(Football news) The former Arsenal great Patrick Vieria has been relieved of his duties amidst a dismal run of form which saw Palace fail to win any of their last 12 matches across all competitions. A 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the 46 year old. The Eagles failed to score in each of their last four games as Vieria’s most recent win came back on New Year’s Eve against Bournemouth. Prior to their defeat to Brighton, Crystal Palace became the first team in Premier League history to go three games without a shot on target.
Vieira was all set to face his former club Arsenal for Sunday’s London Derby, but the Eagles sacked him two days before they take on the league leaders. Palace hierarchy have also confirmed that Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun have departed, but Dean Kiely will continue as goalkeeping coach. Vieira joined the club in 2021 and became an instant fan favourite when he guided the club to a 12th-placed finish last season. Palace are currently in 12th in the Premier League but the main point is that they are just three points above the relegation zone.
Vieira leaves Palace with a record of 22 wins, 24 draws and 28 defeats in his 74 matches. He had replaced the long-serving Roy Hodgson as manager in the summer of 2021 as the former Nice and New York City FC manager, and helped Palace advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they subsequently lost to Chelsea. However, the Eagles have only won six games this season, drawing nine and losing 12 matches which is enough for 12th spot in the table with 27 points but the major concern is that if they continue their current form they will fall in the relegation places.
A statement from Palace chairman Steve Parish read: “It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made. Ultimately, 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.
“That said, 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.He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and respectable 12th placed finish last season playing some exciting football, which was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad prior to his arrival. Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service. We also wish Patrick, Osian, Kristian and Said the very best for their futures.”
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