Alan Pardew, Crystal Palace Part Ways: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Alan Pardew, it was confirmed on Thursday.The Eagles released a statement noting the decision had been taken, via their official website. A separate piece included a message from Pardew:I would just like to take the opportunity to thank everybody at Crystal Palace for their fantastic support. In particular a big thanks to the players who gave me absolutely everything and Steve Parish and his Board.Personally I have a lot of good feelings for this football Club and am sad that my time there has ended.I feel that I have a special bond with the club and hope that hasn't been affected, I wish everybody associated with the Club the best of luck in the future including of course the fans who have been magnificent.Pardew's final game in charge of the club was the 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday. The team are in 17th place in the Premier League with just 15 points on the board. Per Squawka Football, it's been a miserable year for the Eagles:The sacking ends a two-year stint in south London for the 55-year-old, in which his team endured numerous highs and lows.Pardew's finest hour at the club came when he steered Palace to the 2015-16 FA Cup final. The Eagles took the lead through Jason Puncheon against Manchester United, but they eventually lost out in extra time.It's the team's league form that has triggered this decision, though. Palace did enjoy some wonderful runs under Pardew, but they were offset by desperate spells of form.Indeed, after a bright beginning to last season, the Eagles went on a 14-game winless run that almost saw them dragged into a relegation battle; they eventually finished in 15th.The current campaign has been something of a similar story, with a six-game losing streak between October and November, including disastrous defensive displays in a 4-2 loss to Liverpool and a 3-2 defeat to Burnley, plunging the side into a relegation scrap.But the firmest indicator of the team's mental fragility came in the 5-4 loss to Swansea City on November 26. After falling 3-1 behind, the Eagles led 4-3 heading into stoppage time, but Pardew had to watch on as Fernando Llorente fired in a brace at the death.As noted by Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday, during his time as Palace boss, Pardew didn't always take losses gracefully, either:While Palace evidently have big ambitions as a club and a clutch of talented footballers in the squad, finding a replacement for their departed boss will be tough mid-season.With players like Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, the Eagles have the potential to be one of the Premier League's most watchable outfits. The challenge for the new boss will be harnessing the attacking flair of those stars in a manner his predecessor was unable to do.As for Pardew, his stock has fallen substantially as a result of his failings at Palace. While the 2011-12 season, in which he steered Newcastle United to fifth place, was extremely impressive, his record has left much to be desired since.
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