Few top-flight managers have had a fall quite as dramatic as that suffered by Sam Allardyce over the last six months.
The former England manager lasted just one game as an international boss, and his return to club football with Crystal Palace has not gone as planned.
Since replacing Alan Pardew just before Christmas, ‘Big Sam’ has tasted victory just twice, in an FA Cup replay against Bolton Wanderers and a Premier League trip to a Bournemouth side with just two points from five league games in 2017.
The visit of Allardyce’s former team Sunderland to Selhurst Park was a chance to build on that win at the Vitality Stadium, but things went very, very wrong. And very quickly.
9: Goal Sunderland. Lamine Kone stabs home after a scramble in the area. [0-1] #CRYSUN
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 4, 2017
42: Goal Sunderland. N'Dong latches onto a loose ball and fires in from 25 yards. [0-2] #CRYSUN
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 4, 2017
45: Goal Sunderland. Defoe on the break. [0-3] #CRYSUN
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 4, 2017
45: It's 4-0. Defoe. Four-Nil. #CRYSUN
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 4, 2017
Before the game, Sunderland had just four points and six goals to their name in 11 away games, so it’s safe to say few expected a result of this magnitude.
Former Palace winger Yannick Bolasie certainly didn’t see it coming, as this tweet shows.
What's going on @CPFC flip me
— Yannick Bolasie (@YannickBolasie) February 4, 2017
The result leaves the Eagles firmly in the relegation mix, with only goal difference keeping them off the bottom of the table.
Allardyce arguably has a bit of a target on his head among rival fans, and that was evident in the comments about the former West Ham and Bolton manager on social media.
https://twitter.com/janhopis/status/827906111525240837
https://twitter.com/kevinmccauley/status/827906621187702784
Looking forward to Sam Allardyce blaming the referee, the 4th official, the crowd, the pitch, the players, the warm up, the floodlights, the
— David Hartrick (@DavidHartrick) February 4, 2017
Big Sam at half-time. pic.twitter.com/m0KhBZ6G6K
— Game of Throw-ins (@GameofThrowIns) February 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/BigJimmy_V/status/827928510450765824
https://twitter.com/AllenGC90/status/827907061002489858
Allardyce came out and apologised to Palace fans after the game, but it will be a long few months ahead.
He has a big task to help turn things around, but may be helped when a couple of new signings come into the fold.
Mamadou Sakho isn’t quite match-fit after completing a loan move from Liverpool, while £11m midfielder Luka Milivojević missed the defeat to Sunderland due to visa delays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9l5zVXE3w
