Ahead of busy festive schedule in the Premier League, Crystal Palace have sacked Alan Pardew as club manager.
In a statement today, the club said that they have 'asked' Pardew to step following a dismal 2016 which saw them avoid relegation by five points and struggle domestically.
They reached the final of the FA Cup this summer but were beaten in the final by Manchester United after conceding a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 in extra time.
This season, Palace have lost 10 of their opening 17 league games. October saw a run of six straight defeats before victory over Southampton stalled their decline. Since then, they have drawn once and lost twice.
"I would like to put on record our sincere gratitude for the tremendous service Alan has given us, both in his time here as Manager and previously as a player," said club chairman Steve Parish.
"Following a fantastic second half of 2014/15, the 2015/16 season culminated in only narrowly missing out on winning the FA cup as well as securing our Premier League place for a record breaking fourth time. During his tenure Alan’s hard work and dedication were without question, he has improved so many areas of the Club and we wish him the very best for the future.
"With games now coming thick and fast over the holiday period the club are hoping to put someone in place as quickly as possible but have nothing to say about a replacement at this time."
There are already a number of rumoured targets for the club, who will look to install a permanent manager as soon as possible.
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