The other major reason to delay a decision is because a number of potential candidates who are currently in jobs will become available.

In the Premier League alone that includes Oliver Glasner, who has already said he will be leaving Crystal Palace, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and Fulham's Silva.

Yet Glasner is an example of how short-term results can affect long-term thinking.

A Europa League winner at Eintracht Frankfurt, he won Palace the first silverware in their history when they beat Manchester City in last season's FA Cup final. They also won the Community Shield against Liverpool.

But things have unravelled this season.

Glasner left key players out of Palace's final Conference League game in December. A home draw with Finland's KuPS meant Palace missed out on direct entry to the last 16 and must play Bosnian outfit Zrinjski in the play-offs later this month.

The KuPS game was in the early part of an ongoing run of 12 games without a win.

The eight defeats in that sequence include an embarrassing FA Cup loss at National League North outfit Macclesfield. Palace are 15th in the Premier League - nine points...