning than the news that Frank de Boer has lost his job, is the coinciding news that Roy Hodgson is set to take over in his place. Oh Christ almighty. Having experience with Roy Hodgson in his short spell with Liverpool I can categorically say that the guy is a f***ing SNOOZE FEST. Both in terms of his demeanor and tactically, Mr. Hodgson will have you considering an exodus from football fandom for eternity, in quick time. If I was in the shoes of the Crystal Palace board I would pull my finger out and do everything within my power to try and convince Big Sam Allardyce (and more importantly his wife) that he needs to get back to the club pronto. Even if you have to give the guy £5 million a year, just do it. The alternative for you is the “Hodgson Way” which I promise you will have you converting to the sport of LAWN BOWLS before you know it.
This football world is quite FRANKLY nuts!!! (Sorry for the pun)
