Crystal Palace told to re-hire former manager despite eight-year Premier League hiatus

Could Alan Pardew make a sensational return to Selhurst Park? Well, he’d certainly have the backing of former Premier League marksman Charlie Austin and talkSPORT host Majestic. Crystal Palace are set to be on the hunt for a new manager as talkSPORT understands incumbent boss Pierre Sage is on the brink of being sacked. The decision was made shortly after the Eagles slipped to a 3-1 loss at home against Liverpool on Sunday, a result which condemned the club to last place in the Premier League ahead of the international break. Former Brentford and Spurs boss Thomas Frank is considered an early front runner for the gig, while there is admiration for Sean Dyche and Coventry City boss Frank Lampard. Ex-Palace defender and Australia national team boss Tony Popovic is also believed to be among the contenders. But Austin and Majestic believe Pardew, who managed Palace between January 2015 and December 2016, could be just what the club needs. Why Majestic believes Crystal Palace should bring back Alan Pardew “I’m probably biased because I sit with him most Sundays, but I think Pards would be a perfect man to go to Crystal Palace right now and inspire those players,” Majestic said on The Final Word. “You’ve got what you’ve got to work with there. There’s a good enough core at Crystal Palace. “Ok, it’s not going to give you the same results you had under the free-flowing [Oliver] Glasner when he was at his pomp. “I think a lot of these clubs are going wrong with these appointments. The Premier League is so different to any other league. It’s so hard, it’s so intense. That’s why we see the return of Dychey all the time, Dyche is someone who will no doubt be up for that job as well. “But someone like Pards, who knows that club, has the respect from the fans and can go in and galvanise. That’s what Palace needs right now, a galvaniser.” Austin added: “They need someone with the know-how to manage a football club that is fighting and in fear of relegation. “Pards has been at clubs where he knows what he needs to do to stay up.” When was Alan Pardew last in management? Pardew has not managed since a 21-game stint in charge of Greek club Aris, which ended in February 2023. His last gig in the Premier League was at West Bromwich Albion, back in April 2018. The 65-year-old boasts vast experience in the English top flight having previously led West Ham United, Charlton, Newcastle and Palace along with the Baggies in the top flight. He even guided Palace to a berth in the 2015/16 FA Cup final, where they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United in extra time. Pardew finished with a record of 35 wins, 13 draws and 39 defeats from his 87 games in charge of the Eagles.