Hodgson glad he’s not a beginner
ROY HODGSON insists he wouldn’t trade places with Eddie Howe or any other young manager attempting to forge a career in the dug-out.
Crystal Palace manager Hodgson is 31 years older than his Bournemouth counterpart, as the sides meet tomorrow.
Hodgson, 71, believes the intense pressure managers are placed under today means it is much harder for a young boss to get established than when he was starting out at Halmstad in Sweden 40 years ago.
‘Money has changed the game enormously,’ Hodgson said. ‘It’s much harder today for managers to have long careers.
‘Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and myself... our start was easier because it wasn’t under that enormous spotlight that we’re under today. You know you must never lose two matches in a row and that’s very, very tough. I certainly don’t envy young managers.’
Palace visit the Vitality Stadium on the back of the midweek Carabao Cup win at West Brom that was marked by two goals by Andros Townsend. Hodgson insists he has been happy with the player’s contribution, but says the 27-year-old would like to boost his goal return.
‘It’s a bonus when he gets rewarded like he did on Tuesday night with two goals from such a good performance and they were good goals as well,’ he said.
‘I don’t see it necessarily as needing to be a catalyst for any future behaviour because the way he has been playing for us is always satisfactory.
‘It’s something we all want from him and something he wants from himself, of course, to score more goals.’