Three managers who could replace Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace confirmed on Friday that they have parted ways with head coach Patrick Vieira after an awful run of results.

The Eagles are yet to record a Premier League victory in 2023 which has left them just three points off the drop zone. Patrick Vieira oversaw a winless run of 12 games, leaving the south London outfit in real danger of getting sucked into the relegation dogfight. The Frenchman’s last game as the Crystal Palace boss was a 1-0 defeat to rivals Brighton in midweek.

Friday’s dismissal means Vieira is let go from his position at the helm after less than two years in charge at Selhurst Park, when he replaced Roy Hodgson in 2021. As youth-team coach Paddy McCarthy will take the reins on an interim basis against Arsenal on Sunday, here are the three managerial options who can replace Vieira at Palace.

#Nuno Espirito Santo

Nuno Espirito Santo is currently the manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad, but he could come into consideration as an option to replace Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace.

Nuno, 49, managed four years at Wolves and helped the club achieve promotion to the Premier League in his very first season. He led Wolves to two back-to-back seventh-place finishes. In his final season, the Wanderers finished 13th before the Portuguese left the club and joined Tottenham, however, the move didn’t work out as he was sacked after only fourth months in charge.

The 49-year-old has good experience of Premier League football which could make him an attractive option for Palace. But Nuno’s £6million buy-out clause at Al-Ittihad could prove a stumbling block.

#Ralph Hasenhuttl

Ralph Hasenhuttl could reportedly be one of the candidates to replace Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace.

Hasenhuttl, 55, spent nearly four years at Southampton before his dismissal in November 2022 following a poor start to the Premier League season. He guided the Saints to safety in his first three seasons in charge, before things turned somewhat sour in his final campaign.

The Austrian, who is known for his high-pressing and intense style of football, is currently without a job so would likely be easy to bring in for the Eagles.

#Roy Hodgson

Those in the corridors of power at Selhurst Park know Roy Hodgson inside out. The Englishman, 75, had a solid if not spectacular spell at Crystal Palace between 2017 and 2021 before announcing his retirement from the game. He came out of retirement last year to take charge of Watford but stepped down after failing to keep them afloat in the Premier League.

Hodgson is a veteran of relegation battles and his experience to navigate the team away from the clutches of relegation could come handy at Palace. When hiring someone of his age isn’t necessarily the most dynamic appointment the Eagles could make, it may be massive in terms of helping them maintain their top-flight status.

So, appointing Hodgson until the end of the season may not be a bad move at any cost.