Some big Premier League news dropping out of the blue: Sam Allardyce has quit as manager of Crystal Palace.
The Daily Mail's Matt Lawton has the scoop, and claim that Allardyce has left after chairman Steve Parish failed to offer assurances that funds were available to make the signings Allardyce wishes to make. The paper report that the club are trying to persuade Allardyce to stay, but that he is not for turning, and has apparently cleared his desk at the club's training ground.
Allardyce took over Palace back in December, taking charge of his first game on St Stephens' Day away to Watford. After an indifferent start - which included a flabbergasting 4-0 defeat to Sunderland - he slowly turned things around, with wins over Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal critical in keeping them from the drop. Palace ended up finishing 14th.
Most crucial to Palace's surviving was Allardyce's work in the transfer market: the loan signing of Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool was a masterstroke.
Tony Pulis did this to Palace in 2o14 as well: he walked out on the club over a dispute over transfer funds.
More to follow
