Palace owners face question of ambition after sacking Vieira

PATRICK VIEIRA was brought to Crystal Palace to revolutionise the club’s style of play and eventually push for European football after nearly a decade of respectable finishes in the Premier League.

- Dan Kilpatrick

But Vieira was sacked this morning with the Eagles mired in the type of relegation dogfight they were supposed to have outgrown, and playing a brand of football as uninspiring and toothless as anything served up by his recent predecessors.

Palace chairman Steve Parish was reluctant to dismiss the 46-year-old but felt he had no choice following a dismal run of form since the turn of the year, with Palace winless in 11 League games and three points above the drop zone with 11 more to play.

The timing of Vieira’s dismissal leaves Sunday’s ominous visit to champions-elect Arsenal as a free-hit and should give the new manager the international break to get settled.

Parish did not trust Vieira to take charge of the eight remaining six-pointers against the other clubs in relegation trouble, but the Frenchman can feel aggrieved that Palace’s winless run has come exclusively against teams above them in the table, including games against five of the ‘big six’ and Manchester United twice.