Three Replacements For Sam Allardyce Who Crystal Palace Should Consider
Sam Allardyce sent the Crystal Palace fans into a shock when he announced that he will be stepping down as Eagles boss after helping the team avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The former England manager took over from Alan Pardew in December 2016 as the Eagles were struggling in the battle to avoid the drop. But Big Sam managed to turn things around after taking over and led Palace to a respectable 14th placed finish in the league table, keeping his record of never having been relegated intact.
However, a few days after the end of the season, he revealed that he will not be at the helm next campaign citing personal reasons, after having led the team to 8 wins from 21 games. In a statement he issued, he said:
“I have no ambitions to take another job.
“I want to be able to savour life while I am still relatively young, and when I am still relatively healthy enough to do all the things I want to do, like travel, spend more time with my family and grandchildren without the huge pressure that comes with being a football manager.
“This is the right time for me. I simply want to be able to enjoy all the things you cannot really enjoy with the 24/7 demands of managing any football club, let alone one in the Premier League.”
With Allardyce gone, Palace will have begun the hunt for a new manager and would want to appoint someone as soon as possible. Here are three options that chairman Steve Parish should consider for the manager’s role:
Marco Silva
Marco Silva took over at Hull City in January and almost masterminded a great escape for the Tigers, but could not prevent them from getting the drop. And the 39-year old resigned from his post as the Hull boss just a day ago, following the club’s relegation.
Silva led Hull to 8 wins in his short stint at the KCOM Arena and showed what he is capable of, after sparking a turnaround in a team that was looking dead and buried at the halfway mark. A 2-1 win over the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals against Manchester United was the highlight of his spell with the Tigers. Silva will not be short of suitors and Palace need to act quickly if they are to get him to the Selhurst Park next season.
Slavisa Jokanovic
The Fulham boss almost led the Cottagers to a promotion to the Premier League, but his team faltered in the playoffs, only to remain in the EFL Championship.
Jokanovic did a great job with the Londoners, leading them to a 6th-placed finish in the second tier last season. Having taken over at the Craven Cottage in December 2015, the 48-year old has led the club to a total of 28 wins and 15 draws from 46 games in charge with a win percentage of 51.85%. The Serbian has played an attacking brand of football and has shown that he believes in backing the youth talents – case in point Ryan Sessegnon who is being chased by almost all Premier League sides. Palace might need to pay a compensation of £3million to free him of his contract with Fulham, but he will be a great replacement for Big Sam.
Stefano Pioli
This one will easily be the most ambitious name on the list, but if Palace manage to sign Pioli as their next manager, it will do wonders for the club.
The Italian was sacked by former club Inter Milan at the business end of the last season after a poor run of results, despite having led the club to a decent position after having taken over from Frank De Boer just a few games into the 2016/17 campaign. The 51-year old had a 51.85% win record with the Nerazzurri having led the team to 14 wins from 27 games. He has not managed in the Premier League before and considering the recent success that Italian bosses are enjoying in England, Pioli could prove to be a smart gamble for Palace.
