Alan Pardew was sacked as manager of Crystal Palace on Thursday following a dismal run of form.

The Eagles have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games and are one just point above the relegation zone as we enter the busy festive period.

But it isn’t just the recent sequence of results that has cost Pardew his job – the south London outfit have taken just 26 points from the 36 top flight games they have faced in 2016.

That came after the former Newcastle boss made a brilliant start with Palace, leading them from the relegation places to a 10th-placed finish in the 2014/15 season – their best placing in the Premier League era.

Former England boss Sam Allardyce has emerged as the favourite succeed Pardew in the Palace dugout and its hard to dispute the logic; the 62-year-old is an expert in staving off relegation from the top flight.

But not every Palace fan is sold on the idea, to say the least, and neither are we at Football FanCast. Whilst Allardyce is very good at what he does, he certainly isn't going to revolutionise the south London club.

With that in mind, we've taken a look at four alternatives to Big Sam.

Chris Coleman

Following his success as manager of the Wales national team, Coleman, who previously spent four years as a Palace player, is one of the leading contenders to take over from Pardew.

The 46-year-old unexpectedly led Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 during the summer and after that achievement, he may want to test his ability in the Premier League again while his stock is still high, having managed Fulham in the top flight from 2003-2007.

Gary Rowett

The 42-year-old is considered to be one of the best young British managers in the game and many are still shocked he was sacked by Birmingham City earlier this month, with the club lying in seventh in the Championship standings.

Considering the Blues' budget compared to a number of other sides in England’s second tier, Rowett did a brilliant job and deserves a crack in the Premier League. But whether Steve Parish will take a chance on a boss who hasn’t managed in the top flight remains to be seen.

Chris Hughton

The Brighton manager appears to go under the radar season after season, but he is once again doing a magnificent job on the south coast this term.

The Seagulls are currently second in the Championship – eight points ahead of third-placed Reading – and they look on course for a minimum top six finish.

However, as Brighton are one of Palace’s biggest rivals, it remains to be seen whether the Eagles would make such a controversial appointment while they are struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table.

Roy Hodgson

Yes, you read right. While Hodgson might not be the most popular manager following England’s dismal Euro 2016 campaign, he would be a relatively safe appointment for Steve Parish and Crystal Palace.

The 69-year-old was born in Croydon and spent his youth career with the Eagles. Following his success managing similarly-sized clubs Fulham and West Brom in the Premier League, he could be given a chance to make an impact at Selhurst Park.