By Hughie Southon
So Palace have today sacked Patrick Viera while David Moyes remains in charge at West Ham!
Two London clubs – one of which in the south of the capital the Hammers considering owning after Birmingham City – have very different attitudes towards how to handle the threat of relegation.
Both clubs share a similar Premier League record this season. Palace sit in 12th place with 27 points having won six games, drawn nine and lost 12 whilst the Irons have themselves won six, drawn six and lost 14.
Palace, meanwhile. are tumbling down the table of late having lost seven and drawn five of their last dozen games whilst we have won two, drawn four and lost six.
Palace clearly feel that with a dozen games left a new head coach can turn things around, the Hammers claim there is nobody available.
It is going to be an interesting few days as we learn who Palace chairman appoints to the job with Under-21s boss Paddy McCarthy taking charge for Sunday’s visit to leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
So who has got it right and I wonder about 46 year old Viera and the Hammers given the former Arsenal star is an attack minded boss who led Palace to a 12th placed finish last season.
Interesting if worrying times!
It’s a gamble either way. Get a new manager, hope he turns it round. Stick with Moyes, you are hoping things will suddenly change from the last forty games. For those saying have faith, did they believe we would win only five out of 25? Because suddenly we have to win 5:of the next 12,’with no change! That with Moyes digging in stubbornly and blaming players, fans, programme sellers, anyone else
So 6 out of bottom 9 have changed managers this season and 3 points separate all bottom 9. No advantage gained by changing so sticking with David Moyes is sensible given the circumstances. We could still end up 12th and winners of Europa Conference League with gateway to Europa League! Review manager position in Summer when not desperate. I hope this happens because I’m cheesed off with the doom mongers who seem to view being a supporter as someone who constantly slags off the players, manager and board. Thought cockneys always looked on the bright side!!
Moyes will keep us up and won’t be sacked cos that’s what he does. He’ll probably get a top 8 place next season and the one after that. Could we hope for more than that? Yes is the answer- we want/need to win something and the Conf League is all that is left. Could we have a better manager than him? Sure, but not at the moment. The Tuchel, Pochetino’s and
Mourinho’s are when we are where we should be.
This the last chance for the board to save the club from relegation and the one person who is going to relegate us. If you are were at the villa game you wud have seen his own coaching staff pleading with him to make changes. He alone is holding the team back Despite all the facts, dire performances, despite the negative approach abd he wont change even though we need to win games, he is still in the job. The board need to act now.
Agree completely, we’ve been sleep walking to relegation all season. I expected Moyes to be replaced during the World Cup!
During this season my opinion on everything has swung wildly all over the place and I try not to post my opinion whilst emotions are running high, but I have seen managers at this club sacked without a plan or strategy in place and these days it is commonplace.
Sometimes the ‘New” manager gives a squad a temporary lift in morale and a quickfire boost, but is it enough to ensure survival against relegation?
It is more often than not, a throw of the dice and a gamble.
Come the season’s end I guess we will all know for sure, but there are no guarantees or magic wands out there and sometimes holding your nerve and sticking together galvanize a squad rather than the uncertainty of the next manager and what his methods of operation will be.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Palace now. Will there be a firesale if they are relegated or if the new manager doesn’t prove to be up to it?
How Moyes is still in a job only he and Sullivan will ever know, we’d be top 8 with a manager that knows what he is doing, tactically a disaster
We’ve got it right sticking by Moyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Palace will now get relegated.