Managerial Carousel

Crystal Palace were left at the altar for a second time as former Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre backed out of a deal at the last moment, reportedly due to concern over transfer budgets. Earlier favorite Nuno Espirito Santo had reportedly backed out of a deal with the Eagles over differences on staff requirements. Santo is now a candidate for the vacant job at Tottenham Hotspur. Crystal Palace is back to the starting line in their search. Steve Cooper, manager of Championship side Swansea, has supposedly resurfaced as a possibility but Crystal Palace were previously reported to be leery of a buyout payment which would be due to Swansea. A delayed managerial appointment puts Crystal Palace in a particularly precarious position with 11 players out of contract, long time star Wilfried Zaha wanting out, young hope Eberechi Eze sidelined with serious injury, and a daunting opening schedule in the Premier League with five of their first seven league matches against teams finishing in the top seven last season. Everton is the third Premier League team without a manager. Rafa Benitez is reported to be the frontrunner for the Toffee job, a move not completely welcomed by Everton fans due to the manager’s previous stint with rival Liverpool and his pragmatic approach to play.