Crystal Palace seem to be making little progress in the hunt for a new manager.
Andoni Iraola is – or was – the top target. Two offers have already been made to the 43-year-old, both of which he has rejected.
Sky Sports now provide an update on the Spaniard and other candidates to replace Oliver Glasner – but in our eyes, it does not make good reading for Steve Parish.
Latest Crystal Palace managerial report does little to inspire confidence
Glasner revealed in that memorable January outburst that he told Parish he was leaving as far back as October. Despite that, decision makers at Selhurst Park still seem to be unsure on a replacement as we embark upon May.
Sky Sports say as many as six managers are currently under consideration, with Crystal Palace said to be ‘working through the list and doing due diligence on each of them’ – although Iraola seems unattainable.
The current Bournemouth boss is understood to be aiming higher than Crystal Palace when he departs the Vitality Stadium this summer, with Chelsea and Manchester United both lurking.
Sky Sports add that Thomas Frank, Marco Silva, Frank Lampard and Kieran McKenna are also admired, but the latter duo have just won promotion to the Premier League and are unlikely to be lured away from Coventry and Ipswich respectively.
It begs the question – why is the managerial hunt still so broad as we approach the final weeks of the season?
Bournemouth announced Iraola was set to leave at the end of the season on 14th April – and had already unveiled Marco Rose as his replacement as quickly as 20th April.
With Daichi Kamada, Adam Wharton, Jefferson Lerma, Nathaniel Clyne and Jean-Philippe Mateta potentially following Glasner out of SE25 this summer, it is an incredibly important moment in the club’s history, even more so if we manage to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
It is slightly worrying that there does not seem to be a primary target at this late stage of the season.
Sky Sports say Iraola was the top target, although the Telegraph argued that Crystal Palace only made a move after learning he is keen to live in London, so that seemed to be a more reactionary, opportunistic option rather than a genuine candidate Parish had identified.
Hopefully, a credible, realistic option emerges in days to come – with such a pivotal summer looming, a new manager needs to be in place with plenty of time.
