Crystal Palace axe Neil Warnock following woeful winter run

Neil Warnock’s Second Coming at Crystal Palace has lasted exactly four months, as he was sacked as manager from the south London side after losing 3-1 at home to Southampton on Boxing Day.

That result, combined with Hull City’s late winner at Sunderland, has seen the Eagles slip into the bottom three, and they are now 6/4 with Coral to be relegated.

Palace have won just one of their last 12 Premier League games, and goals have dried up in recent outings with just two scored in the previous five this December.

Warnock, 66, achieved just three victories in 16 matches during his second stint at Selhurst Park, which equates to a poor ratio of 17.65 per cent. He returned to the club following the shock departure of Tony Pulis on the eve of the season.

This is the second time in just less than three years that Warnock has lost a Premier League job during the congested festive fixture programme. He was sacked from the hotseat at QPR in January 2012, with the Hoops propping up the table.

Assistant boss Keith Millen will take caretaker charge of Palace for their next outing, ironically a London derby at Loftus Road.

Former Tottenham head coach Tim Sherwood and ex-Norwich City and Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton are front runners for the vacancy at this very early stage. Warnock’s predecessor Pulis, who has been out-of-work since leaving the Eagles, will inevitably be linked with a return.

Given the respective success of Dutch managers Ronald Koeman and Louis van Gaal in the Premier League at Southampton and Manchester United, compatriot Dick Advocaat, who once coached Rangers, could be interested in this role on a short-term basis.

Punters can also expect former Palace players, like Dougie Freedman and Tony Popovic, to be linked with emotional comebacks to Selhurst. The Eagles remain odds-on at 1/2 to stay up this term, and 13/2 chances to finish bottom.