Roy Hodgson's future remains up in the air as Crystal Palace prepare to return from their winter break.
The Palace boss, whose current deal runs out at the end of this season, met with chairman Steve Parish at the club's training ground on the Friday ahead of their trip to Everton for discussions, and was set for further talks in the days following the 3-1 defeat.
There remains, however, no confirmation of Hodgson's extension, leaving Palace feeling rather directionless. A decision must be made, and confirmed.
Hodgson is keen to put pen to paper on a deal once Parish has placed one in front of him, and is thought to have been given assurances over spending in the summer after two bitterly disappointing transfer windows.
If a contract is to be offered it must be agreed and announced soon offering Palace and their recruitment department the chance to begin summer negotiations with a clear path in place. If Hodgson is to leave his post this summer - though that is not the intention from either side - there must also be clarity there.
Palace face a vital summer come the end of the season. They have the oldest squad in the Premier League following their January dealings and are desperately short in key areas. Wilfried Zaha's future will again be a hot topic, though Palace will have been delighted to see Chelsea secure a deal for Hakim Ziyech last week, all but ending their interest in Zaha in doing so.
If these issues are to be properly addressed come the summer, everyone needs to know who is going to be in charge.
