Warnock set to leave Crystal Palace for rivals QPR

Warnock the right man, but not the only man

Growing speculation over Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock moving to Queens Park Rangers will worry many Palace fans who believe he is the right man to lift them out of their current turmoil.

While the Eagles are enjoying an exciting and money rewarding cup run their league form appears to be struggling as they dropped into the bottom three after a one nil home defeat to Coventry managed by former Palace player Chris Coleman.

Warnock has admitted that he is concerned over his future with Palace who are set to receive £1.5 million in compensation if the switch goes ahead.

However despite the compensation, which will be a welcomed acquisition for the Selhurst Park outfit, many will fear for the club’s future if Warnock leaves for their West London rivals.

There is no doubt that Warnock is the right man for the job with his passion and desire to win that shines through in Palace’s performances, but he is not the only man.

Ian Wright, who scored twice for Crystal Palace in their 3-3 FA Cup final against Manchester United in 1990, recently claimed that Warnock was not the right man for the job insisting: “They need a young manager with new ideas,” hinting at a possible move for himself.

“If I can be part of that, then it's something I'd have to consider,” he added. While Wright may not be the ideal candidate if a candidate at all to replace Warnock there are many other former Palace aces that could take and crucially want to take the job.

One ideal candidate and only person I feel that can replace Warnock is ex-Palace manager Steve Coppell. The former Reading boss has a soft spot for the south London club, as does the Palace faithful for him, after having four spells as manager.

In many cases the ideal scenario is often the most unlikely but it may not seem too distant especially after the departure of Simon Jordan who Coppell famously had numerous ‘personality clashes’ with.

When questioned by ITV’s Steve Rider before Palace’s dramatic home game with Villa Coppell didn’t deny that he might possibly, one day, play a part in their future.

Ian Wright also confirmed that he thought Coppell was thinking of getting involved again along with former owner Ron Noades.

But Coppell may not be the only man eager to take the job on with Gareth Southgate left jobless after being sacked as the Middlesbrough manager in October 2009.

The former Palace player will be eager to prove himself after a poor record at the Riverside but may pose something of a risk if appointed as Warnock’s successor. Southgate is a man that to me comes across as too nice in an end of season battle that will be fought hard to the very end.

With every vacant managers job there is always one rumoured possibility that shocks fans and could it be too daft to suggest a return for Steve Kember. The Palace legend performed a miracle by rescuing the Eagles from relegation in 2001 but left on bad terms under Jordan who promised Kember a ‘job for life’.

The manager’s job at Selhurst Park is not a very appealing one for experienced managers at the top of the English game and relying on the love of the club may prove crucial in attracting a manager that can lift us out of relegation and look ahead to a bright future.

If Warnock is be confirmed as QPR boss later this week – leaving many Palace fans, including me, devastated - there will be no better way to leave than to mastermind a shock win over Aston Villa in the fifth round replay at Villa Park on Wednesday.

'Season Over'

Well it’s all over for another year according to manager Neil Warnock who has blamed the disappointing form since the turn of the year on injuries to key players such as Paddy McCarthy and Claude Davis. After returning from a group of fixtures that saw the Eagles pick up just four points from four games and has seen them drift from possible play off contenders to mid table mediocrity. They sit eleven points adrift of the play offs and are ten points in danger of sinking into the drop zone.

The post Christmas form that in the past has seen palace creep into the play offs at just the right time is now just a fond memory. The Burnley side that fought back to beat a palace side that led two nil reminded me too much of an Ian Dowie team I once knew. Burnley certainly showed signs of ‘bounce back ability’ while Palace fell victim to a dubious penalty decision, which of course left Warnock fuming, and crumbled. The few hundred fans who travelled that day did not only have to suffer a four two drumming but watched on as palace players marched off the pitch without a single salute, except midfielders Nick Carle and Neil Danns, towards the contingent of red and blue support. The normally appreciative Neil Warnock wasn’t even acknowledging the fans, this after, he had of course berated the referee and official for awarding the penalty.

After this game I, like Neil Warnock does now, thought the season was over but the impressive away win at Swansea the following Saturday had me rethinking. Until I was brought back down to earth by the defeat to relegation threatened Barnsley. Now I accepted the season was over.

The risk of being dragged into a relegation battle while at this stage is not a big issue may still happen. Tough fixtures against teams in the top half of the table as well as games against teams fighting it out at the bottom, combined with the poor form of late, could see that issue turn big, very big. After a much needed international break palace will return to face QPR, Coventry and Cardiff in eight days before travelling down south to St Mary’s to play a Southampton side who have lost just once in seven games. This time next month things could be looking much worse for Palace fans and missing out on the play offs may not seem so bad after all.

So thoughts turn to rebuilding for next year and with Warnock admitting that there will be little money to spend next season the aim for the summer must be on keeping hold of the young players. Players such as Victor Moses and Nathanial Clyne, who has emerged this season as another product of the youth academy, could be tempted by Premiership football next year. Hopefully they will learn from previous youngsters that have left Selhurst Park in search of top-flight football, the likes of John Bostock who has played a handful of games for Spurs and Wayne Routledge who again left for Spurs but after failing to impress has returned back to the Championship.

As for signings, a goal scorer is a must but with Chairman Simon Jordan wanting to sell it looks like they will sign no-one capable of taking Palace back to the Premiership. Warnock has said that ‘he is hopeful of making a number of Bosman free transfer signings of the summer’, some ambition. The 2009 summer transfer window will probably consist of the ‘one in one out’ system that palace have been using so far in 2009, where by a player has had to leave before another can be bought in, Darren Fletcher and Danny Butterfield made way for Claude Davis and Anthony Stokes. So unless the club finds a buyer before the end of the summer then Palace could be staring at the same situation this time next year.


o