Roy Hodgson was last night confirmed as Crystal Palace’s new manager on a two-year deal.
The 70-year-old former England boss succeeds Frank de Boer, who was sacked by the south London club after just 77 days in charge.
Although many fans were critical of De Boer’s firing, Hodgson’s appointment is seen as a positive step by most football pundits.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Former Palace striker Ian Wright said it was good to get “someone steady”. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Wright said: “You hope that’s the right decision. It’s a different Palace now, they’re paying £100,000 a week - they have to stay in this league.
“People are talking about Hodgson’s age. But he’s got a love and passion for the game. Of course he’s not going [to be] there for the next ten or 15 years. But he’s steady, reliable, can get the dressing room going again and get some results. I think it's quite a good decision to get someone steady.
“The next few games are difficult. You need someone with experience, who won’t panic. The next month will be a rough period for Palace.”
Hodgson takes charge of a side that is bottom of the Premier League, with no points and no goals scored so far this season. And Palace have a tough run of league games coming up.
They take on Southampton at home on Saturday, before travelling to Manchester City and Manchester United. Then next month they face champions Chelsea at home. It’s a daunting start.
In The Daily Telegraph, Sam Wallace insists that if anyone can turn around Palace’s fortunes, it’s Hodgson. “In England, he has done his best work at clubs just like Palace and he will doubtless do a good job this time,” Wallace writes.
Former Palace manager Alan Pardew also believes Hodgson has the right experience to help the club avoid relegation.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Pardew said: “For Roy to go back to his hometown club is good for Roy. He knows the history and DNA of Crystal Palace, he’ll bring a regimented structure to the group.
“Although he’s 70 years old, he’s got good energy and experience. He’s got Ray Lewington, who is a great coach, and they’ve got the experience to do the job and the players have to get something.
“Roy needs to plan the week and get their head down and get this win on Saturday and go from there. There’s no objective. Forget about DNA.
“Roy is going to get more licence than any other manager. You need 12 wins in the Premier League and he’s got 34 games to get them.”
However, some fans were less positive.
The most Brexit move in Premier League history, says one fan on Twitter.
Negative football and poor tactically.
A shock hiring?
An awful decision.
