There was difficulty in reaching Patrick Vieira on Thursday. Just hours after the defeat to Brighton - perhaps he knew what was coming.

Those in charge at Crystal Palace have found communicating with Vieira increasingly difficult in recent weeks, Thursday's initial silence from the Frenchman not an isolated incident.

Chairman Steve Parish thought it was necessary to chat things through with his beleaguered manager - Crystal Palace haven't won a single game in 2023 after all.

As the dust from the Brighton defeat settled - all options were on the table.

Sacking Vieira was the most probable conclusion - though other insiders insist the prospect of giving the 46-year-old a final chance to halt his team's alarming slide - at of all places Arsenal - remained on the table.

Patrick Vieira was dismissed from his role as Crystal Palace manager on Friday morning

When the pair finally spoke - at around 7am on Friday morning as Vieira prepared to take his team's penultimate training session ahead of Sunday's visit to the Emirates - any chance the Frenchman had of keeping his job had vanished.

On Thursday, Parish wanted an opportunity to gauge where Vieira's head was at. He wanted to sense if the fire was still burning.

By Friday, there was only one outcome. When they finally spoke, the discussion was frank.

Vieira believes he's not been supported, in more ways than just the transfer market.

He was also believed to be angered that news of his sacking was delivered via a phone call, feeling the act should have been completed face-to-face.

In contrast, Palace have been irked by what they view as a lack of willingness to communicate from Vieira in recent weeks - namely after the team's loss to Aston Villa earlier this month.

The now departed Palace boss didn't speak to his players after the 1-0 defeat at Villa Park. His silence extended into the start of the following week, compounding the growing disconnect between manager and boardroom.

Vieira is believed to be disappointed that the club have not been more forthcoming with regards to offering him a new contract. His deal expired at the end of next season.

It has been indicated to Sportsmail that the club were preparing to open talks over a deal after the World Cup.

But Palace's form since then means those discussions were impossible. 

For weeks there has been deep concern about Vieira's waning morale. The club's dreadful form hit him hard. 

He's been low - the loss against arch-rivals Brighton arrived as another crushing blow to his mood.

On Friday morning, all parties mutually agreed that there was no future in this once burgeoning relationship and Vieira was dismissed.

The Frenchman is a laid-back guy - and he tried to implement a relaxed atmosphere at the club's Beckenham HQ. But like it or not, Palace are in the midst of a relegation battle; this isn't a time for relaxation.

Indeed, there has been consternation that the culture Vieira has been trying to nurture isn't one suitable for a club of Palace's dynamics.

Sometimes home truths are necessary. Sometimes only a bollocking will suffice. There wasn't much of that under Vieira.

Of course, Vieira has experienced first hand exactly what a chilled environment can garner.

Arsene Wenger actively avoided confrontation with his players. But it's easy to be chilled when you've got Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires et al in your team. Clubs like Palace do not have that luxury. 

Indeed, Vieira's decision to dispense of assistant coach Shaun Derry has been viewed as a mistake by those behind the scenes.

It's important to point out that Derry wasn't a Vieira appointment.

Derry, a former Palace player, is a forthright individual. An entirely friendly and approachable guy off the field - but fierce when it comes to his football.

He would engage in difficult conversations with players he felt weren't pulling their weight.

But Vieira didn't appreciate his intense nature. In short: there was personality clash and Viera told Derry his services were no longer required around six weeks ago.

Don't be surprised to see Derry make a return to the club in the post Vieira-era. 

Vieira believed his own team of Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Saïd Aïgoun were enough.

But fears that his coaching staff lacked the experience to halt the team's alarming slide towards relegation danger grew with every disappointing result.

Derry, too, is at the start of his coaching career - but there is a view that his inclination to call it as is would have benefitted the team.

It must also be stressed that Vieira was never first choice for the Palace job.

The club - for one reason or another - failed to tempt a string of managers, including Lucien Favre, Nuno Espirito Santo and Steve Cooper, to replace Roy Hodgson at the start of last season.

Vieira's first season in charge was a success. An FA Cup semi-final coupled with what appeared to be a more attractive style of play instilled positivity.

Yet, even last season, there were concerns about Vieira's plan. Palace were mechanical under Hodgson - not necessarily easy on the eye - but everyone knew their jobs and there was a clear pattern to his teams.

Under Vieira, Palace were more spontaneous, relying on the brilliance of their attacking players - namely Wilfried Zaha - to get them results.

Truth be told, there are many at Selhurst Park who still pine for Hodgson's regimented style of play.

Hodgson is retired - but available. It'll be interesting to see in what direction Palace head now.