Neil Warnock faces a fight to avoid becoming the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season as concerns grow among the Crystal Palace hierarchy about the club’s downward spiral.
A large section of supporters at Selhurst Park voiced their discontent with Warnock as Palace sank to a 3-1 home defeat against Southampton on Boxing Day and, ominously for the manager, the dissatisfaction is not confined to the stands, with the club’s owners unhappy with a run of only one win in 12 matches. Defeat at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday could convince the club that a change of manager would help Palace’s chances of climbing out of the relegation zone. Warnock’s return to Loftus Road following his sacking as QPR manager in 2012 could thus carry hefty consequences.
Palace’s owners have already had to make one managerial change this year, with Warnock being hired in August when Tony Pulis left the club on the eve of the season following disagreement on how to build on a successful campaign.
Palace finished 11th under Pulis last term and have struggled to recapture the form that took them so high, with Warnock leading them to only three victories in 18 Premier League matches. Many at Selhurst Park complain that the team have lacked the solidity and cohesion that they showed last term but after the loss to Southampton, Warnock offered an explanation that is unlikely to impress the supporters or his employer.
“I thought they had a lot of luck last year; I don’t see us having much luck this year,” he said. “Quite a lot of luck went with them but you take your hat off to them for that because you’ve got to take your luck when it comes in the Premier League. We must be due some now.”
Warnock maintains that he is getting the maximum out of the squad he inherited and insists that Palace’s survival hopes will depend on signing a few new players in January rather than changing manager. “I think we’re doing as well as we can,” he said. “We just have to cut out the elementary mistakes. I’m sure the chairman and the others will agree to that. It’s never been straightforward here. We just have to fight on and roll our sleeves up. There’s no other way than getting points at difficult places and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.
“It’s going to be one of those seasons that go right down to the line. The January window is a very important one for us, as it was last season. We do need options on the bench and we need that little bit more up top. We’re working as hard as we can.”
Warnock revealed that the club have made approaches for three strikers and hope to secure the signature of at least one of them, with Swansea City’s Bafétimbi Gomis the preferred option.
The manager’s decision-making angered home fans during the defeat by Southampton, with a large section chanting “you don’t know what you’re doing” when he withdrew their best attacker, Yannick Bolasie, and replaced him with the defender Martin Kelly when the score was 3-0. Warnock said he understood the criticism but felt he had to preserve Bolasie for the meeting with QPR.
“You know that taking Bolasie off when losing 3-0 you’re going to get stick but you have to think about QPR,” he said. “His wife’s having a baby and he was tired before the game so I just felt we had to save his legs. But I’ve no complaints with them having a go. At 3-0 down you’d be very surprised not to get a bit of stick. But you’ve got to keep on going.”
