Malky Mackay Stalls on Crystal Palace Manager Job Over Backroom Staff, Opening Door for Tim Sherwood

Malky Mackay has reportedly delayed making a decision on the Crystal Palace job over concerns about who his backroom staff would be.

Mackay was an early favourite to replace Tony Pulis at Palace after the former Stoke manager and the south London club mutually agreed to end their association 48 hours before the start of the new Premier League season.

But Mackay has stalled on signing with the Eagles while doubts remain about the role of interim manager Keith Millen.

The indecision could leave the door open for former Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood, who had been heavily backed earlier in the week to succeed Pulis.

Betting had been suspended on 42-year-old Mackay taking the reins at Selhurst Park on Tuesday afternoon after Sherwood moved further out in the betting odds.

But Sky Sports have reported that Mackay has turned down the job following discussions with the club's board.

Mackay was controversially sacked at Cardiff City in December 2013 after being told by the club's owner Vincent Tan to either resign or be sacked. He was eventually let go after the Bluebirds slumped to a 3-0 defeat against Southampton.

Pulis took over at Palace in November and was responsible for steering the club from seeming relegation to an 11th place berth, a feat that earned the 56-year-old last season's Barclays Premier League manager of the year award.

But he was said to have fallen out with co-owner Steve Parish over the club's transfer policy and particularly the failure to land Steven Caulker and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who joined Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City respectively.

Caretaker manager Millen was in charge on Saturday when Palace opened their new campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.