Steve Parish explains Crystal Palace’s decision to sack Patrick Vieira amid relegation ‘dogfight’

Crystal Palace’s part-owner Steve Parish has explained the decision to sack Patrick Vieira.

Vieira put together an impressive campaign as Eagles boss last season, but he struggled to build on his early efforts this season. Palace are fighting relegation this season, currently just three points above the relegation zone after a 12-game winless run.

Few were expecting Veira to get the axed, but with 11 games remaining, Palace have decided they are flying too close to the sun, and Vieira has paid the price. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Palace’s part-owner Parish has explained: “He got us to an [FA Cup] semi-final – it was a fantastic season last season. But it’s a results-based business. It’s very tight at the bottom, and I have to think about what gives us the best chance of retaining our status.

“We have to accept we’re in a dogfight at the bottom with some very good teams. When you look at Leicester, West Ham, Wolves, Southampton and us, and you think that three of those names are going to get relegated – they’re big names in the Premier League. When you don’t think that you’re going to get out of that rut, unfortunately, you have to change something. Maybe we would have, but I couldn’t be sure of it.”

Former Palace defender Paddy McCarthy has been placed in temporary charge for Sunday’s clash with Arsenal.

“Everybody loved Patrick,” added Parish. “You saw from the performances – he never lost the players at all. Things just weren’t happening.

“We’re hoping there is a bit of fresh impetus and a few different ideas. Maybe we surprise the opposition a little bit by doing something different. I’m sure he will go on and be as successful as he was last year with us somewhere else, and he will maybe learn from the bits where it lost its way a little bit.

“We’re just going to get past Sunday. Paddy and Darren are in charge. We’re not interviewing managers while we have got a manager – it’s disrespectful. We will look at how we go on Sunday. Obviously, we’re starting to do that now. We have got our own lists and all those kinds of things.”