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There is probably no good time to be sacked, but the timing of Neil Warnock’s dismissal as manager of Crystal Palace on Saturday seemed at first to be especially cruel, coming on the eve of the club’s match at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, whom Warnock guided to promotion to the Premier League in 2011.
On second thoughts, perhaps it was a mercy. Warnock would not exactly have been returning to Loftus Road in triumph, but as the manager of a struggling side that dropped into the bottom three after the 3-1 home defeat by Southampton on Boxing Day, a dispiriting loss that proved the final straw for the Palace board.
Warnock, who was in fourth months into his second spell at Palace and becomes the first Premier League manager sacked this season, faced jeers and chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” when substituting crowd favourite Yannick Bolasie, even though the winger had made little impact and, Warnock revealed, was tired and preoccupied by the imminent birth of a child.
Crystal Palace - the latest match in picturesShow all 125 1 /125Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 West Brom 2 James Morrison (far right) turns to celebrate after scoring in the second minutes
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 West Brom 2 James Morrison celebrates putting West Brom ahead early
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 West Brom 2 Tony Pulis applauds the crowd on his return to Selhurst Park
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring, tapping home at the back post.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 James McArthur bundles in a Yannick Bolasie cross to double the lead.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Joel Ward curled a shot past Robert Green to make it 3-0 at half-time, two minutes after McArthur.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Matt Phillips celebrates after scoring a brilliant goal, but it was too little, too late.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace and Maya Yoshida of Southampton compete for the ball
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton against Crystal Palace
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle got Southampton off to the perfect start with an early goal.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Yaya Sanogo fires past Fraser Forster to score his first goal for Crystal Palace
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Sanogo celebrates his goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Marouane Chamakh, scorer of two goals, is mobbed by team-mates after putting the Eagles into the lead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a late chance
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Alan Pardew has now won all four matches since taking over as Crystal Palace manager
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Dwight Gayle celebrates scoring the winner for Palace
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Dwight Gayle scores the winner in the 3-2 victory over Burnley
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Jason Puncheon equalises for Crystal Palace with his second goal inside a week
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Dwight Gayle pulls one back for Crystal Palace
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Danny Ings celebrates scoring Burnley's second
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Danny Ings slots the ball into the back of the net to double Burnley's lead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 Crystal Palace 3 Ben Mee heads Burnley into the lead as he converts Kieran Trippier's corner
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Dover 0 Crystal Palace 4 Alan Pardew of Crystal Palace acknowledges the fans
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Dover 0 Crystal Palace 4 Dwight Gayle of Palace scores to make it 3-0
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Dover 0 Crystal Palace 4 Alan Pardew before the game
Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 0 Crystal Palace 0 Alan Pardew watches Crystal Palace from the stands against Aston Villa
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 0 Crystal Palace 0 Christian Benteke of Aston Villa and Adrian Mariappa of Crystal Palace battle for the ball during the goalless draw
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Crystal Palace 0 Palace's caretaker manager Keith Millen reacts on the touchline
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Crystal Palace 0 Palace's Fraizer Campbell goes flying in the box under a challenge from Queen’s Park Rangers’ Joey Barton late in the game
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 West Brom players bundle the ball over the line for a late consolation with Brown Ideye appearing to get the last touch
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 David Silva celebrates scoring Manchester City's third goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 David Silva runs through the snow at the Hawthorns
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 Yaya Toure converts a first-half penalty to double City's lead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 Joleon Lescott brings down David Silva to give away a first-half penalty
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 Ben Foster looks dejected as the snow falls following his error that allowed Fernando to score
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Manchester City 3 Yaya Toure celebrates with Fernando after the latter puts City ahead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Yannick Bolasie tries to dribble past Maya Yoshida
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Sadio Mane scores the opener at Selhurst Park
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Mane celebrates with his team-mates
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Ryan Bertrand scored a brilliant goal to make it 2-0
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Toby Aldereiweld headed home the Saints' third
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Palace scored a late consolation but Neil Warnock was booed by the home fans
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester 3 Crystal Palace 0 Yaya Toure fires home the third to put the result beyond doubt
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester 3 Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City players celebrate after David Silva scores
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester 3 Crystal Palace 0 James McArthur had a headed goal ruled out incorrectly for offside with the score at 2-0
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester 3 Crystal Palace 0 Dacid Silva strokes home his and City's second goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester 3 Crystal Palace 0 Brede Hangeland and Martin Kelly are unable to prevent David Silva's deflected shot going in to break the deadlock
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 1 Marin Kelly battles with Erik Pieters
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 1 James McArthur celebrates after his looping header put Palace into the lead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 1 Peter Crouch celebrates scoring the equaliser
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 1 Steven N'Zonzi holds off Jason Puncheon
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 1 Ryan Shawcross wins a header at Selhurst Park
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Stoke City 1 Yannick Bolasie attacks Stoke late in the game
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 0 Christian Eriksen cracks off an effort at goal despite the attentions of the Palace defence
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 0 Nabil Bentaleb competes with Martin Kelly for a high ball
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 0 Players from both teams line-up before kick-off to remember the Christmas tribute from the First World War 100 years ago
