Jump directly to the content
Comment
CRYSTAL FALL

Crystal Palace are right to sack Frank de Boer after just 77 days.. he was the worst Premier League manager ever

DE BOER, the great Frank de Boer, really did believe the world revolved around him.

His disastrous spell at Selhurst Park is over, brought to a swift and decisive end by Parish this morning.

 Frank de Boer has been sacked after just 77 days in charge of Crystal Palace
16
Frank de Boer has been sacked after just 77 days in charge of Crystal PalaceCredit: Getty
 Steve Parish has called time on De Boer's reign as boss after four Prem losses
16
Steve Parish has called time on De Boer's reign as boss after four Prem lossesCredit: PA:Press Association

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: BET £5, GET A FREE £10 BET

 

Yesterday they were beaten again, this time by Burnley.

It is their fourth successive game in the Premier League.

De Boer, whatever his pedigree as a footballer, had to go.

He promised Parish the club would evolve under his leadership, moving away from gritty south London upstarts to a playing style that would be easy on the eye.

 A concerned Parish watched yesterday's loss at Turf Moor with Mark Bright
16
A concerned Parish watched yesterday's loss at Turf Moor with Mark BrightCredit: PA:Empics Sport
 Dutchman De Boer looked a beaten man slumped in the dugout at Burnley
16
Dutchman De Boer looked a beaten man slumped in the dugout at BurnleyCredit: Getty

Parish, with five years’ experience of wheeling and dealing and hiring and firing, knows how unforgiving the Premier League is.

De Boer wanted to play the Ajax way, to rely on the principles established by the legendary figures of Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff.

It meant playing 3-4-3 ... and led to three successive Premier League defeats.

Even when he trialled the system over the summer - losing three successive training ground games to Palace’s under-23 side - he stuck with it.

De Boer, 47, has been a disaster for Palace.

They will have to pick up the pieces now, putting these traumatised players back together after the Dutch coach was fired in a meeting with Parish today.

He had to go, he really did.

16
Credit: SunSport
 De Boer and Parish 77 days ago when Eagles made the appointment
16
De Boer and Parish 77 days ago when Eagles made the appointmentCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
 De Boer was handed a three-year contract when he took over at Selhurst Park
16
De Boer was handed a three-year contract when he took over at Selhurst ParkCredit: AFP
 Things quickly soured after four straight Premier League defeats
16
Things quickly soured after four straight Premier League defeatsCredit: Rex Features

Parish accepts he made a mistake appointing the Dutchman, taking his eye off the ball when they sifted through a shortlist of 37 candidates to succeed Sam Allardyce.

Palace’s chairman tired of the process, the endless hours interviewing potential managers as they searched for the right man.

It has just started all over again.

The players, secretly, will be relieved that De Boer has already been moved on.

He has shattered the confidence of some honest Palace players - Martin Kelly and Joel Ward among them - because of his failure to show any empathy.

 De Boer struggled to hide his frustration during the defeat to Burnley
16
De Boer struggled to hide his frustration during the defeat to BurnleyCredit: Rex Features

He did not think there was anything wrong with telling Kelly, who began his career with Liverpool, that he was not good enough to play for Palace.

After sending him to train with the Palace Under-23 side, Kelly was suddenly brought back into the first team squad for the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool.

When Joel Ward was overlooked for selection in a training ground 11 v 11, the popular right back was told to watch the game to learn how to play wing back.

When he did play there for the first time, just days after being told he was up for sale, Ward was all over the shop against Huddersfield on the opening weekend.

Palace, struggling to adapt to De Boer’s methods, were beaten 3-0.

 Joel Ward was told to watch and learn in a training ground snub
16
Joel Ward was told to watch and learn in a training ground snubCredit: Getty Images - Getty
 Martin Kelly was told he was not good enough by the sacked manager
16
Martin Kelly was told he was not good enough by the sacked managerCredit: Getty Images

The Dutchman was marked out early on by the Palace players when he started showing off the skills that earned him 112 caps for Holland during a glorious career.

De Boer would pick balls out of the sky, swivel on the spot and then ping one into the top corner in front of the Palace squad.

It was unnecessary and smacked of arrogance.

His playing days finished 11 years ago, but he could not resists showing off in front of his new players.

It had shades of Glenn Hoddle showing David Beckham how to strike a football when he was head coach of the England side.

 Frustration had been building among Palace players during the run of losses
16
Frustration had been building among Palace players during the run of lossesCredit: Getty Images

It filtered back to the boardroom, with De Boer’s unusual requests and methods causing as much concern as results on the pitch.

After the latest defeat, a woeful performance against Swansea on Saturday, Parish did not speak to the manager after the game for the first time in recent memory.

They had met earlier in the week, with Parish making it crystal clear that he would be fired unless results and performances improved.

 Parish, seen here with new sporting director Dougie Freedman, warned De Boer he would be sacked if results did not improve
16
Parish, seen here with new sporting director Dougie Freedman, warned De Boer he would be sacked if results did not improveCredit: Rex Features
 James McArthur shows his embarrassment as Palace struggle under Dutchman
16
James McArthur shows his embarrassment as Palace struggle under DutchmanCredit: Reuters
 De Boer walks off at Turf Moor in what turned out to be his last game in charge
16
De Boer walks off at Turf Moor in what turned out to be his last game in chargeCredit: Rex Features

De Boer’s failure to have any basic organisational skills, even down to the players who would be eligible to play in last week’s Carabao Cup tie against Ipswich, soured relations.

When he decided to play Timothy Fosu-Mensah, 19, and Jairo Reidewald, 20, in the centre of defence, De Boer was warned that they would not be physically equipped in the Premier League.

De Boer thought he knew best and played them anyway.

Palace have lost their opening four games, left with 34 games to fight, scrap and battle their way to 40 points.

For that reason, De Boer has paid for it.

 Parish has sacked De Boer to put him out of his misery after 77 days at Palace
16
Parish has sacked De Boer to put him out of his misery after 77 days at PalaceCredit: Rex Features

The summer transfer window was one the craziest we have ever seen.

Take a look at the most profitable transfers of ALL time.

And here are the Premier League players whose wages made them the most expensive per minute played.

Topics