Ian Holloway looking the value bet in sack race market
Published:Supporters of Crystal Palace will have known that life back in the Premier League after eight years away was always going to be tough, but their club seem intent on making it harder for themselves.
Following a mammoth summer signing session, boss Ian Holloway discovered that he had too many players to fit into his 25-man squad.
That caused him to omit midfielder Owen Garvan after he played 32 times in the Eagles’ promotion campaign and, even more bizarrely, summer signing Florian Marange just weeks after he joined from Bordeaux.
Results haven’t been too organised either, with last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Liverpool a sixth loss in seven Premier League games this season, a run which extends to seven in eight when you include the 2-1 reverse at League One Bristol City in the Capital One Cup – the only game of the campaign that Garvan and Marange were eligible for.
Such poor form makes it somewhat surprising that Holloway finds himself as just the fifth favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
At 8/1, the former Blackpool boss represents good value in a market which has seen some movement lately.
Cardiff boss Malky Mackay remains the favourite to be the next out of the door at 11/10 following Vincent Tan’s reshuffling of the backroom staff in South Wales, whilst Fulham’s Martin Jol has lengthened to 3/1 after last weekend’s win over Stoke.
But things could be about to get worse before they get better for Palace and Holloway.
They face a must-win game at home to Jol’s Fulham next Monday, and a failure to beat the 6/4 visitors would then ensure that morale was low ahead of tough clashes with Arsenal, at West Brom and then at home to Everton.
With Hull, Norwich, West Ham and Cardiff to come after that, the Palace hierarchy could feel that a potential new boss would then have the chance to hit the ground running, making the decision to dispense with Holloway a little easier.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date and time of publication