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Aston Villa 1 Christian Benteke wheels away in celebration
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Swansea 1 Crystal Palace 1 Wilfried Bony fires past Brede Hangeland to put the Swans in front
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Swansea 1 Crystal Palace 1 Modou Barrow evades the challenges of Brede Hangeland and Joe Ledley
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Swansea 1 Crystal Palace 1 Jason Puncheon tussles with Neil Taylor
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Swansea 1 Crystal Palace 1 Jonjo Shelvey brings down Maroune Chamakh to give away a penalty
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Swansea 1 Crystal Palace 1 Mile Jedinak is congratulated by team mates after levelling from the penalty spot
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Swansea 1 Crystal Palace 1 Julian Speroni wrestles with Ryan Bertrand
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 Liverpool 1 Mile Jedinak curls in Palace's third with a spectacular effort
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 Liverpool 1 Dwight Gayle (left) celebrates making it 1-1 with Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Michael Carrick started a game for the first time this season, in centre-midfield
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Robin van Persie again went scoreless - he has just three goals in 10 matches
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Angel Di Maria is crowded out by Yannick Bolasie and Adrian Mariappa
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Marouane Fellaini tries to win a header from a corner
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Substitute Juan Mata fires in a 25-yard strike, that took a deflection, to score the only goal of the game
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Mata and United players celebrate the goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3 Steven Fletcher opened the scoring at Selhurst Park
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3 Wes Brown then scored an own goal to bring things level
Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3 Jordi Gomez put Sunderland back in front before Fletcher struck again to score Sunderland's third
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Crystal Palace 2 West Brom mascot Baggie Bird ahead of kick-off at The Hawthorns
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Crystal Palace 2 Sebastien Pocognoli tries to get past Palace defender Martin Kelly
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Crystal Palace 2 Brede Hangeland is mobbed by Palace team-mates after giving the Eagles the lead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Crystal Palace 2 Palace captain Mile Jedinak makes it 2-0, sending Ben Foster the wrong way from the penalty spot
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Crystal Palace 2 Victor Anichebe leaps to head West Brom back into the game early in the second-half
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 1 Crystal Palace 2
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Crystal Palace 2 Saido Berahino scores a late penalty to earn the Baggies a point at The Hawthorns
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 2 Cesc Fabregas puts Chelsea two up
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 2 Damien Delaney is shown a red card
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 2 Cesar Azpilicueta is sent off the Blues
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 2 Oscar curls in a free-kick to open the scoring
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Hull City 2 Crystal Palace 0 Curtis Davies celebrates as Nikica Jelavic's late strike gives Hull the three points.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Hull City 2 Crystal Palace 0 The deadline is finally broken by Mo Diame in the 60th minute. The new Hull City signing is making quite an impression in East Yorkshire.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Hull City 2 Crystal Palace 0 Dr Assem Allam was watching from the stands as Hull City took the lead through Mo Diame.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Hull City 2 Crystal Palace 0 After a scrappy first half, both sides were struggling to take their chances.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Hull City 2 Crystal Palace 0 With a tough fixture list ahead, Steve Bruce's men needed a win against Crystal Palace.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Leicester 0 Crystal Palace cheerleaders The Crystals raise spirits at Selhurst Park
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Leicester 0 Neil Warnock celebrated a second successive win after last week's impressive victory at Goodison Park
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Leicester 0 Mile Jedinak then rose highest from a corner to secure a second successive win for Neil Warnock's men
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Leicester 0 Leonardo Ulloa clashes with Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Leicester 0 Fraizer Campbell followed up a goal at Everton last week to give Palace the lead against Leicester City
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 3 Emmanuel Riviere of Newcastle scores one of his two goals against Crystal Palace as the Magpies advanced in this Capital One Cup tie after extra-time
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 2 Newcastle 3 Paul Dummett celebrates scoring the winner at Selhurst Park in extra-time
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Palace's win was their first under Neil Warnock in his second spell
Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Yannick Bolasie celebrates after scoring Crystal Palace's third
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Campbell was on target for Palace's second
Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Lukaku wheels away after putting Everton in front
Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Burnley 0 Jason Shackell, in one of few moments of note, clears off the line after Wilfried Zaha's effort.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Burnley 0 George Boyd, who joined from Hull City on deadline day, was making his first start in a Burnley shirt.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 0 Burnley 0 Neil Warnock was given a loud welcome back to Selhurst Park ahead of the visit of Burnley.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 3 Crystal Palace 3 Neil Warnock celebrates after Wilfried Zaha's late goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 3 Crystal Palace 3 Wilfried Zaha celebrates his late equaliser
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 3 Crystal Palace 3 Mike Williamson celebrates his goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 3 Crystal Palace 3 Rolando Aarons celebrates his goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 3 Crystal Palace 3 Massadio Haidara and Jason Puncheon battle for the ball
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 3 Crystal Palace 3 Dwight Gayle scores the opening goal
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United Sam Allardyce will have enjoyed this victory as supporters continue to call for his head.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United Carlton Cole reestablishes West Ham's two goal advantage after 62 minutes - much to the dismay of the home supporters.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United Marouane Chamakh gives Crystal Palace an inkling of hope after scoring in the 48th minute.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United Mauro Zarate celebrates his opening goal with his West Ham teammates after putting the Hammers ahead in the 34th minute.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United Keith Millen was once again in temporary charge after Malky Mackay's appointment was cancelled over his texting scandal.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United The Selhurst Park faithful were as intimidating as ever as London rivals West Ham United came to town on the second weekend on the season.
