A first one bites the dust

So sadly we didn't make the middle of February and Neil Warnock becomes the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season, only four months after he was appointed by Crystal Palace.  An exceptional second-tier manager who will almost certainly get you promoted, he is best discarded soon after the step-up as he is deeply average at the top level, despite having more than 1,000 league games under his belt.
That said, it was a mistake to remove him now, with a game against QPR imminent.  If any match would get his blood pumping, his tactics most self-scrutinised and his motivation most scintillating, it would be against the club that unceremoniously dumped him the last time he frequented the top flight.  If the match goes the way of the pear, meaning a record of only three Premier League wins in 17 games, by all means dispense with his services, but if any match can be considered a banker for Crystal Palace, it would be this one with Warnock at the helm.
In the last match, where the Eagles were losing 3-0 at home against a Southampton side hitting their stride again, the fans chorused, "You don't know what you're doing," as Warnock withdrew a striker, Yannick Bolasie, for a defender, Martin Kelly (once of the parish of Liverpool and, inconceivably, England).  Warnock made fine sense of his decision - the match was gone and he was resting Bolasie for the relegation six-pointer against QPR.  As it turned out, after the substitution Palace scored, to lose 3-1.  Do the fans know what they're talking about?
The defeat was the final straw for Steve Parrish, a man lauded by Eagles' fans for rescuing the club from financial oblivion, but seemingly lumbered with appalling man-management.  His relationship with Ian Holloway was chaotic, Tony Pulis almost walked away on more than occasion before he actually did in August, days before the season started.  Parrish made unsubstantiated claims about Pulis leaving because another club had lined him up as their manager in a shabby way to make Pulis the villain - as of Warnock's sacking, Pulis is still a free agent, but don't expect him to be pitching up in south London anytime soon, no matter that he is the outstanding candidate.  Parrish bungled the replacement process, going for Malky Mackay on the basis of the latter's friendship with director of football Ian Moody, despite the strong interview given by Tim Sherwood, before both Mackay and Moody were disgraced by their racist, anti-semitic, homophobic texting and Sherwood turned his face as no-one's second choice.  This is how Warnock ended up at Selhurst Park for a second stint.  And here is Parrish wading in again, re-appointing much put-upon caretaker Keith Millen.  Yet Millen has no animus for QPR and his record is mostly one of losing gallantly.  Long-term BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson says it will be swift in picking up the phone to one of the interviewees from last time, be it "Steve Sherwood [who he?] or Chrissie Hughton."  Sherwood is still largely unproven outside of a ridiculously talented (and underachieving) squad and Hughton's last assignment did the spadework in paving for Norwich City's relegation.  And would they be interested in being third-choice at that?
Premier League clubs are notoriously antsy about being the first sacking club but now Palace have that mark on them, other clubs may be less reticent and more impatient.  A lot of people lost money on Nigel Pearson being evens to get his P45 from Leicester City.  Brendan Rogers is not out of the woods.  Steve Bruce is having the second season from hell. Harry Redknapp may be relieved of his duties at QPR at anytime.  Alan Pardew always seems to capable of great feats of escapology and Sean Dyche should stay in post so long as Burnley avoid humiliation as they get relegated.  Mauricio Pochettino seems to have got Spurs to click at last and should be safe himself while Roberto Martinez's misfiring Everton should have enough credit banked from last term to get him a mid-table finish.  Nevertheless, Parrish has fired the starting gun and the sack race has begun.