Grayson: Top-flight chances a Brit rare
The Dutch legend, who lasted just 85 days in his last post with Inter Milan, is under no illusions that footballing lightning is as likely to strike in south London as it did in Italy.
De Boer is resigned to the fact that even a record four consecutive Eredivisie titles and a Champions League with Ajax – plus a La Liga winners’ medal at Barcelona – will not be enough to keep him in a Premier League job if Palace start struggling early again next season.
He said: “I can say it now that after six months they can shake your hand and say goodbye, that’s football. That’s the way it is.”
De Boer dropped his bombshell as he sat alongside his new boss, Steve Parish (below) a chairman who has seen off five permanent managers in the last four years and left nobody in any doubt what he expects from his sixth.
Rather more stylishly suited and booted than his new manager, Parish, who rescued Palace from financial disaster when he took over seven years ago, delivered a no-nonsense message.
“Our fans aren’t particularly fussed about the style of football we play,” he said.
“It’s not about possession in the Premier League. It’s about goals, about action and 100 per cent effort as well as individual skill.
“If you win games everybody is happy.
“It doesn’t matter what style of football you play.”
De Boer, who had earlier vowed to get Palace playing the Ajax-style Total Football his legendary mentor Johan Cruyff was famous for, listened quietly to the lesson according to his chairman as Parish pledged to build a club in the successful image of Saints and Everton.
“The t echnical details of that are Frank’s world but we need to find a Plan B,” he said. “There are things we just don’t have in our locker at the moment.
“But maybe, just maybe, there is a technical nature across Europe that lends itself more than with British coaches.
“That’s not denigrating any of the British coaches because there are some fantastic ones but hopefully Frank can take us to another level.
“Everyone wants him to succeed and everything we do over the next three years will be to make him a great success at this football club.”
But then came the sting in the tail as Parish added: “Everyone knows this is a results- based business, unfortunately.
“If Frank fails it is my failure too.
“We know the pressure can get to you, so what we are all working towards now is not to get into those sort of situations.
“The pressure is to get it right.”
If De Boer has his way that will happen with a style of play that will be more like Ajax and Barcelona than Southampton and Everton.
“I will try to be dominant but also strong defensively which was like Barcelona were with Pep Guardiola,” the former defender added.
“Everybody has to be involved with attacking and defending.
“That is what I want to bring to this club.
“Barcelona showed that you can win games with that type of play. “You have to be strong and fit but also have players of special quality who are very smart. “And with that mixture you c an have a fantastic team.”
It was a prospect that had his chair man beaming, however long it may last. SIMON GRAYSON believes ambitious British bosses only get the chance to manage in the Premier League if they win promotion.
And that is the aim of the new Sunderland chief – who has never been in charge in the top flight – after taking over at a club still coming to terms with relegation.
The Black Cats have lured former Leeds boss Grayson from fellow Championship side Preston North End on a three-year deal.
But he reckons it is wrong that British coaches have to climb the managerial ladder the hard way.
Grayson said: “It’s a big ambition of mine to manage in the Premier League.
“But it’s a sad indictment on British football that the only way British managers get to manage in the Premier League is by taking a team up from the Championship.
“I don’t see too many Championship managers being poached to go to the Premier League – I’d like to think that managers should be given a better opportunity.
“Two of the best managers in the Premier League are British – Eddie Howe at Bournemouth and Sean Dyche at Burnley – but they’ve only got the opportunity because they’ve been able to take teams up.’’
Ex-Sunderland and Preston winger Kevin Kilbane has compared straight-talking Grayson to Peter Reid, who twice led the Wearside club to promotion in the 1990s and secured successive seventh-place Premier League finishes in 2000 and 2001.
Grayson said: “I think I’m better looking than him – and I’ve got smaller ears!
“But when you look at Peter, he’s a down-to-earth bloke, he says it as it is, he’s a character and he commanded the best from his players.
“All of those characteristics are ones I take on as well, so Kevin can do the comparisons but if I’m successful like Peter, I’ll be more than happy.’’
Grayson warned the Black Cats’ underachievers he will not tolerate wounded pride – but no player will go on the cheap.
He added: “When teams get relegated from the Premier League, all players have egos and if any don’t fancy being here, I’ll allow them to leave. But they’ll only leave at the right price.’’
Signings are key and Everton winger Aiden McGeady, 31 – on loan at Preston last season – and North End striker Jordan Hugill, 25, are Grayson targets.