Palace bring Hodgson back in from the cold
Despite overseeing the shocking defeat by Iceland last year, former England manager is offered two-year deal to replace sacked De Boer
Roy Hodgson is returning to management with Crystal Palace just over a year after admitting “I don’t really know what I am doing here” in the aftermath of the most embarrassing defeat in the history of the England team.
It was on the day after the shocking European Championship loss to Iceland and his subsequent decision to stand down that Hodgson could not understand why he had to face the cameras. But the 70-yearold will put himself back in the spotlight by agreeing to replace Frank de Boer, who lasted only 77 days, after being offered a two-year Palace contract that includes a lucrative bonus to keep the south Londoners in the Premier League.
However, it appears Hogdson might not even have been Palace’s first choice to replace the Dutchman. Sam Allardyce, who replaced Hodgson briefly as England coach before taking charge of Palace, revealed last night he had been contacted by the Palace chairman, Steve Parish, after he sacked De Boer.
“I spoke to Steve late this afternoon,” Allardyce said. “I made a decision and I wouldn’t feel comfortable at this moment in time at taking any position as a football manager as I’m enjoying my life too much at the moment watching everybody else with the pressures of the Premier League.
“He didn’t offer me the job but he just said ‘what are your thoughts?’. Obviously I told him what I was thinking if you were to offer me the job, I think at this moment of time I wouldn’t want to go back in.”
But Palace have now decided to bring Hodgson in from the cold. In the months since the Iceland defeat, Hodgson has turned down the chance to appear on Strictly Come Dancing and has spoken of his disinterest in being seen as a celebrity. In fact, it is his upbringing in the Palace heartland of Croydon that Hodgson has credited for his grounded approach.
In an interview given to the Big Issue in March, Hodgson said: “I’ve never regarded myself as a celebrity, I have regarded myself as a professional football manager.
“I’m quite proud of my achievements. But I don’t think that lifts me into the celebrity world. I don’t regard myself as any different to anybody else. I want to walk down streets, I want to leave Richmond by train, I don’t want to travel in a chauffeur-driven car. Because it’s not me, it’s not my background, it’s not where I came from.”
Having opted for a big name in De Boer during the summer, Palace have started the season with four successive Premier League defeats and have yet to score a goal. De Boer, who lasted 85 days in his previous job with Inter Milan, reacted to his sacking by posting a message on Instagram that said: “Very disappointed about the decision but nevertheless I want to thank the players, staff and the fans for their support. Good luck for the future.”
The task facing Hodgson at Selhurst Park is not all that dissimilar from the situation he inherited with England. In 2012, England had become fed up with a foreign manager after Fabio Capello had made a mess of the World Cup and left the national team in the lurch by quitting before the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. The nation craved a steady hand and, to a large extent, Hodgson was the perfect man. He proved to be more than a Steady Eddie as he blooded the likes of Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli and Harry Kane, and did everything he could to usher in a new era. But there was little improvement in the major tournaments and he appeared to confuse himself, let alone others, with some of his decisions in France last year.
The experience could have left Hodgson broken and bitter. The defeat by Iceland was the worst in England’s history. It is said Hodgson had more than one change of heart before facing the press the day after the Iceland game, even getting back into the car that had delivered him to the inquest before eventually going through with it.
Hodgson’s admission that he did not know why he was in the room amounted to a public relations disaster, but those who have spoken to the former Inter Milan, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion manager in the last few months insist he is fully rejuvenated and ready to go.
In an interview in July, Hodgson said: “I still feel I have the energy and enthusiasm to do it and, all the time you think you have that, sometimes it would be a bit of a waste not to be doing it when I could.”
Somewhat ironically, given De Boer became the shortest serving Premier League manager in terms of games in charge, Hodgson also spoke of his unease regarding the instant success that is often required when managers take over. Palace’s next four Premier League games are against Southampton, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. “All you can do is try to get the best out of the ones you’ve got,” he said. “If the ones you have got are not good enough, unfortunately you will be struggling. It is one of those truisms.”
It may well be true, but Hodgson will need to make an immediate impact on his management return.