- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic is being linked to a fairytale return to Crystal Palace after the English Premier League club parted with their coach.
Popovic, a former Palace assistant coach and player, is being touted among candidates to replace Tony Pulis, who is believed to have split with the EPL club some 48 hours before the season kickoff.
Popovic and the Wanderers weren’t immediately available for comment on Friday, but the A-League club won’t stand in the way of any move.
He was an assistant coach at Palace in 2011 and spent five seasons playing for the south Londoners.
Popovic was named by some British media reports as a possible contender in a field including former Celtic boss Neil Lennon, ex-Manchester United manager David Moyes and ex-Cardiff chief Malky Mackay.
The job opened up after talks between Pulis and Palace co-chairman Steve Parish reportedly broke down with Pulis frustrated at not being able to sign the players he wanted.
Pulis led Palace to an impressive 11th place finish in the Premier League last season after inheriting a squad languishing in the relegation zone in November.
The Welshman completely transformed Palace’s fortunes and was named the League Managers Association’s Premier League manager of the year in May.
Before reports of the meeting involving Pulis and Parish emerged, Palace clinched their fourth signing since the end of last season with the STG1.5 million ($A2.7 million) capture of Liverpool defender Martin Kelly.
Pulis had previously signed Chris Kettings, Fraizer Campbell and Brede Hangeland, but is said to be disappointed Parish couldn’t push through deals for Steven Caulker, Michu and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Instead, Caulker signed for QPR, Michu joined Napoli and Sigurdsson returned to Swansea from Tottenham.
Pulis is believed to have wanted total control of Palace’s recruitment policy, but Parish was reluctant to let the manager be in sole charge of player movement as he wanted to avoid putting the club’s future at risk by over-spending.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.