Joel Ward has revealed the secret behind Crystal Palace’s recent success under Roy Hodgson. Prior to the March international break, the Eagles were winless in 2023 and the looming threat of relegation resulted in Patrick Vieira losing his job as manager. Speaking about what the former England manager said when arriving at the club and the impact it has had on the Palace players, defender Ward said Hodgson told everyone to keep it simple and build from the back.
Joel Ward said: “There’s not a huge difference in it. The message when they [Hodgson, assistant manager Paddy McCarthy and first-team coach Ray Lewington] came in was clear: they wanted to simplify things; build from a strong, sturdy foundation; and let the front guys do what they do best. Certainly, in the last few games, they’ve done that. We went on a very tough run. We played a lot of the top teams, which wasn’t easy. Obviously, in this league, it’s all about results, and I think with Roy [Hodgson] coming back in and taking the helm, it’s given people a bit of a lift, and a bit of freedom to go and express themselves. Everyone at the moment is on the same hymn sheet and the results have spoken for themselves.”
