gotchanewsdaily.com 
In what was otherwise set to be a quiet news week for Crystal Palace, the departure of sporting director Dougie Freedman on Monday evening has certainly sparked it to life.
This is the latest chapter in a storied relationship between the Scottish forward-turned-coach-turned-head of recruitment.
Fans are well-versed in the history, from Stockport heroics to his Bolton departure and everything in between. Yet, his latest exit does create a power vacuum in the recruitment side of the club.
Whereas other sporting directors may be more technocratic by nature, Freedman was pivotal within the Palace setup, taking a more hands-on approach to scouting and player assessment than the equivalent at other Premier League clubs.
The reality is that over the past 30 years at the club, there have only been a few cohesively and logically built squads at Selhurst Park, and most have had the fingerprints of Freedman all over them.
Ian Holloway may have the play-off winner’s medal from 2013, but it was built on the back of Freedman’s team – one rebuilt from the ashes of administration and turned into a competitor. Freedman showed he was adept at capitalising on an eye for talent and the power of persuasion to construct a team that combined youth and unwanted veteran talent, all on a budget.
Therefore, it was a natural career progression for him to move into a backroom role focused on that aspect of the sport rather than coaching when he returned to the club in 2017.
It may have taken a couple of years to feel that impact, but the summer of 2021 may have been his crowning achievement. The arrivals of Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, and Michael Olise – all in a single window – were added to Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta from the previous season. The players have been the basis of the team’s rejuvenation in recent years.
Within the financial constraints of Palace, there is a necessity to stretch the budget and still achieve a very high hit rate on players. Although that recruitment record isn’t flawless, the club remains in a strong position due to those that succeeded.
For Palace, the question will be what comes next? With Freedman gone and likely many of his handpicked scouts with him, the team will need to navigate a challenging summer while reorganising their recruitment team.
Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast
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