#PLStories – #IanHolloway believes Crystal Palace should prioritize survival over style and retain #RoyHodgson #CPFC
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Roy Hodgson
Former Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway says that Roy Hodgson deserves a minimum of one more year at the club, with his future at Selhurst Park currently uncertain. There have been concerns from fans over the style of football played this season, particularly when facing the likes of relegation-threatened Fulham in the 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park. Holloways says that concerns over the style are misplaced, and that Hodgson has done more than enough to earn another year’s extension at Palace.
Ian Holloway said “Without a shadow of a doubt. I would ask him where he sees it going over the next two or three years, how many of the ones that are out of contract do we need? Have they been here too long? Do they need a new challenge? Who is vital to it? At the end of the day, the structure and stability that Roy has brought to the club I think has been really important. I would definitely be giving him [another year]. Yes, he’s an older manager but that brings knowledge. I would be picking his brains. They’re currently close to one of the best seasons they’ve ever had, if not the best. So I don’t understand. But that’s why players go in and out of contracts. And with COVID, it’s very, very difficult to deal with the finances when you haven’t got crowds coming in. You’ve lost a huge part of your revenue. In the top flight it’s not all of it, but really you need the public in there paying their money, getting it all excited, rousing them up, bouncing up and down looking the other way. It’s quite a unique place, but I know how tough it is and I think Roy deserves a new contract, minimum of one year at least. Ask Charlton Athletic supporters, particularly now they’ve just lost their manager, how they feel. You know, they were moaning about finish seventh – you’ve got to be really careful what you wish for as a football supporter. I believe the club has moved forward, the way they play, the skill that some of their players have got manages to win them games. But really, who they’re competing with: to have to break their stranglehold on the game i.e Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal…that’s never going to be easy. If they can get themselves up towards the top half which they nearly are at the moment, who is to say they can’t actually take that step forward in a few years? I believe they’re getting stronger year on year, you can see the improvements in them. Yes, they have some bad spells every now and again because I think the other squads are stronger than theirs, and the longer they stay there the better that will be, they more they’ll have to expand the pay structure. Because that’s what it comes down to in the end. All this about style – it’s alright chopping and changing the style, but if you can effectively get the points you need to get there and eventually work towards maybe winning one of those cups, being in one of those cups, you’ll attract the better players provided you can afford to pay the money. My challenge is to Crystal Palace fans: keep backing the club by going in more and more numbers rather than moaning about how you’re playing. It’s tough to win any game in that division. Rather than dominating, I’d be chuffed if I was there. I watched them the other night and I thought they did really, really well and I’d like to give their manager all that credit because he deserves it.”
Hodgson’s current contract in South London expires at the end of the season, and while the 73-year-old has insisted that he is in no rush to enter talks over a new deal just yet, rumours have circled over a potential exit for him from SE25 in the summer. Palace are currently on course for their best ever season in the Premier League, sitting 12th in the Premier League with a win against West Brom in their last fixture before the international break.
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