Football

Hodgson In The Running to Re-Take Reigns at Crystal Palace

Hodgson In The Running to Re-Take Reigns at Crystal Palace
Roy Hodgson (right) takes part in a tribute to former Fulham player George Cohen who died on the 23rd December aged 83, ahead of the Premier League match at Craven Cottage, London. Picture date: Saturday December 31, 2022. - Photo by Icon sport

Roy Hodgson has emerged as one of the frontrunners to become the next permanent manager of Crystal Palace in a potential comeback for the fan favorite.

On Friday morning, the south-east London club confirmed Patrick Vieira’s departure as first-team manager at Selhurst Park, along with the departure of several of his assistants.

After a bright start to this Premier League season, Crystal Palace had stumbled significantly and are without a win in 2023. The final straw for the club’s board was the Eagles’ 1-0 loss to Brighton on Tuesday evening.

The club sacked Viera in the hopes of having a positive run in to the season and avoiding relegation, which would be hugely detrimental to the London side.

The Eagles indicated in a statement that the “process to appoint a new management is started.”

Hodgson is Bookies Favorite for Palace Job

Betting company Paddy Power has named Hodgson, 75, as the odds on favorite to return to the Selhurst Park bench.

Hodgson was in charge of the Eagles from 2017 to 2021, when he announced his departure in May of 2021.

After a lengthy hiatus from football management, Hodgson was appointed Watford manager in January 2022, but later that same month the club was demoted from the Premier League.

Lucien Favre, the former manager of Ligue 1’s Nice, and Rafa Benitez, the former manager of Liverpool, Newcastle, and Everton, have also been widely connected to the vacant position at Palace.

Benitez has vast Premier League expertise and previously stated that he was seeking a long-term project in his next position.

Former Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is the third favorite at 9/1 while other noteworthy candidates include former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Hasenhuttl is one of several candidates who have previously coached in the Premier League, along with Marcelo Bielsa, formerly of Leeds, Frank Lampard, formerly of Everton, and Steven Gerrard, formerly of Aston Villa.

The Championship trifecta of Carlos Corberan (West Bromwich Albion), Michael Carrick (Middlesbrough), and Vincent Kompany (Burnley), as well as Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, are among the other possible candidates.

Mauricio Pochettino, Sam Allardyce, and Thomas Tuchel are unemployed candidates who may be considered for the Crystal Palace position though it seems unlikely they will head to a club that is not playing in Europe.

Gunners Game Sunday Far From Ideal for Manager-less Palace

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Before the international break, Crystal Palace travel to league-leading Arsenal on Sunday in what will likely be a tough fixture even if they have a new coach on board.

Though Arsenal will come into the fixture off the back of their Europa League knock out to Sporting Lisbon on penalties Thursday evening, they may come out fighting with their title hopes on the line.

Given both sides are London-based, the game will also have a derby atmosphere which could benefit Palace. With or without a new manager in charge, the side are likely to dig in and hope to contain Arsenal in terms of goals.

It will be an uphill challenge for the Eagles however, as this is the best Gunners side to play in the English top flight in some time.

The Eagles will host Leicester City, Everton, and West Ham in April, as well as travel to Leeds, Southampton, and Wolves.

The Eagles are currently in 12th place in the Premier League, three points above the relegation zone.


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