Despite managing for over 40 years, Roy Hodgson is entering new territory with Crystal Palace and the Premier League should take notice.
Crystal Palace’s staggeringly bad start to the season has largely been forgotten with the club in 11th place with just a couple of games to play.
That is, of course, down to the progress made under Roy Hodgson.
Hodgson arrived to derision from many; the former England boss was lumped in with Premier League veterans known for years of monotony.
But that was always unfair. For one thing, Hodgson has had remarkably few Premier League seasons throughout his 40-year career; just six, in fact.
And so Palace represent what might be Hodgson’s first long-term project in England. His spell at Fulham remains his longest and was immensely successful as he led a dead-and-buried side to the Europa League final in just three years.
He left for Liverpool soon after, with his successful spell at West Bromwich Albion cut short by the England job and so neither effort was seen to its full potential.
At Palace, however, there seems little to slow the two down. This is new territory for Hodgson – but with the progress already made, who knows where the limit may be?
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