Former midfield hardman Patrick Vieira was brutally sacked before his return to Arsenal because the Crystal Palace board believed he was too soft.
And the Frenchman follows fellow Premier League legends Scott Parker, Stevie Gerrard and Frank Lampard as the ninth top-flight manager dismissed this season - more than in Serie A.
The World Cup winner was fired on a 7am call yesterday morning with chairman Steve Parish after a run of 12 matches without a victory this year. The Arsenal Invincible has become the boss of the Unwinnables. But to replace him before facing the Premier League leaders in the last game before the international break with Under 21 manager Paddy McCarthy showed how the Palace board had lost faith in Vieira.
