CRYSTAL PALACE SACK DE BOER AFTER FOUR STRAIGHT LOSSES
Hodgson set to be named new Crystal Palace boss
LONDON: Crystal Palace fired manager Frank de Boer (pic) yesterday after the team opened the English Premier League season with four straight losses.
Palace announced the end of De Boer’s 77-day stint in charge in a short statement, without announcing a replacement.
British media reported that former England coach Roy Hodgson, who is 70, was in line to take over.
In terms of games played, De Boer’s tenure is the shortest of any permanent manager in Premier League history.
De Boer, a former Holland centreback, took over at Palace in June as a replacement for Sam Allardyce and tried to implement a more expansive style of play.
His players have struggled to adapt. Palace are the first team since 1924 to lose their first four English top-flight games without scoring, the latest defeat coming at Burnley on Sunday.
De Boer only lasted 84 days in his previous job at Inter Milan. Before that, he won four straight Dutch League titles at Ajax.
“We would like to thank Frank for his dedication and hard work during his time at the club,” Palace said in a statement.
On Sunday, Palace chairman Steve Parish had called for “some sense” amid a string of posts on Twitter.
“We are 4 games in,” he tweeted, “it’s a terrible start but we have to stick together.”
De Boer arrived on a three-year deal and with ambitions of making the team entertaining to watch and integrating more youth-team players. He said his primary objective was to turn a team that regularly battle relegation into a stable Premier League force.
Palace lost 3-0 at home to promoted team Huddersfield on the opening weekend of the season, with De Boer losing winger Wilfried Zaha — arguably his best player — to injury.
Palace’s players have looked uncomfortable in converting to De Boer’s possession-based approach, which is a giant leap from the pragmatism, directness and counter-attacking favoured by Allardyce.
However, Palace did dominate in the 1-0 loss at Burnley, missing many clear-cut chances after conceding a third-minute goal from a defensive error.
Hodgson hasn’t coached since leaving the England job after the country’s elimination by Iceland at last year’s European Championship.
His last job as a club manager was at West Bromwich Albion from 2011-12.