Palace relegation odds shorten as Pulis walks away
Published:
Crystal palace look doomed to failure before the season has even started after manager Tony Pulis walked out on the club just a day before the nig kick-off.
After seeing the Welshman depart Ladbrokes have cut the Eagles’ relegation odds to just 2/1, suggesting a fall through the trap door could well be on the cards.
Palace had been languishing in the relegation zone on just four points when Pulis arrived to take the reins from Ian Holloway last season.
He then guided the south London side to a shock 11th place finish and was expected to go well again this year.
However, Pulis was summoned to a central London office for crisis talks with chairman Steve Parish but the pair could not resolve their issues, with Pulis understood to be frustrated at not being backed in the transfer market.
The former Stoke manager had identified Cardiff’s Steven Caulker and Tottenham’s Gylfi Sigurdsson as his primary targets but felt undermined by Parish when the former was allowed to join QPR and no bid was made for the latter.
Instead Palace have signed Liverpool’s Martin Kelly, Cardiff’s Fraizer Campbell and both Brede Hangeland and Chris Kettings on free transfers.
It is not known if Pulis had wanted these players and there is speculation that Parish brought them in cheaper alternatives to his manager’s preferred options.
Palace now face the daunting task of a trip north of the river to face an Arsenal side brimming with confidence.
Malky Mackay is the even money favourite to fill the void left by Pulis but any appointment will come after the trip to the Emirates, leaving Palace likely to be on the back of a hiding.
The Gunners are now 1/4 favourites to take all three points, while managerless Palace are the huge underdogs at 12/1 with the draw available at 5/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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