Crystal Palace are close to finalising a deal with Thomas Frank to be the new manager of the club as they prepare for two huge Premier League games against Coventry and Hull City. 

Pierre Sage was sacked officially on Thursday afternoon, and many fans have voiced frustration over the delays to appointing a new manager. Whilst a number of the club’s players are away on international duty, there are only six days until Palace travel to Coventry in what is a must-win game. 

It now appears that Palace are close to finalising a deal with Frank and his backroom staff and the Danish coach will join the club on a long-term deal. 

The delays had been caused by negotiations between the club and Frank’s backroom staff, as well as negotiations over the bonus set up in the contracts as Frank is joining Palace on significantly less money than he was on at Tottenham. 

We reported this morning that there were continued delays as Palace negotiated with Frank, his backroom staff and decided on the final details of the deals, and fans were beginning to voice their frustration with the club, and the apparent lack of order when it comes to big decisions such as this. 

Whilst the club may have decided on Frank early on, and simply taken their time with the final negotiations, from the outside looking in it appears messy. 

Many fans have made the appropriate criticism that the club will be losing far more money if they are to be relegated to the second division than simply coughing up to pay Frank what he wants. 

Frank was on significantly more money with Spurs than he will be with Palace, and therefore certain bonuses need to be built into the contract to offer similar financial incentives. 

A source has told us that Frank is ‘desperate’ for the job, and Palace had ‘never really considered’ alternative options. Frank was a target in the summer before Pierre Sage was given the job, and when the club made the decision to part ways with Sage and Frank was available, there was only one man they were going to pursue. 

A long-term deal will be handed to Frank, who will bring with him a host of backroom staff, one of which is expected to be Justin Cochrane, considering his previous work with Frank at both Spurs and Brentford. 

There is no confirmation of those that will join Frank at Palace, but Cochrane, along with analyst Joe Newton and fitness coach Chris Haslam have all been with Frank throughout his two previous roles, and were all dismissed by Spurs in February. 

They would bring a strong level of support into the club with them if they were all to join.