Football
Peter O'Rourke, Transfer correspondent 7y

Crystal Palace to replace Frank de Boer with Roy Hodgson - source

Crystal Palace have confirmed they have parted company with manager Frank de Boer after just four league games, with a source telling ESPN FC that Roy Hodgson is set to take over.

De Boer had received the backing of Palace chairman Steve Parish on Sunday after suffering a fourth consecutive defeat to start the Premier League season but the club confirmed his departure in a statement on Monday.

"Crystal Palace Football Club have this morning parted company with Frank de Boer," the statement read. "We would like to thank Frank for his dedication and hard work during his time at the Club.

"A new manager will be appointed in due course and we wish Frank the very best of luck for the future. There will be no further comment at this time."

The BBC and Sky Sports News both reported that Hodgson had been identified as his successor and a source close to the former England boss subsequently told ESPN FC he is due to sign a two-year deal.

In a message on Instagram, De Boer wrote: "Very disappointed about the decision but never the less I want to thank the players, staff and the fans for their support. Good luck for the future."

Parish had urged everyone at the club to "stick together" despite the team's poor start to the Premier League season and increasing speculation about De Boer's position.

The former Ajax and Inter Milan boss, who signed a three-year contract when he was appointed in June, has overseen four defeats in as many games without scoring a goal since taking over at Selhurst Park in the summer, the worst start in Premier League history.

His departure comes after 77 days in the job, eight days fewer than he lasted in charge of Inter.

Following the defeat at Turf Moor, De Boer said: "I am just focusing on what I can control and so are my staff and my players. [The future] is for other people to decide but while I'm the manager of Crystal Palace I will give 100 percent."

Palace were unfortunate to leave Lancashire with nothing after a series of missed chances, including those falling to Christian Benteke and Scott Dann late on.

De Boer added: "We have to reward ourselves and we didn't do that today. I am disappointed about the result but I am not disappointed about how we played."

Hodgson was also approached when Sam Allardyce was appointed to succeed Alan Pardew last December, and, after a significant break from football, now looks set to return to oversee Saturday's home match with Southampton.

Hodgson last worked in the Premier League with West Brom in 2012, before leaving to become England manager. A year earlier he had inspired them, as he did with Fulham in 2007-08, to secure top-flight survival.

Between his time at Fulham and West Brom, Hodgson also had an unsuccessful spell at Liverpool that lasted only six months.

Born in Croydon, Hodgson spent three years on Palace's books as a young defender in the 1960s before leaving without making an appearance. His return at age 70 would essentially bring his career full circle, in what could prove his last job.

Allardyce, who quit his Selhurst Park post in May, revealed on Monday evening that he had had a conversation with Eagles chairman Steve Parish regarding the vacancy.

"I spoke to Steve late this afternoon and said, for me, I wouldn't be ready to come back," he told Sky Sports' Monday Night Football programme.

"I wouldn't be comfortable at this moment in time taking a position as a football manager. I'm enjoying my life too much at this moment, watching everyone else have the weight of pressure, and there's certainly huge pressure as we've seen with Frank going so early.

"He didn't offer me the job but he asked, 'What are your thoughts?' It was a clever question. I said, 'If you were to offer me the job at this moment in time, I wouldn't want to go back.'"

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.

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