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Veteran football manager Roy Hodgson is looking increasingly unlikely to last the rest of his final season at the helm of English Premier League (EPL) side Crystal Palace. The Eagles lost 3-1 at home to Chelsea in the EPL, leaving them in an increasingly perilous position in the lower reaches of the EPL table, just five points above the relegation zone. Hodgson has already confirmed that the 2023/24 season will be his last in football management, but reports suggest the Palace hierarchy are weighing up dispensing of his services sooner to prevent the club being sucked into a genuine relegation battle.
Palace’s latest defeat to Chelsea has seen their odds for EPL relegation cut to 11/2 with Paddy Power. This operator has a resounding name in the betting scene, especially as its parent company, Flutter Entertainment, is one of the most reputable in the global industry. Not just renowned for keeping its fingers firmly on the pulse of the EPL odds, Paddy Power free bets are also highly regarded as being some of the most competitive in the market. These offers cover new and existing bettors alike.
While the axe may not immediately fall on Hodgson, his fate could be sealed by a negative result in their next game away to third-bottom Everton. Victory for the Toffees at Goodison Park would cut the gap between themselves and Palace to just two points.
In his post-match media duties, Hodgson acknowledged after the defeat to Chelsea that the club was in a “bad period” but pleaded with supporters to be “realistic” about the team’s situation. Hodgson is referring to the plethora of injuries suffered by key first team players. Both Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have been recently sidelined, with the latter expected to miss the remainder of the season. This leaves the Eagles with precious few match-winners within their ranks. Furthermore, with the January transfer window now slammed shut, Hodgson has no wriggle room to re-bolster his squad.
The most likely candidates as Hodgson’s replacement at Palace
The manager who's said to be catching the eye of the Palace hierarchy the most is Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna. The Northern Irishman has masterminded Town’s resurgence up the football pyramid, winning automatic promotion out of League One and into the EFL Championship.
Ipswich have taken to life in the second tier like ducks to water too, sitting firmly in the automatic promotion shake-up. McKenna’s bold, front-foot, high-press style of play has taken the EFL by storm. The former Manchester United assistant to Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has thrived in his first role as a manager, with many tipping him as a future United boss.
Ipswich players have been vocal in their praise of McKenna’s methodical approach. His coaching methods have certainly revolutionized the Tractor Boys into Premier League hopefuls for the first time in almost two decades. However, he remains firmly committed to his current position at Portman Road.
Former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is another name that’s said to be in the frame if Hodgson departs. Many in the world of football believe Cooper was harshly treated by Forest’s unpredictable Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis, having guided his team from Championship relegation fears to playoff success in less than nine months. He also steadied the ship by helping Forest avoid relegation in their first season back in the EPL.
The fly in the ointment with Cooper’s appointment is that the Welshman is reportedly ill-prepared to take on the role for the final third of the season, and would prefer to take charge in the close season.
Former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter is another who could be tempted to Selhurst Park. Potter has been out of work for the best part of a year since his exit from Stamford Bridge. After a recharge of the batteries, a mission to re-establish Palace as a top-10 EPL outfit could be one that appeals.
There’s reasons for optimism for Palace fans. The fixture list doesn’t look too unkind for them between now and May. They only have Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool to face out of the EPL elite in their final 14 games. Those fixtures won’t define their season. It’s how they fare against the likes of Everton, Burnley, Luton and Nottingham Forest that’ll determine their fate. Failure to arrest their decline could see a first relegation in 11 years.
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