Crystal Palace have reappointed Roy Hodgson following the dismissal of Patrick Vieira.
Hodgson, who has managed Crystal Palace before, will walk into a club and a dressing room he knows well and he’ll be aware that the club only have one thing on their mind this season - to stay in the top-flight by any means necessary.
The South London club are in 12th place, but they remain only out of the bottom-three thanks to 3 measly points.
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Vieira Sacking
Palace, who sacked Vieira last week, are teetering above the relegation zone and are now officially caught in the battle to stay in the Premier League. Vieira won plaudits for his attacking play in the 21/22 season, but the goals have severely dried up during this campaign and the club recently went four games without registering a shot on target.
As much as I admire Vieira as both a player and a manager, I feel as though the Frenchman doesn’t have the experience to navigate a relegation battle and introduce the scrappy, battle-hardened football that managers like Hodgson are so familiar with. The 75-year-old may not be the most exciting appointment, but his experience with both the club and the game of football as a whole could prove invaluable.
First Up Leicester
Hodgson’s first game will take place against fellow-strugglers Leicester City on Saturday 1 April. The veteran will have all of Selhurst Park behind him, and there’s every chance his second spell in charge will begin with a valuable three points.
Hodgson is no Eddie Howe or Roberto De Zerbi, but he knows how to set-up a team to survive in the Premier League. Palace’s talented attacking players need to start firing, but their defence isn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things. Leicester, Palace’s next opponents, have issues of their own and they’ll provide Hodgson with a debut that is certainly winnable.
Old Guard Not Finished Yet
I have to commend the higher-ups at Crystal Palace for not making a long-shot appointment with a trendier, unproven manager. Such a decision would've been unsuitable for a club battling to stay up, and the return of Roy Hodgson is a welcomed reminder that the old guard in football aren’t ready to leave just yet.
I fully support Roy Hodgson as he begins his second reign as Crystal Palace boss and I hope that he allows the Eagles to soar above the drop-zone and perch themselves in the Premier League for another season.
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