Crystal Palace could potentially offer Paddy McCarthy the reins until the end of the season given he has the support of some of senior players at Selhurst Park.

Who could replace Vieira at Palace?

The Eagles moved on from their manager, Patrick Vieira, last week on the back of defeat during the week to their rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.

Despite being 12th in the table, Palace do sit dangerously close to the relegation zone with one weekend of unfavourable results holding the potential to see them sink into the bottom three.

Since Vieira's exit, McCarthy has stepped up and took charge of the game against the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, on Sunday which ended in a heavy defeat.

However, speaking to NBC Sports, the reliable David Ornstein has suggested the 39-year-old could still be an option until the end of the season:

(3:30) "I don't think now is possibly the right moment to be making the big appointment that is more likely to come in the summer. And that's why Paddy McCarthy fits the bill as well. He'll take charge today [Sunday]. If he does well, there is support for him among sections of the hierarchy to continue because he's popular with players like Wilfried Zaha."

Would McCarthy be a good option for Palace?

It is interesting to hear Ornstein suggest this inexperienced coach is a popular member at Palace despite potentially leading them into a relegation battle without any managerial experience.

And that is seemingly not only from the players but also from the board with sections of them in favour of him staying on if he shows signs of promise.

But the defeat on the weekend to Arsenal was a heavy one and although it may have been expected, it may not show too kindly on McCarthy's resume.

And the issue for the 39-year-old now is there are no more Premier League games this month with the international break taking place for the next two weeks.

On one hand that offers McCarthy with the opportunity to work with his players and implement any potential changes he would like to see ahead of their next game against Leicester City.

But it also means, he has no games to prove his worth as the Palace board have some time to consider their options ahead of the run-in.

And when he is potentially being weighed up against the experienced Roy Hodgson, the game on the weekend will likely have done him no favours.