Patrick Vieira replaced Roy Hodgson as Crystal Palace manager in the summer of 2021 and guided them to 12th place in the Premier League last season; Palace have failed to win their last 12 games in all competitions and have fallen to within three points of the relegation zone
By Flash yourself
9:41, UK, Friday 17 March 2023
Crystal Palace have sacked manager Patrick Vieira after 18 months in charge.
Vieira has left Palace after a 12-match winless run in all competitions – with their last win coming against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve 2022.
That run saw Palace exit the FA Cup in the third round to Premier League bottom side Southampton, while they have fallen to within three points of the relegation zone.
Vieira’s last game in charge of Palace was a 1-0 loss to rivals Brighton, the fourth game in a row in which the south London club have failed to score.
Palace failed to register a shot on target in three consecutive games against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool – becoming the first Premier League side to do so since Opta began recording data in 2003.
Palace chairman Steve Parish said in a statement: “It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been taken. Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change was necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status.
“Having said that, Patrick’s impact since joining us in the summer of 2021 has been significant and he is held in the highest regard by myself and all his colleagues.
“He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and a respectable 12th-placed finish last season, playing some exciting football in what was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad prior to his arrival.
“Patrick has given everything to the club and we all thank him and his team for their service.”
Palace have confirmed that Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Saïd Aïgoun, along with Vieira, have also left the club. Dean Kiely will remain as goalkeeping coach while the search for a new manager is underway.
Palace have canceled their scheduled press conference on Friday to preview their next game – a trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.
‘Firing Vieira a mistake – Zaha will be disappointed’
Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison speaks to Sky Sports News:
“For me it’s not the right call – I don’t think he should have been sacked. I know the run they’ve been on is terrible – without a win since the New Year. But I speak to a lot of people at Palace, around instead there has been a lot of unity and it is up to Patrick.
Clinton Morrison believes Patrick Vieira’s sacking at Crystal Palace is the wrong decision and believes Vieira bought unity to the squad.
“I know it’s a results-based industry but the run they’ve had is ridiculous. After Arsenal, the next five or six games are all winnable. I would have stuck with him. I don’t know what other manager can come in and turn it around.
“It’s a tough job and I don’t know who’s out there. Someone like a Jesse Marsch? What Palace are used to under Patrick Vieira might be different to what a new manager comes in and implements.
“So it will take time and Palace don’t have time. They are in a relegation battle, you need confidence and you need someone to come in and lift the team. There will be someone that you don’t .making hasty decisions like firing Vieira without having anyone lined up.
“I think the investment was not good enough in January, Vieira needed help to strengthen other areas.
“The biggest problem with Palace is scoring goals. They are too dependent on Wilfried Zaha and he has been injured for a while recently. Other players need to step up, there are two players in Ebere Eze and Michael Olise who I think will go to a lot at the top I think Palace will stay up as they have talented players in the team.
“There are many players who like Vieira, the harmony that is together. Zaha and Vieira had a brilliant relationship. I can’t speak for him, but he might be disappointed.”
Vieira’s final words as Palace manager
Patrick Vieira reflects on Crystal Palace’s 1-0 loss to Brighton, which would be his last game at the club following his sacking.
Former Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira after the Eagles’ 1-0 defeat to Brighton:
“I’m worried about scoring goals. When I look at the performance of the team and look at the work ethic and our organization and how the players execute our plan, I was happy with it.
“The concern I have is that when you create those opportunities but you don’t take them for granted, you start to worry about that. We have to score those goals.
“The players, especially the forwards, have to change their mindset. We have to be more aggressive going forward, we have to be more aggressive in the final third. I’m not going to stop putting pressure on them that I’m set on at the moment until we we get what we want.
“It’s not about showing more positivity, it’s about showing the ingredients you need to win games. The players worked hard, they worked well, they competed.
“I’ve never questioned the relationship or the trust I have with players or players have in me. The way they’ve played, we’ve shown we’re together and I have no concerns about the relationship between players and myself.”
Crystal Palace’s next match
When Palace regroup after the international break in March, their next six games are against teams below them in the table.
The last time the Eagles played a team below them in the league was against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve in 2022, which was Vieira’s last win in charge.
March 19 – Arsenal (a)
1 April – Leicester (h)
April 8 – Leeds (a)
15th of April – Southampton (a)
April 22 – Everton (h)
April 25 – Wolves (a)
April 29 – West Ham (h)