Frank de Boer: Crystal Palace sack manager after five games in charge

Frank de Boer has been sacked as Crystal Palace manager after five games and 77 days in charge.

The Eagles are 19th in the Premier League after losing 1-0 at Burnley on Sunday - and failed to score in their four league matches under De Boer.

His is the shortest Premier League managerial tenure in terms of games, and the 47-year-old's past two jobs have lasted a combined 162 days.

Announcing the Dutchman's departure on the club website, Palace said: "We would like to thank Frank for his dedication and hard work."

De Boer wrote on social media: "Very disappointed about the decision but nevertheless I want to thank the players, staff and the fans for their support. Good luck for the future."

• Phil McNulty: Muddled thinking - but the right call?
• Analysis: 'Underhand De Boer sacking stinks' - Chris Sutton
• Listen: Hodgson a good fit for Palace - Hangeland
• In Short: 'Palace need to stick with what they're good at'

The former Ajax boss only took over this summer, succeeding Sam Allardyce, who left after helping Palace avoid relegation last season.

De Boer was sacked by Inter Milan in November 2016 after 85 days.

Prior to that he had won the Eredivisie four years in a row, between 2011 and 2015.

His only win as Palace manager came in the EFL Cup against Ipswich Town.

Recalling his departure from Chelsea, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho told a news conference: "I was sacked as a champion. That's the world where we are, a world where many of you enjoy and also contribute the kind of pressure management involves."

Antonio Conte, the current Blues boss, said of De Boer: "I am sorry for him. You ask for a bit of time for your work."

In a BBC Sport poll, 83& of voters thought it was wrong of Crystal Palace to sack De Boer.

'It's a terrible start'

Should Hodgson take the job on a permanent basis, he will be the club's seventh permanent manager in six years.

Palace chairman Steve Parish was at Turf Moor on Sunday, and said afterwards: "It's a terrible start but we have to stick together.

"People are frustrated, I'm frustrated, so are the management and players. We know we are better than this.

"I'm defending everyone at the club who is working their backside off to turn this around. Football teams lose games. It happens.

"Who has the better squad, us or Burnley? We had a much weaker squad when we finished 11th. The buck stops with me; I've never run away from that."

Speaking earlier this month, Parish had said De Boer's start had "not been great" and football was a "results-based business".

De Boer made two major signings at Palace, paying £26m for Liverpool centre-half Mamadou Sakho and signing Ajax defender Jairo Riedewald for £7.9m.

He also recruited full-back Timothy Fosu-Mensah and midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan from Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.

Former Eagles player and manager Dougie Freedman was appointed the club's sporting director in August.

John Salako, former Palace midfielder and first team coach, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live:

"The pressure on being in the top flight is incredible, because someone's got to lose, someone's got to be down at the bottom. It's not necessarily anything they're doing wrong, they're not necessarily bad managers or bad coaches or just getting it hopelessly wrong, it's just someone's got to be at the top, someone's got to be at the bottom and all the time you've got this relegation situation, the pressure's going to be there and the owners and the fans are just so expectant.

"I think you're going to see less time for managers, 18 months, two years, three years maximum for managers because eventually they will lose a few games and then they'll just get sacked, so beware, it's a horrible job for anyone who wants one."

Hodgson 'can't wait to get started'

Hodgson has not managed in the Premier League since leaving West Brom to become England manager in 2012. It is said he 'can't wait to get started'.

This will be his first job since quitting as manager of the national side after Euro 2016, when England were knocked out by Iceland.

The 70-year-old started his playing career at Palace and has previously managed Blackburn, Fulham and Liverpool in the Premier League.

What lies ahead for Palace?

This is Palace's fifth successive season in the top flight. They finished 11th in 2013-14, 10th in 2014-15, 15th in 2015-16 and 14th last season.

Palace host Southampton on Saturday before Huddersfield visit for an EFL Cup third-round tie on Tuesday, 19 September.

The Eagles will then face the current top three in the Premier League.

They visit Manchester City on 23 September and Manchester United on 30 September before hosting Chelsea on 14 October.

Palace are the first top-flight team since Preston in 1924-25 to lose their opening four league matches without scoring a goal.

Analysis - 'It all seems very underhand'

By Chris Sutton, Match of the Day pundit:

It is no shock that Frank de Boer has been sacked by Crystal Palace after all the speculation over his future - but it stinks the way the things have unfolded.

If Palace's game against Burnley really was a chance for De Boer to prove himself, then he did that. So it is utterly ridiculous to ditch him now.

Yes, Palace lost, and are still without a point and a goal in the Premier League this season, but to sack him after the way they played showed he had no chance of keeping his job anyway.

It all seems very underhand. If Roy Hodgson is unveiled as the new Palace manager in the next day or two, then are you telling me he wasn't spoken to before the Burnley game?

It has been all over the papers that Roy had been approached, so why put De Boer through a situation where he could supposedly save his job when that was never going to happen? I just don't understand that.

Read more of Chris Sutton's analysis.