Why Sam Allardyce quitting could be a good thing for Crystal Palace

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The Daily Mail have sensationally reported that Sam Allardyce has quit his post as Crystal Palace manager, despite keeping the Eagles in the Premier League. He wanted assurances from Steve Parish before committing his future to the club and it now appears that those weren’t forthcoming, which has resulted in him leaving Selhurst Park. These reports haven’t been confirmed by the club, but it is thought that Palace are preparing a statement. It is understood that the former England manager was unhappy with the club’s transfer strategy as he didn’t receive the guarantees that he would be able to strengthen in what he considered to be key areas this summer.

This would be the second time that a manager has walked out on the club after a dispute on the transfer policy. Tony Pulis did similar just before the beginning of the 2014/15 season and this is a huge concern for Palace supporters, as there do appear to be problems behind the scenes at their club. If Allardyce does resign as is being reported, the main positive will be that the time have a lot more time to source a replacement and plan for the next campaign. However, potential managerial targets will be looking at the situation and have concerns about the direction that the club are headed.

Could this be a good thing for Crystal Palace?

Although he has an impressive record as a Premier League manager, Sam Allardyce does have his limitations. He has never managed to replicate the success that he had at Bolton and has spent the majority of his managerial career in the bottom half of the division. Moreover, he will never lose the reputation for playing uninspiring football and his resignation will allow Palace to take a fresh direction. The Premier League improves every season and there is a new age of tactical managers coming into the division. David Moyes has seen his stock collapse over the last 12 months and Allardyce is a manager of a similar age. He will also have an expiration date and the signings he made during January will have raised concern in the boardroom at Selhurst Park.

The transfer dispute is unlikely to have been caused by a lack of funds, as Palace have been happy to spend money in recent seasons. However, it could be that Steve Parish had doubts about Allardyce’s ability to spend that money wisely. In January, he spent a combined £21 million on Patrick van Aanholt and Jeffrey Schlupp, which raised eyebrows. They are both decent attacking left-backs, but neither have convinced defensively and the money could have been put to better use. Throughout his managerial career, Allardyce has had a good eye for a player, but he has also misspent money and these two transfers were an example of that.

It is impossible to speculate the exact reason for the falling out between manager and board, but Allardyce’s departure is good for Palace. They are a Premier League club with a whole summer ahead of them and they will be an attractive option for several managers across Europe. Looking at the success that Paul Clement and Marco Silva have had in the league this season, it could be the right time for the club to make an appointment out of left-field.

Their list of managers since returning to the Premier League have been uninspiring. Ian Holloway, Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock, Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce are all cut from a similar cloth. Palace have yet to move away from being a club that fears relegation and the unimaginative managerial appointments haven’t helped. They need to think outside of the box if they are to progress as a club. This could be the most important managerial hire that the club make in their history. They need to get it right.

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