Secrets of Roy’s Palace revolution
AT the start of October, Crystal Palace seemed as good as relegated after suffering seven defeats in their opening seven games.
Yet Saturday’s win against Burnley, thanks to Bakary Sako’s goal, means they are now five points clear of the bottom three.
In the space of four months, former England boss Roy Hodgson has restored his reputation and got the Eagles flying again. Here is how he has done it…
OLD-SCHOOL STYLE
ONE of Hodgson’s more unusual quirks is inviting the opposing manager into his Selhurst Park office for a drink prior to the match rather than afterwards.
Sean Dyche had a coffee with the 7 0 - y e a r- o l d before Burnley’s 1-0 loss and the two chewed the fat about football, avoiding the topic of the game that was about to follow.
Hodgson is certainly old-school. He has his own idea of how a football club should function and that applies to training, too, where he is very hands-on.
His sessions are draining and full of detailed drills, some of which are repeated dozens of times, so he knows his instructions are burned into the players’ brains. It is a basic but tried-and-trusted system, as far as Hodgson is concerned.
To his credit, Palace’s players now know their positions better than ever, just as West Bromwich’s did in 2011-12.
SENSE OF SELF-BELIEF
ONE reporter made the mistake at a press conference last week of asking Hodgson about his ‘England debacle’. The 70- year- old responded: ‘You mean the one game we lost against Iceland? You call it a debacle?’
Hodgson was ridiculed when handed the Palace job, but a strong sense of self-belief has helped him get a tune out of a squad who looked hopeless.
RUTHLESSNESS
HODGSON does not only call out reporters. Any of his former Fulham players will tell you he has an edge to him. Fail to give your all in training and you know about it. ‘He is not afraid to tell you what’s what if he thinks you are not pulling your weight,’ said one player who worked with Hodgson at Craven Cottage.
MAN-MANAGEMENT
WHEN Frank de Boer was sacked in September and Hodgson appointed, some of Palace’s players were unsure of what to expect from the ex-England manager. Palace owner Steve Parish has been overwhelmed by the difference in atmosphere. Under De Boer, it was one of confusion with a lack of communication. Under Hodgson, the players know where they stand and what they have to do. Sometimes, simplicity really is the way to go.