Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Eagles must Dhdfkhj wise up and sdffddfs sdffdg listen to wise, old owl Hodgson
ROY HODGSON is the oldest manager the Premier League has ever seen.
With every week that passes, the 72-year-old will be fretting that he might now become the oldest manager to get a Premier League club relegated.
Crystal Palace are in freefall after this defeat at Goodison Park made it seven games without a win – and eight if you also take the FA Cup exit to Championship side Derby County into account.
Christian Benteke’s first league goal for 10 months ended up counting for nothing.
Palace still have a cushion keeping them out of the bottom three.
But, with games coming up against Newcastle, Brighton, Watford and Bournemouth, they are entering a decisive stage of their season.
It’s fair to say that Hodgson (right, with Carlo Ancelotti) saw it coming.
The former England boss is viewed by some as an old-school figure of fun for the curmudgeonly way he goes about his business.
But he was so unhappy about his club’s inactivity in the January transfer market that it took just a enabled Bernard to expertly volley Everton ahead in the 18th minute.
But Walcott’s afternoon came to a painful end shortly afterwards when he limped off with what appeared to be a twisted ankle.
Palace offered little and when Benteke strode on to Zaha’s pass six minutes after half-time, he shot more in hope than expectation.
Jordan Pickford should have saved easily.
Instead, he dropped to his left with all the grace of an arthritic pensioner getting into bed and the ball skidded under him.
He would have been thankful for Richarlison’s sensational strike just before the hour.
The Brazilian collected Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s flick just inside the Palace half before twisting inside the retreating Gary Cahill and burying a shot in the corner.
Pickford redeemed himself by brilliantly blocking Benteke’s closerange header.
And Calvert-Lewin made the game safe in the closing stages when he swept home after Richarlison had headed Lucas Digne’s corner against the crossbar. closed down and being fought. In Spain, he’s protected. It would be a pleasure for English fans to see him, but I don’t see why a club like Manchester City, for example, would move for Messi at 32 or 33.
“If City wanted to buy him, they should have tried to do it a couple of years ago.
“Messi is not Cristiano Ronaldo. Physically, he’s not the same machine.
“Ronaldo is a monster, but, at 32, Messi has only one or two more years playing at the highest level.
“Even playing alongside great players at Barca, he won’t have the same pace or the dribbling ability. I’m sure he knows the end is not far away.”
Messi’s future has been thrown into doubt after a public falling-out with Barca sporting director Eric Abidal and the revelation that he can walk away from the Not
Camp for nothing in the summer, thanks to a clause in his contract.
Petit (above) added: “With the Eric Abidal and Lionel Messi situation, it all depends on what happens in the next transfer window.
“Abidal has also had recent trouble with Xavi, with talk of him joining as manager. Seeing Xavi’s reaction afterwards, it showed that there’s a lack of communication and that someone is lying.
“Something similar has happened with Messi. We’re not used to Messi speaking out on social media in such a manner. Usually, he’s very quiet, so clearly he must be very upset.”
SAM ALLARDYCE has criticised the decision to stage the FA Cup fourthround replays during the Premier League’s mid-winter break.
Allardyce (below) said that the timing highlighted a huge gulf between the FA and Premier League and denied many players essential recovery time.
“For me, it shows the massive difference still between the FA and Premier League,” he said.
“The two major football bodies in English football at loggerheads still – it’s quite sad, to be honest, but it’s been that way for a long time.”
Big Sam helped lead the push for a winter break during his years in charge of Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton.
“British managers like myself have been lobbying for years for a winter break to bring us in line with European leagues,” he said
“But, when we finally get one, the two bodies that run our game still can’t agree. It’s really sad.”