In February of this year Roy Hodgson took his Crystal Palace side to Leicester and oversaw a 4-1 win that took the Eagles further away from relegation’s clutches towards the safety of mid-table.
It was a satisfying afternoon for the seasoned coach, made all the more memorable by the fact that at 71 years and 198 days he was now officially the oldest man to manage a Premier League team. He is still there now of course and with every passing week that record extends some more.
Palace’s 12th place finish last season married nicely to their final 11th position the season before and, with a squad that on paper at least lacks the quality of many of their peers, it is a testament to Hodgson’s coaching acumen and tactical nous that he has consistently managed to keep his side competing on an equal footing against clubs with superior budgets.
What makes his feat even more remarkable is that on taking charge of his boyhood club in September 2017 they were in turmoil, having lost their opening five games without even scoring a solitary goal.
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Presently, Palace reside in ninth after enjoying a tremendous start to the campaign that includes a 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford and clawing back a two goal deficit at the Emirates last week.
But before we focus more on that it’s worth acknowledging to what extent Hodgson has turned around a tainted reputation that threatened to undo several decades spent in the dug-out.
Established as a well-travelled, multi-faceted coach having worked in numerous countries for so many clubs it would threaten bandwidth to list them here Hodgson took on the poisoned chalice of the England job in 2012 and duly spiked his good name.
A shock World Cup exit at the hands of Iceland proved to be the final straw and an embittered departure made matters worse and at nearly twice the age of many top flight managers it seemed that retirement beckoned. This it seemed was how he was going to be remembered: as a failure.
Only then came the Palace gig and a redemption that has reminded one and all that on the training fields Monday to Friday and on match-days there are few better out there than the Croydon-born gaffer.
This season’s early successes have come about despite Palace selling their best defender in the summer and with their star man’s head turned by a summer-long transfer saga. Yet still they have been brilliant, together, and extremely well organised.
Can Crystal Palace finish in the top 7 or even higher this season? Their chances of doing so are rated in the video below…
It would be fitting therefore if the Eagles’ fine form continued until May, to act as an apt and well-deserved swan song for an individual who has given football his life. Indeed how sweet that would be for the romantics among us, for a man approaching his 73rd birthday to sign off with over-achievement.
This though is Roy Hodgson; no ordinary pensioner. This week talks began to extend his contract beyond 2020. Seemingly he isn’t going anywhere yet. Seemingly there are many more satisfying afternoons to come.