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 Arsenal celebrate Aaron Ramsey's late winning goal to make it 2-1
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 Aaron Ramsey knocks in the winning goal to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 Santi Cazorla turns away after getting a face full of the vanishing spray
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 1 Referee Jon Moss covers himself and Santi Cazorla in the vanishing spray
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal Crystal Palace Laurent Koscielny celebrates scoring an equaliser for Arsenal to make it 1-1
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal Crystal Palace Laurent Koscielny scores a header from a Santi Cazorla free-kick to level the scores
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal Crystal Palace Yaya Sanogo was preferred once again to start over Olivier Giroud
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal Crystal Palace Crystal Palace celebrate Brede Hangeland's goal on his debut to put the Eagles into the lead
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Crystal Palace - the latest match in pictures Arsenal Crystal Palace Arsene Wenger was in good spirits ahead of the game following the Community Shield victory the week before
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But it was yet another toothless, deeply unimpressive performance at Selhurst Park, which has been nothing like the intimidating venue under Warnock that it became last season as Tony Pulis transformed the team from relegation probables to a lower mid-table outfit.
Palace have won only two home games since Warnock took over in August, against bottom-of-the-table Leicester City in September and Liverpool last month, an unlikely 3-1 triumph whose promise was never followed up and which remains their only victory in their past 12 matches. Pulis won seven home games, including a 1-0 defeat of Chelsea, but walked out two days before the start of the season after differences over player recruitment and budget.
The manager criticised his team’s defensive errors against Southampton, but they are also punchless in attack and Warnock had put his faith in the success of January bids for as many as three different strikers, the squad’s direst need. Midfield player Mile Jedinak is the top scorer with five goals, three of them penalties. However, Pulis had achieved safety with more or less the same forwards, and Warnock will not have endeared himself to many by saying that Palace “had a lot of luck last year. I don’t see us getting a lot of luck this year, so we are due a little bit”.
Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish
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Steve Parish, the co-chairman, announced that club stalwart Keith Millen would take up his caretaker role for a third time, and said of Warnock: “It just didn’t gel. It didn’t work. Keith is probably in charge for the next two games. We need a win. QPR is no bigger than any other but we need three points.
“Neil is a lovely bloke. He did everything he could. It’s an unfortunate decision. I thought about it overnight and decided we needed a change. Hopefully we’ll get a reaction from everybody.” The reaction, from supporters on Twitter, was largely positive, many noting that Warnock has never finished a season by keeping a club in the Premier League.
Pulis is unlikely to be persuaded to return, leaving Tim Sherwood, who impressed as manager of Tottenham Hotspur in the second half of last season, among the more realistic favourites to take over. His willingness to promote young players rather than buy would play well in the Palace boardroom. Dougie Freedman, manager between January 2011 and October 2012, dismissed by Bolton Wanderers in October, and Tony Popovic, once Freedman’s assistant and an ex-Palace player who has twice been coach of the season in Australia, are also possibles.
What now for Warnock, 66? He has managed 13 different professional clubs, and showed no lack of appetite for the fray on Friday evening. He was looking forward to today’s return to QPR and expecting a rousing welcome from the homesupporters.
Asked, with eerie prescience, whether Palace would be his last job if he was sacked, he replied: “I’ve said it about 15 times, I don’t think I can answer that, you’ve got to ask other people.”
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