The Top Flight
Fansided

English Premier League: Crystal Palace season review – A Hodgson story to remember

By Gabriel Coelho

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 13: Fans hold up signs thanking Roy Hodgson, Manager of Crystal Palace after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion at Selhurst Park on May 13, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 13: Fans hold up signs thanking Roy Hodgson, Manager of Crystal Palace after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion at Selhurst Park on May 13, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next

After De Boer’s departure, with Palace not able to win a single point and score a single goal, in came Roy Hodgson.

He was born in Croydon, in the same London Borough, Selhurst Park is located. He had the experience of managing in the Premier League and brought fresh air to Palace’s turbulent start.

Things didn’t start to click at first. In fact, Palace lost their first three games under Roy Hodgson, including a massacre against Manchester City. Differently from De Boer, Hodgson was given time to turn things around and it worked, eventually.

Palace’s first win came at home against Chelsea, after eight league matches, with Wilfried Zaha being decisive in the 2-1 victory. Despite winning, Palace’s task of surviving the relegation battle was still difficult, considering they were really off the pace.

What started as horror ended as Romance

Well, not only did they survive, but they finished comfortably in mid-table and managed to meet the expectations set at the start of the season.

In the 15 match days following the win against Chelsea, Crystal Palace only lost three games, a big improvement considering the whirlwind they were in before. During that run, they also managed to improve their defence, keeping five clean sheets in the process.

Crystal Palace did quite well in December and January, two months that are usually brutal to teams fighting against the drop. Despite being short on options, with some key players out due to injury, they picked up the necessary points during this period, which set the pace for the remainder of the season.

A season that started brutally, putting Palace as a certain relegation candidate, was turned around by a manager who brought the belief back to his players. Crystal Palace finished 11th in the Premier League, 11 points clear of relegation and with a bright future ahead.

Home/Premier League