The humiliating loss Crystal Palace suffered at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion appeared to be the final straw for chairman Steve Parish, who is still debating Roy Hodgson’s future.
The seasoned player in the Premier League has watched his Eagles team slip farther down the standings; as of this writing, Palace is only five points above the bottom three.
Similar to how Patrick Vieira was fired by Parish and replaced by Hodgson because he couldn’t persuade the South Londoners to tune in, the former England manager now appears incapable of bringing any kind of consistency to Palace’s top-flight performances.
The runner-up to succeed Hodgson is thought to be the recently fired Steve Cooper, who was relieved of his duties by Nottingham Forest. The Guardian (subscription required) reported that Parish had contemplated firing his manager following the Brighton match.
Relegation is a very real possibility given the way Palace are playing unless Parish takes the axe.
Given the depth of his bond with Hodgson, it does seem like he is willing to do so now, if grudgingly.
The problem he faces, though, is that Cooper, although eager to take over, is unsure if this is the ideal moment given how little time he will have to get the club ready for the upcoming slate of games.
