Crystal Palace's ruthless sacking of Patrick Vieira has left the Eagles searching for a new boss to take charge of their final 11 games of the season.
Vieira has been fired having failed to win a Premier League game in 2023, with Palace's last top-flight victory coming on New Year's Eve. The final straw was a defeat to rivals Brighton on Wednesday, with the Eagles now looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone.
The club's hierarchy will need to move quickly if they are to move away from relegation trouble. Here, Mirror Football looks at seven candidates who could take over from Vieira at Selhurst Park.
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Ralph Hasenhuttl's tenure at Southampton may have ended sourly with his sacking in November, but he had enjoyed a successful four-year reign at St Mary's Stadium up to that point.
He guided the Saints to safety in his first three seasons in charge, before things fell apart somewhat in his final campaign. After briefly topping the Premier League table in November 2020, things soon took a downturn.
Potentially concerning to Palace's hierarchy will be the fact he was in charge for two 9-0 defeats, the first to Leicester and the second to Manchester United, though he is currently without a job so would likely be easy to bring in.
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Roy Hodgson
At this early stage, Roy Hodgson is the overwhelming favourite to take over from Vieira, the man who actually replaced him. Hodgson spent the second half of last season trying to save Watford, but ultimately failed and left with the fans having turned against him.
The Englishman is a veteran of relegation battles and enjoyed a solid if unspectacular reign at Palace in his first spell. He retired after Watford went down, but it now appears that Palace could bring him back to Selhurst Park.
Jesse Marsch
Another man sacked by a Premier League this season who could be a contender is Jesse Marsch. The American saved Leeds from relegation last season, but endured a difficult campaign this year.
He was sacked in February after a disappointing run of results, though did enjoy statement wins over Chelsea and Liverpool earlier this season. Marsch was heavily linked with the Southampton job when Nathan Jones was sacked and remains without a job.
Rafa Benitez
Rafa Benitez built his reputation fighting at the top end of the table with Liverpool, but is experienced in relegation fights from his time at Newcastle and Everton. The Spaniard remains beloved at the Reds and the Magpies, though is not so fondly greeted by the Toffees.
Benitez has been without a job since being sacked by Everton in January 2022. He does have something to prove after the manner of his exit from Goodison Park and would likely jump at the chance to return to the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was heavily linked with the Palace job just before Vieira took over. Instead he joined Tottenham, who sacked him in November 2021 to bring in Antonio Conte.
Nuno had guided Wolves to two successive top seven finishes and the Europa League quarter-finals during his time in the Midlands. He is currently in charge of Al-Ittihad, who are top of the Saudi Pro League, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr.
Frank Lampard
A Chelsea legend as a player, Frank Lampard has had a mixed time since swapping his football boots for the dugout. After guiding Derby to the Championship play-off final in 2019, he guided Chelsea to the FA Cup final a year later.
He earned praise at the Blues for successfully bringing through academy players, but was sacked following a downturn in results. He masterminded Everton's great escape last season, but Palace fans may not be happy to see someone who was in charge of the strugglers early this term.
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard's managerial career began brightly, guiding Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 as invincibles. His success at Ibrox earned him a move to Aston Villa.
But he failed to impress at Villa Park, struggling through his first season in charge. With things not improving in his second campaign, Gerrard was sacked in October, though Palace fans may be willing to give him a chance given his success in Scotland.
