Crystal Palace have now asked Roy Hodgson to make a dramatic return to Selhurst Park as a replacement for Patrick Vieira.
What’s the story?
Well – according to The Athletic – Steve Parish has asked Hodgson to take over from Vieira until the end of the season and keep Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
It comes after talkSPORT claimed that the 75-year-old is keen to return to Selhurst Park.
Hodgson – who has 125 Premier League wins to his name – left Crystal Palace at the end of the 2020/21 campaign when his contract expired, after four years of service in the dugout at Selhurst Park from 2017 to 2021.
It came amid a time where the Eagles wanted to go in a different direction in terms of playing style, which they seemed to achieve last term under Vieira.
However, things have quickly unravelled in SE25.
Crystal Palace are without a win in their last 12 games, and recently became the first side on record to go three consecutive Premier League games without having a shot on target – according to Opta.
That wretched run has cost Vieira his job, and alarm bells are ringing in south London as the Eagles now sit just three points above the relegation zone.
As a result, Hodgson – seen as a firefighter type by Parish – has been asked to come back.
Crystal Palace cannot appoint Roy Hodgson
In our view, it would be an utterly baffling decision to rehire Hodgson – Parish risks turning things toxic amongst the fanbase if he goes ahead with it.
The football played under Hodgson in his final season was incredibly dull – there was even one game at Anfield which saw Crystal Palace fail to have a single touch in Liverpool’s box.
Seeing as scoring goals is the issue – not the defence – we cannot understand how Parish thinks Hodgson is the answer.
In truth, he has also shown little to suggest he is capable of fulfilling a firefighter role like Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis made themselves well known for.
Hodgson took over Watford in January last season when the Hornets were 19th in the Premier League, which is where they eventually finished as the old England manager relegated them without showing much fight.
It would be a shambolic decision by Crystal Palace – if it happens, they may as well have kept Vieira.
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