Roy Hodgson’s style of play at Crystal Palace sometimes divided the opinions of the fans. Now under new manager Patrick Vieira – who praised Hodgson on the weekend for ‘setting the foundation’ for him at Selhurst – Palace have switched their style of play to one with more possession and more focus on getting the ball into the box to create chances. As a result, and thanks to a number of new signings capable of playing this way, Palace have evolved into a different side this season. One player that didn’t stick around to see this change though was former winger Andros Townsend, who secured a move to join Rafa Benitez at Everton this summer after spending five seasons with the Eagles. His latest goal for the Toffees was a long-range screamer against Burnley on Monday Night Football, and afterwards, the 30-year-old told Sky Sports about how his game is much more focused on attacking under Benitez.
Andros Townsend said: “I’ve been working tirelessly on that side of the game. During the last five years at Crystal Palace Roy Hodgson worked tirelessly on the other side of the game, making me more of a dependable player on the defensive side of the game. But now I’ve come here Rafa Benitez has said he’s not concerned about what I do defensively he wants me to be clinical. I’ve started well and I need to keep working to produce for this football club.”
Some Palace fans were mixed in their reaction to what Townsend said though, with many jumping to Hodgson’s defence for the important work he did in keeping Palace in the top flight.
