West Brom 2 Crystal Palace 2: Neil Warnock buys into talk of US takeover

Crystal Palace let slip a two goal lead against the Baggies

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock (GETTY IMAGES)

Neil Warnock has spent most of his top-flight managerial career embroiled in relegation dogfights but at Crystal Palace he could soon have the opportunity to spend and expand rather than merely survive in the Premier League.

A takeover of Crystal Palace by billionaire American investor Joshua Harris, who owns NBA franchise the Philadelphia 76ers and National Hockey League side the New Jersey Devils, is believed to be progressing.

After watching his Palace team denied victory by an injury-time penalty scored by the West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino, after Mile Jedinak’s foul on Victor Anichebe, Warnock pondered the prospect of joining the big spenders. He is no stranger to foreign takeovers, having experienced them at Leeds and Queen’s Park Rangers.

Warnock said: “Every club would love a billionaire. There are not too many about. It must be lovely but it brings a different kind of pressure. I don’t know what a billionaire could do for Palace.”

After his side took a two-goal lead through Brede Hangeland and a Jedinak penalty, the Palace manager complained about an “assault” on his goalkeeper Julian Speroni by Craig Dawson when Anichebe headed in Albion’s first goal. He was also livid referee Mark Clattenburg failed to spot a trip in the penalty area by Dawson on Wilfried Zaha. “I enjoy that old-fashioned stuff where you roll your sleeves,” Warnock said. “The smash on Speroni – I didn’t enjoy that, though.”

Albion manager Alan Irvine’s concerns involve the need to stave off interest from top clubs in Berahino, linked with a £25m move to Liverpool, who took his goal tally to six from his last five games. Irvine said: “He has got a real chance of being a top player. We have to keep him heading in the right direction.”