Caretaker boss Keith Millen called on Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish yesterday to avoid any costly hiccups in installing the club’s new manager, as talks rumble on with Alan Pardew.

Millen has refused to give up on securing Palace’s permanent managerial post, but Newcastle boss Pardew continues to thrash out personal terms with Parish.

Millen believes Palace must avoid any repeat of the delays securing Neil Warnock as Tony Pulis’s successor in August, when the club had to relinquish interest in Malky Mackay.

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan’s complaints sparked the Football Association investigation into racist texts that cost Iain Moody the sporting director’s role at Palace, and put paid to any chance of the Eagles recruiting Mackay.

“You’d think that it would cause a lot of unrest among the players, but they have coped unbelievably well,” Millen said.

“When I’ve done this before it’s dragged on for a few weeks, and that starts having an effect on the group, the not knowing.

“This has only just happened, with Neil leaving on Saturday, and the speculation (yesterday).

“So we’ve had one game and the lads were terrific in that.

“But you wouldn’t want it to continue for weeks on end, because that’s when I think the lads want some guidance on where the club’s going.”

Meanwhile West Brom, who sacked Alan Irvine on Monday after just four months, said they wanted a new manager in place by the weekend — when they face Gateshead in the FA Cup.

They have been linked to Pulis and former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood, who are both out of work.

It would be a second chance for Sherwood, who was interviewed by the club in June before losing out to Irvine.

And Pulis has been kicking his heels since leaving Palace by mutual consent.