DEMORALISED DEFEATED DEPARTED DEBOER

Sacked after 77 days and FOUR matches as Palace’s Total Football fantasy was, Frankly, just a TOTAL MESS

WHAT seemed like a hugely ambitious managerial appointment was doomed from the start. Frank de Boer set an unwanted Premier League record of being in charge for only four league games before being sacked. He did not even see a goal. Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish had made up his mind even before Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Burnley and was waiting until he could hire his successor before firing the bullet. That trigger was pulled when De Boer was hauled off the training ground and told to head into a meeting with Parish in central London at 11am yesterday. The Dutchman thought it was because the club’s American investors were in town, but his camp had already been tipped off that the axe was about to fall and told their man the bad news. De Boer met Parish during the international break as he battled to save his job. But sources close to the former Ajax boss claim his future was never mentioned, no ultimatums issued and they only talked tactics, player selection and transfers as he tried to evolve Palace’s playing style – which was his brief when he arrived. Palace produced an improved display, albeit in defeat at Burnley. But that was not enough to save De Boer, who saw his reign at Palace end even faster than at Inter Milan last season. De Boer lasted just 85 days at the San Siro and now another former Inter boss is lined up. Having tried for Total Football, Palace are going back to basics with Hodgson and an admission that De Boer was the wrong man at the wrong time at the wrong club. After Palace were stunned by Sam Allardyce’s resignation last season, Parish passed up the opportunity to move for Sean Dyche and the English option, flirted with other foreign managers then went for the biggest name. Palace’s players went from big characters in Allardyce and Alan Pardew to De Boer, who despite his impressive reputation was quiet in training and tried – too quickly – to move from a direct style to a possession game. One player described the football as “Louis van Gaal Mark II” and rather than go for proven Premier League signings, De Boer’s targets were Dutch youngsters. It left Parish with doubts. Money was an issue. Parish (left) spent big in the previous windows and they were on a tight budget this time. Finally they got Mamadou Sakho – last season’s saviour while on loan – for £26million. But it was too late for De Boer by then. Being without injured star Wilfried Zaha for a month did not help either. De Boer did not seem to understand the strengths of his squad, players did not think he knew Jeffrey Schlupp could play left-back and left-wing. He even tried Serbia midfielder Luka Milivojevic at centre-back in preseason. The players were scratching their heads. Parish was hardly discreet about his doubts and after the Burnley game when he tweeted that Palace “need to stick together”, he was talking about fans not De Boer. He made overtures about bringing back Big Sam. But Allardyce turned him down so another England boss will get his chance.