PATRICK VIEIRA was sacked as Crystal Palace manager this morning.
The Frenchman, 46, lost his job after a dismal run of just one win in 14 Premier League matches.
His final match in charge was Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat away at arch-rivals Brighton.
The horror set of results has left the Eagles sliding at an alarming rate into the relegation dogfight.
The South Londoners sit 12th in the Premier League but just three points clear of the drop zone.
But who is in line to replace Vieira with the task of keeping Palace up?
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ROY HODGSON
Incredibly Roy Hodgson has emerged as one of the early favourites for a shock return to Selhurst Park.
The 75-year-old appeared to have retired for good when he left Watford at the end of last season.
Former Eagles academy defender Hodgson had four years in the Palace dugout and may make a stunning comeback to help keep his beloved club in the top flight.
FRANK LAMPARD
Frank Lampard, 44, is out of work having been dismissed in January less than a year after taking over at Everton.
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The former Derby and Chelsea chief was axed because the Toffees were showing no signs of staying up.
However, he has proven he can work with young talented players – which Palace have in abundance.
STEVEN GERRARD
Steven Gerrard is in a similar position to his former England team-mate Lampard.
The ex-Liverpool captain, 42, finds himself as a free agent following his struggles at Aston Villa, unable to replicate the success he enjoyed at Rangers.
But there will be serious question marks over his experience and if he has the ability to survive a relegation scrap – after all, Lamps and Gerrard were both overlooked by Southampton.
RAFA BENITEZ
Like Hodgson, Benitez certainly boasts plenty of games under his belt – 1,171 to be precise.
The last of those came in January 2022 before his Everton sacking when he was replaced by Lampard.
The 2005 Champions League winner, 62, clearly knows how to pull off a dramatic turnaround, but will the ex-Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Chelsea boss fancy the Palace challenge?
MICHAEL CARRICK
The only one of these five currently in work is Michael Carrick – and what a job he is doing.
In his first managerial gig, the ex-Manchester United star, 41, has won 15 of his 22 matches to help fire Middlesbrough into the promotion race in the Championship.
Carrick’s side sit third, six points off the automatic spots – but Palace may have seen enough to give the former midfielder an early promotion to the Premier League.
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Other names linked early on are Paddy McCarthy, Lucien Favre, Marcelo Bielsa and even Sam Allardyce.
Jesse Marsch and Ralph Hassenhuttl have both been sacked by Premier League clubs this year but are in the running, too.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
