Crystal Palace have confirmed that Sam Allardyce has left the club this evening.
General view of Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace have announced that manager Sam Allardyce will not only be leaving the club, but he has no intention of managing again.
The Eagles swooped to land Allardyce as their new manager in December 2016 following Alan Pardew’s departure, handing ‘Big Sam’ a return to football following his acrimonious departure from the England job in September.
Allardyce initially started slowly at Selhurst Park, but he masterminded wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool to save the club from relegation, ending the season with a 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday.
Many expected Allardyce to rebuild Palace this summer, but instead he has decided to call it quits on his time in South London, and in management altogether in a shock move.
Bookmakers are already pricing up odds for who could replace Allardyce in the Palace dugout, and here are the instant frontrunners, as provided by Sky Bet…
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce
Chris Coleman: 5/2
Wales boss Coleman was in demand after his exploits at Euro 2016, taking his country to the semi-finals of the competition against all odds. Some of the shine has come off Coleman since, with Wales a little patchy in their World Cup qualifying campaign, but that hasn’t stopped him from being the favourite for the Palace job tonight. At 5/2, former Palace defender Coleman is the hot favourite for a return to the club.
Claudio Ranieri: 4/1
Ranieri may have guided Leicester City to their historic Premier League title win in 2016, but he lost his job less than a year later, with the Foxes hovering around the relegation zone. Craig Shakespeare managed to comfortably keep the club in the top flight, but it’s unclear just where Ranieri’s stock stands right now. The Italian – known as ‘The Tinkerman’ – is currently 4/1 for the Palace job.
Wales manager Chris Coleman during training
Slavisa Jokanovic: 6/1
One of the most highly-rated managers in the Championship, former Chelsea midfielder Jokanovic guided Fulham to the play-offs this season whilst playing an attractive brand of football. The Serbian saw his side lose to Reading in the play-off semi-finals, and speculation now surrounds his future. The 48-year-old has been a managerial nomad so far, taking charge of clubs in Serbia, Thailand, Bulgaria, Spain, England and Israel, and he could be on the move again, with odds of 6/1 for a switch to Fulham.
Marco Silva: 8/1
Portuguese boss Silva gave Hull hope of avoiding relegation, but ultimately couldn’t keep the Tigers in the Premier League. The 39-year-old impressed in his short spell at KCOM Stadium, and could earn a deal with a top flight side following Hull’s relegation, though Porto are also interested. Now 8/1 for the Palace job, Silva could be a dark horse to replace Allardyce at Selhurst Park, if the Eagles can beat other clubs to the punch.
Roy Hodgson: 10/1
Ex-England manager Hodgson hasn’t been seen in a dugout since the Three Lions suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, but may fancy one last crack at the Premier League. The 69-year-old may not be the preferred choice for many Eagles fans, but he has bags of managerial experience, and is just 10/1 for the job this evening, making him the fifth favourite.
Who would you like to see Palace appoint as their new manager?
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