Roy Hodgson enjoying Indian summer with in-form Palace
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson and West Ham United manager David Moyes are interviewed by BT Sport ahead of the the Premier League match at Selhurst Park. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire.
THERE’S no doubt the benefits of Roy Hodgson’s return to Crystal Palace are being felt both by both sides.
On the pitch, Palace have been transformed. Suddenly goals are flowing and players like Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew have repeated the line that they have been given more freedom under the man who was installed for the rest of the season after Patrick Vieira was dismissed.
In six games Palace with Hodgson at the helm, Palace have scored 13 goals and registered four wins, taking them to 40 points. And for the manager himself, returning to work at the age of 75 has given him a major lift.
“I was enjoying my life,” said Hodgson. “I love my wife and enjoy her company very much so there’s no problems with that. But it was nice to be invited back into this environment which I’ve been a part of for so long and still enjoy so much. Meeting this group of players and being able to work with them has given me an even further boost.
“It’s like the old adrenalin injection. There’s no question it has given me that boost. It definitely has but I’ve got another month to enjoy which I shall.”
Hodgson has refused to be drawn about his plans for the future but Marc Guehi, the centre-back, admitted the players would have no problem if he were to stay.
“I don't think anyone has a problem with anyone coming in,” said Guehi. “If the gaffer does stay on it will be great. If he doesn't we thank him for what he has done and move on. Everyone gets on with it and is really professional.
"He's fantastic, he's great. Since he's come in he's been great for me, and great with the team. He's a very relaxed character, he's very assured and you can feel that when he speaks. Everyone is following that up on the pitch.”
Saturday’s game provided the latest example of Palace’s attacking strengths with the Eagles recovering after Tomas Soucek’s early goal with efforts from Ayew, Wilf Zaha and Jeff Schlupp before Michail Antonio got one back before the break. Eze’s penalty established a two-goal comfort zone that was needed after Nayef Aguerd’s header.
Defeat means that for David Moyes and his West Ham players, hopes of a relatively relaxed run-in have quickly faded.
Back-to-back losses have stalled their efforts to steer clear of the bottom three and their prospects of injecting fresh momentum into their fight appear remote.
The Hammers’ standing among the Premier League’s other strugglers has always been enhanced by the fact their rivals have played a game more. Less encouraging is the fact West Ham’s game in hand is at Manchester City on Wednesday and after seeing Crystal Palace repeatedly unpick his side’s fragile defences, Moyes may be privately fearful about the damage Erling Haaland and his City team-mates might inflict on his side.
Then comes the visit of Manchester United before the two-legged Europa Conference semi-final with AZ Alkmaar, sandwiched either side of a testing trip to Brentford. After all that, the final two games against Leeds and Leicester could well be a test of nerve.
“It’s not easy to look at our fixture list, it’s not going to be easy,” said Lukasz Fabianski, the Hammers goalkeeper. “The Premier League is never going to be easy. So I just hope we move forward from today and prepare ourselves for the City game.”
A positive result at the Etihad Stadium would be a boost for Fabianski’s former club Arsenal, but the Poland international insists old allegiances are not on his mind. “I think what we have to focus on is us,” he said. “It’s not about doing any favours for any other team. I think for us it’s about putting in a good performance and hopefully we can get something out of it.
“There is extra pressure because we are not safe yet. We know what our situation is. We believe there is a bit of extra pressure to deliver a performance and get points from it. So I think until the point we are safe there will be this extra pressure.”
Johnstone 6; Ward 6, Andersen 6, Guehi 6, Mitchell 6; Olise 8, Doucoure 7 (Milivojevic 90, 6), Schlupp 7; Eze 8, Ayew 8, Zaha 6 (Edouard 85, 6).
Subs not used: Guaita, Tomkins, Sambi Lokonga, Mateta, Hughes, Richards, Riedewald.
: Fabianski 6; Coufal 6, Zouma 6 (Ogbonna 19, 6), Aguerd 5, Emerson 4 (Cresswell 46, 6); Soucek 5, Rice 6; Bowen 5, Paqueta 5 (Ings 69, 6), Fornals 5 (Benrahma 46, 6); Antonio 6 (Cornet 89, 6).
Subs not used: Areola, Lanzini, Downes, Kehrer.
: Craig Pawson 6
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