Tony Pulis left by "mutual consent": Crystal Palace

London: Crystal Palace broke their silence on Friday over the abrupt departure of manager Tony Pulis, confirming it had been by "mutual consent".

He left the club on Thursday after talks with chairman Simon Parish, prompted by disagreements over the Premier League club`s transfer policy. Pulis was appointed manager in November and led Palace to survival and an impressive 11th place finish, an achievement that earned him the Premier League manager of the season award. But he had grown frustrated by Palace`s failure to push through deals for various players he targeted to strengthen the squad. The 56-year-old`s exit came less than 48 hours before Palace kick off their campaign with a daunting fixture on Saturday against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, where his assistant and first team coach Keith Millen will take temporary charge. Pulis is believed to have wanted total control of Palace`s recruitment policy, but Parish was reluctant to let the manager be in sole charge of player movement as he wanted to avoid putting the club`s future at risk by over-spending. Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon and ex-Cardiff chief Malky Mackay are reported to be among the early frontrunners to replace Pulis.