Laura Kaminski led the Eagles to the top flight as champions in 2024, but with the club sitting at the foot of the WSL table in this difficult campaign, she was sacked in February and replaced by Smerud.
When the Norwegian took charge, he said: “My mission is quite clear. Short-term, it’s to stay in the league.
“But I’m also someone who likes to develop things long-term. Palace has strong values, and that matters to me.”
Whether Smerud stays or the Eagles decide to change their head coach again, clubs who have been relegated previously have not always found it easy to bounce back to the WSL straight away.
Teams have struggled financially in the Championship and found it difficult to keep hold of key players.
This season has also seen the big-spending owners of London City Lionesses and Newcastle throw their weight behind their teams, making the second tier even more competitive.
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