Crystal Palace are punching above their weight, thanks to under-rated boss Vieira

April 16, 2022 5:12 PMCrystal Palace wanted Nuno Espirito Santo. Then they hoped to end up with Lucien Favre. They ended up with Patrick Vieira, at best their third-choice manager. Minus Roy Hodgson, whose pragmatic gameplan at least guaranteed safety, and nine experienced players, as they released much of the oldest squad in the Premier League, the conclusion seemed obvious: Palace looked primed for relegation.