Jonathan Bead
The Premier League’s current relegation battle is “unprecedented,” according to Roy Hodgson, who faces the daunting task of steering struggling Crystal Palace to safety. While Palace sits 12th in the table, they’re among nine teams in serious danger of relegation, with just four points separating them from bottom-placed Southampton. Palace’s slump began with 12 consecutive top-flight games without a victory thus far in 2023.
The former England boss returned to Selhurst Park to replace the fired Patrick Vieira and is left to emphasize Palace’s fixtures ahead of their meeting with 17th-placed Leicester on Saturday afternoon. As the former Southampton and Fulham manager couldn’t recall a season with so many big clubs in the mix to avoid relegation, Hodgson has a challenging run of games against direct rivals, including Leeds, Southampton, Everton, Wolves, and West Ham.
Despite admitting that Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has had a longer time to shape his squad, Hodgson believes the Foxes still have a potent team capable of securing victories. Hodgson is relieved that his senior goalkeepers Vicente Guaita and Sam Johnstone have recovered from hamstring and calf injuries, respectively, but defenders Nathan Ferguson and Chris Richards will miss action due to injuries.
Furthermore, Hodgson expressed his pleasure at the squad’s spirit despite their prolonged wretched form. He said, “I was apprehensive when I first arrived at Selhurst Park, but so far, we’ve found everything to our satisfaction. But now to get satisfaction, we’ve got to win football matches.”
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