Crystal Palace are painfully aware that all good things come to an end.
Whether Oliver Glasner's title-winning tenure will expire this summer, at the end of his contract, or be severed while the 2025/26 season rages on, remains to be seen.
What doesn't remain to be seen is poor Palace performance. Glasner has seemingly lost the dressing room, and he's certainly lost the fanbase, who have made their feelings known after bad results and frustrating comments from the Austrian.
Should Glasner, who won the FA Cup and the Community Shield, be axed, chairman Steve Parish will need to hit the mark with his replacement.
The managers Crystal Palace are considering
The managerial market is set to go into overdrive, so while fans are ready to thank Glasner and send him on his way, Parish is playing his cards close to his chest, and the word is that the manager is not going to be sacked - yet.
A number of names are on the shortlist, but if Parish wants to make a final decision this summer, Sir Gareth Southgate could be the man for the job, with recent reports linking him with a move to his former Selhurst Park on an interim basis.
However, Glasner is still in the seat.
But according to Football Insider, Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank are both in contention after recent dismissals, and it's the latter who could prove the perfect appointment.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank celebrates after the match
Frank, 52, is thought to be leading the race at this early stage, and with plenty of Premier League experience, the Danish coach is bound to attract more interest later in the year. With that in mind, the Eagles will want to swoop as quickly as possible if he's truly the leading contender.
Why Thomas Frank could be perfect for Palace
Let's address the elephant in the room: Frank was sacked from his post at Tottenham earlier this month, and it was a miserable stint in north London.
Thomas Frank record at Spurs (timeless)
There is an emotional bond to someone like Southgate, and his reputation as a culture-maker defines him if not precedes him. Still, the former Three Lions boss last managed a Premier League side in 2009, and that saw him sacked with the club in the Championship, having been dismissed.
And while Frank left Tottenham a little hot under the collar, that club are in a downward spiral and their problems extend beyond the blame of the coach in the dugout.
At Brentford, Frank did great things, hailed for his many "incredible moments" by The Athletic's Jay Harris. He transformed a number of forwards into superstars, and he could do the same in south London with someone like Ismaila Sarr.
Thomas Frank's Top Scorers (all time)
Player
Ivan Toney
Bryan Mbeumo
Yoane Wissa
Ollie Watkins
Said Benrahma
Sarr comes up clutch. He's a potent forward, but it's also true that he's inconsistent and could offer more by way of underlying numbers.
Playing off the right wing, Sarr, 27, has scored five goals and registered an assist across 17 Premier League matches, but he only completes a dribble once every two matches on average, and his 38% success rate tells of more consistency to be found on that front.
A physical and fleet-footed winger, Sarr was once described, affectionately, as a "freak" of an athlete by former Watford teammate Ben Foster.
In that, he plays with an echo of the style that someone like Bryan Mbeumo performs with such success in the Premier League. With Frank at the helm, reworking the Senegalese attacker into a role that better suits his clinical quality, he might just step up and become the talisman the Londoners need after losing Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze in recent years.
ismaila-sarr-crystal-palace
Sarr has more often than not been deployed in a central attacking role this term. Perhaps a lack of out-and-out wing play, with a licence to arc inward and strike on goal when the opportunity arises, is stifling him.
Frank would reshape that, implementing a 4-2-3-1 structure that would give rise to Sarr's prolific potential.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank before the match Related
[Glasner upgrade: Crystal Palace in talks to hire "special" Frank alternative](https://www.footballfancast.com/glasner-upgrade-crystal-palace-in-talks-to-hire-frank-alternative-southgate/ "Glasner upgrade: Crystal Palace in talks to hire "special" Frank alternative")
Crystal Palace are questioning whether they should sack Glasner before his contract expires this summer.