Roy Hodgson has been in management for over four decades and last season at Crystal Palace the 75 year-old came in a steadied the ship once again.
Just over two years ago Hodgson had resigned from Palace in May 2021 and was replaced by Patrick Vieira. But after a season and a half with the Eagles, former Arsenal star Vieira was sacked and the experienced Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park.
Palace had not managed a single win in 14 games before Hodgson returned, and yet he immediately guided the Eagles to a 2-1 victory against Leicester City. This result was huge, as Palace’s poor form had dragged them down towards the relegation zone.
After the match against the Foxes, the side from Selhurst Park faced another team struggling in the league, Leeds United. A six-goal contest saw Hodgson’s side blow Leeds out the water and win 5-1. The following match for the South London club came against Southampton, which the Eagles won 2-0.
In those three matches under Hodgson, the team in red and blue picked up more wins than they had in the previous five months in the league.
The formation Hodgson opted for was a 4-3-3, with players such as Jordan Ayew, Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Odsonne Edouard and Wilfred Zaha all playing key roles in Palace’s change in form. Their combined attacking threat saw them link up well again and consistently score goals, something they had struggled to do under Vieira.
Palace’s final 10 games of 2022-23 saw them win five, draw three and only lose two, with the club finishing 11th in the league. Considering they were potentially in a relegation scrap when Hodgson returned, he did brilliantly to drag the club away from the drop zone and keep them up by 11 points.
Going into the new season, Palace have confirmed that Hodgson has signed a new one-year deal at the club, meaning he will be at the helm for the Eagles in the upcoming campaign.
One of the reasons Hodgson was originally replaced two years ago was because of his style of football. Palace’s board wanted expansive, attacking football with Vieira, but ultimately they went back to what they know best with Hodgson, with the hope that he will guarantee results.
One summer signing has already been confirmed, that of Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth. Lerma was crucial to the Cherries last season and his addition could be a significant one for Palace.
The side from South London will look to replicate their form towards the end of the 2022-23 campaign going into the new one. Their opening 2023-24 Premier League games are:
- Sheffield United (A)
- Arsenal (H)
- Brentford (A)
- Wolves (H)
- Aston Villa (A)
- Fulham (H)
- Manchester United (A)
Of those first seven games, five are against teams that finished in the top half of the table in last season’s Premier League.
Hodgson’s experience as a manager will be crucial to the club as they look to make a positive start. With a squad of players who will clearly fight and leave everything on the pitch for the manager, a solid mid-table finish for the Eagles could be expected going into the new campaign.
