Crystal Palace sack manager Patrick Vieira after 12-match winless run

Palace’s poor form and precarious position

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Patrick Vieira after a 12-match winless run. The team has not won a match in 2023 and was beaten 1-0 by Brighton in the Premier League on Wednesday, marking their third defeat in a row. Palace is currently 12th in the table but are only three points above 18th-placed Bournemouth, who have a game in hand. Chairman Steve Parish commented that “results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status.”

Poor performance despite previous success

Patrick Vieira, a Frenchman aged 46, was appointed before the start of the 2021-22 season and led the Eagles to a 12th placed finish, earning praise for an attacking style of play. However, this season they have scored only 21 goals in 27 games, which is fewer than all but three other Premier League teams. Before being defeated by Brighton, Palace had gone three consecutive games without even recording a shot on target. No Premier League team had accumulated fewer points in 2023 than Palace, having taken only five out of a possible 33.

Managerial changes and the struggle against relegation

Three members of Vieira’s coaching staff, Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun, have also left the club and the process of appointing a new manager is already under way. With recent matches leaving only five points separating the Premier League’s bottom nine clubs, Palace will certainly face a tough fight to retain their position in the top flight. They will next travel to leaders Arsenal for a match on Sunday. The team’s final 10 games of the season, however, will see them face each of their eight relegation rivals, so a new manager will need to be in place quickly to help steer the club in the right direction.

Vieira’s contribution and the lack of black managers

Speaking of Vieira’s contribution to the club, Steve Parish added 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 of his colleagues.” Vieira’s departure means there are currently no black managers in charge of a club in the top flight of men’s and women’s football in England. Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has suggested that experiences of racism faced by some black footballers in England may put them off pursuing managerial roles in the future.

Poor performance leads to Vieira’s departure

Vieira’s sacking may have been expected given the current poor form of the team. Palace has not won a match since New Year’s Eve and has had fixtures against the majority of the top six to deal with. Scoring has been a huge issue for the team, with Palace having not found the net for the past four matches and not scored twice in a game since December. It remains unclear who the club will bring in to replace Vieira as manager, but they will need to quickly address the team’s scoring problems in order to stave off the threat of relegation.

Credit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64972447

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