Pulis agreed transfer budget, insists Crystal Palace co-chairman

Steve Parish insists Tony Pulis and Crystal Palace had agreed on a ‘good transfer budget’ before the Welshman resigned as manager.

Pulis performed superbly upon succeeding Ian Holloway as Eagles boss last season, at a time when the Londoners were widely tipped for an instant return to the Championship. But not only did he keep them in the Premier League, but he did so comfortably, leading the team to an eleventh place finish and some 12 points clear of the drop zone.

He had spent just short of £2million this summer on strengthening his squad, with Martin Kelly arriving from Liverpool for £1.5million, Fraizer Campbell joining from Cardiff City for £900,000, whilst Brede Hangeland linked up from Fulham on a free transfer. However, Pulis is thought to have been bitterly disappointed at the club’s failure to sign his targets such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Steven Caulker and Michu, all of whom he was eager to land.

Reports emerged late last week that Pulis was in showdown talks with his employers, and it was confirmed on Thursday evening that the former Stoke City boss had indeed quit his post. This has understandably upset many of the Selhurst Park faithful, but speaking after the opening day 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, Parish insists the club had agreed a good transfer budget with the 56-year-old, whose departure came as a surprise to the co-chairman.

“I can’t explain it, I’d love to be able to tell you everything that went wrong,” he told Match of the Day. “There was a good transfer budget agreed, there was a lack of targets that I think the manager felt was good enough in the window and it came to a point where he felt he didn’t want to carry on. I can’t have people at the football club who aren’t 100 per cent committed to what we’re trying to do, so reluctantly I agreed to let him out of his contract.

“I can’t be let down for what he achieved for us. He doesn’t owe us but we don’t owe him either. He did a fantastic job for us but we are what we are. I got this club from administration to where we are now by taking decisions to create a positive environment. If people don’t feel they can work in that environment then it’s fine for them to move on.”

Keith Millen was in the dugout for the defeat at the Emirates Stadium, and he has made it clear he would like the job on a permanent basis. However, former Cardiff boss Malky Mackay is the early frontrunner, whilst Tim Sherwood, who left Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season, is another reported candidate, as is ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

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