ZGlmZnVzaW9uLXY2LWZhbm91dC5yYWNpbmdwb3N0LmNvbQ==NDQzdHJ1ZQ==U29jY2VyYmFzZVVzZXI=YVc4N1Z4NDFiNGgybTc4UTRpT1ZvZmhxM0RENHphQVM=

Palace manager market takes a dramatic twist

THE next Crystal Palace manager market was thrown into chaos yesterday when the appointment of Malky Mackay was reported to have fallen through.

Mackay was believed to be on the verge of taking charge at Selhurst Park, only for the deal to stall in a disagreement understood to be over the make-up of the backroom staff.

The former Cardiff boss had been as short as 1-10 with to replace Tony Pulis, while a reported £21,000 was matched on Mackay at 1.01 on Betfair before the news broke.

It thrust Tim Sherwood back to the head of the market after he had drifted to 11-2 with Hills, while Steve Clarke and Martin Jol were also trimmed, with Mackay seemingly out of the reckoning. The Scot was as big as 14-1 with bet365 last night.

Assistant manager Keith Millen, a 9-2 chance, is expected to take charge of the Palace team for their league match at home to West Ham on Saturday, for which the Eagles are narrow 6-4 favourites.

But the managerial uncertainty at Selhurst Park has encouraged a further gamble on Crystal Palace being relegated, with Ladbrokes’ 2-1 the biggest price available yesterday.

Match in Focus

19:45 TODAY

Bradford v Notts Co

Home WinDrawAway Win
Expert verdict
.

Teams

Agonising over Aberdeen?
Yearning for Yeovil? Our database is crammed with every football club you could possibly wish for

Players

A plethora of players ranging from Adebayor to Zamora. All you need to know to find out who is the best bet to score next

Competitions

Whether it's the Johnstone's Paint Trophy or the Champions League, Soccerbase will ensure you don't experience a big cup upset

Referees

Card-happy control freak?
Astute arbiter? Make the right decision on any referee with the help of our specialist pages

Managers

From Allardyce to Zola, our massive manager database, with histories and win ratios, is sure to get your vote of confidence