Tony Pulis Walks Out on Crystal Palace Two Days Before New Premier League Season Kicks Off

Tony Pulis has plunged Crystal Palace into crisis mode less than 48 hours before the new Premier League season kicks off by walking out on the club.

Last season's manager of the year is thought to have left the Selhurst Park club after strongly disagreeing with chairman Steve Parish over Palace's summer transfer activity.

The 56-year-old, who was appointed as Ian Holloway's permanent successor after Keith Millen stepped in to take the reins in November, is reported to have met with Parish on Thursday evening after bookies had slashed the odds on him being the first managerial casualty of the season from 40-1 to 7-2.

Pulis was said to be furious at the board's inability to attract a list of summer targets including Steven Caulker and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who joined Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City respectively.

The Eagles have so far signed striker Fraizer Campbell as well as defenders Scott Dann, Brede Hangeland and Martin Kelly.

Hours before Pulis's departure was reported, Parish told the Croydon Advertiser that there could be more signings before the end of transfer window.

"There are too many clubs chasing too few players of known quality, when you know they can do a job for you at a certain level.

"We're confident we'll be more or less where we want to be kick-off time, maybe a little bit behind."

The news of Pulis's exit is likely to infuriate Palace fans who heralded the Welshman for guiding them from almost certain relegation in December to the comparatively dizzy heights of an 11th placed finish.

One of the conditions of Pulis taking the job at the south London club in the first place was that he would be in charge of matters off-field as well as on. But his decision to leave suggests he was not given the control he wanted.

Assistant Keith Millen will take charge for Palace's opening game of the season against Arsenal on Saturday, while former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has been installed as the favourite to succeed Pulis.