Well they’re keeping everybody guessing- that’s for sure!

Optimistic Palace head on - we’ve been planning for this for a long time - knowing that Roy won’t go on for ever and any new manager will want some cash to invest in squad improvements - maybe we’ve gambled that Roy could squeeze survival out of the boys and any significant investment could be held back for the new era (when we go again on a new 5 year plan). Might be a bit too optimistic there?

Like others have posted I also have a feeling the launch of the Amazon documentary will be tied in with an announcement.
Some really good options out there for us for varying reasons and many reasons to be optimistic for the next stage.
Nuno, Dyche or Ismail for me would represent a sign of intent - imo.

Cooper fills me with dread quite frankly and he would be completely out of his depth in my opinion - maybe I just don’t like to see us following Brighton’s lead in going to Swansea for a so called “up and conning manager”. Okay Potter has gone on from Swansea to put his stamp on Brighton and (HATE to say it) has them playing great stuff - it’s a totally different scenario to that at Palace. He had much more experience abroad and time to tweak the squad and develop a culture in the Championship.
We need a strong manager who can hit the ground running straight away and handle the pressure (and the big ego’s) involved in mens football at the top level. I just don’t see Cooper as that guy.

If he wasn’t out of his depth at Swansea, why would he be out of his depth at Palace? Prior to joining Swansea he was linked with Crewe in League one. Swansea gave him his shot and by all accounts he did very well. We’re talking about a manager who lost £60m worth of players and achieved Swansea’s highest ever points tally in the Championship. He bettered Potter on both times of asking who benefitted from a squad fresh from the Premier League.

The vitriol thrown at Cooper is silly imo. My fear with him is that it’s too early for him. But we could do a hell of a lot worse and he certainly fits the profile of a project more than Nuno does.

We're the Arthur over ere!

there's something happening, William Hill have stopped betting, and so have the exchanges, you can only get best priced 14/5 on any selection on the exchanges, apart from Dyche who is still trading at 3-1. No exchange odds at all for Ismael.

Definitely !

I've been told that SP and DF have put all the names in a hat and will be picking the winner out at midday. If it's Ismael, Dougie has agreed for it to go on to be the best of three.

White Smoke expected over Soho Square shortly afterwards.

Old, Ungifted and White

I imagine his agent is doing most of the talking, but if we as a club are saying the right things I could see us getting only so far during this short amount of time. NES is bound to make time for these interviews as it puts him squarely in the shop window and further teams (Everton / whoever) will act now, rather than allow us to secure his signature, if they want to.

If no one makes any offers and we make an acceptable offer then we could get our man. I don't see that happening. However, I can't imagine a Manager taking too long to decide their own future when the pre-season is around the corner.

So I manage a Workshop which provides a safe learning environment for blokes struggling with PTSD and other mental health issues. Being a Palace fan isn't listed yet.

Like one or two others, I'm struggling with the number of posters who are so anti-Cooper. I would have thought that the experience of seeing Benteke, Sakho, Cabeye, Meyer, and probably Allardyce arrive as 'big names' only to see them give far less of themselves to Palace than the relative journeymen they were brought in to replace would have rung a few alarm bells by now.

We are, without question, a step back for Nuno after Wolves so why would he want to come? Some have suggested it's to live in London, or to stay in the Premier League, or because his wife might be tempted to move to London but not to the Midlands. If any of these are a factor then they shouldn't be. These are all bollocks reasons to employ a man to such a key position. If Cooper or Ishmael got the job then their motivation would be clear - to prove themselves in the top flight, knowing that if they fail they will not be offered another chance. That will drive them on, motivate them to find solutions when times get tough, force them to look at themselves when things go wrong because they will have no other way. Where a big name who has already proved himself in the top flight can hint that he isn't the problem and still maintain credibility, a man getting his first chance can't do that. That's what we need.

The glamour of a big name will wear off quickly, as will their interest in us, or at least their hunger for the fight once the reality of working for Palace kicks in. We have done well out of promoting hungry, up and coming players and I don't see why the same should not be true of managers. Both Cooper and Ishmael have done a decent apprenticeship and both have positive attributes we can use.