Can Hodgson Stop Palace Slide?

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The international break is often when clubs decide to change their manager and that is exactly what has happened at Crystal Palace.

Patrick Vieira was sacked by the club on the 17th March and although there was still one fixture to play before the internationals, the two week gap has given the Eagles time to appoint a new manager. Roy Hodgson has returned to Selhurst Park and has had some time to settle back into the role he vacated in 2021.

Vieira stated promisingly with Crystal Palace and many onlookers believed he could take them up the table, playing good football. Having guided the team to a 12th place league finish in the 2021/22 Premier League season, hopes were high at Selhurst Park for the 2022/23 campaign.

However, a run of 12 matches without a win was unacceptable and Crystal Palace were being sucked into a relegation battle.

Vieira’s last 3 games in charge came against Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Brighton. All 3 matches ended in a 1-0 defeat and Crystal Palace have always been competitive under Vieira.

There have been draws against some top teams in recent Premier League fixtures including Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Liverpool.

However, Crystal Palace could not win football matches and the fact they failed to have a single shot on target in their final 3 matches under the guidance of Vieira shows where the team was lacking.

The question is, can Hodgson come in and change things for the better? The 75-year-old knows exactly what he is up against as he returns to Crystal Palace following an unsuccessful bid to keep Watford in the Premier League in his most recent managerial position.

Crystal Palace may be 12th in the Premier League but they are only 3 points off the relegation zone and a few more defeats could see them in big trouble.

Ray Lewington has also returned with Hodgson and many of the Crystal Palace players will know what to expect in training. There is no getting away from the fact Hodgson likes a pragmatic approach.

The tactics will be to get organised defensively, with keeping clean sheet the priority and to provide a threat on the counter-attack.

The issues with that approach is that it is similar to what Vieira was trying to do in his final games as manager of the club. There is a risk that the managerial change will not result in anything different on the pitch.

The one factor in Hodgson’s favour is getting points on the board is now more important for Crystal Palace then the style of football. Getting the best from Wilfried Zaha will be key as the goals have dried up for Crystal Palace’s most influential forward.

The Ivory Coast international has failed to score in his last 11 Premier League games and Hodgson needs Zaha to start finding the back of the net quickly if Crystal Palace are to avoid a relegation battle.