No sooner has Roy Hodgson taken up the managerial position at Crystal Palace then names are being bandied around as to who might replace him at season’s end, with Richard Keys talking up the credentials of one former Eagles chief.
In their hour of need after sacking Patrick Vieira, the south London outfit turned to Hodgson in the hope that he can keep them up in the Premier League for another season.
The 75-year-old is no spring chicken but a wily old campaigner that clearly fancied the challenge of coming out of retirement and seeing if he still had the Midas touch.
According to WhoScored, Vieira hadn’t won a single game for the club in 2023, which was only ever going to end in his sacking.
As often happens when a new manager comes into a club, despite working with the same group of players, there appears to be a lifting of spirits in the dressing room and a positivity about the place.
How else do you explain Hodgson winning a game (against Leicester) at the first time of asking?
In any event, whether he keeps them in the English top-flight or they drop down into the Championship, Keys believes that former Palace player and manager, Alan Pardew, needs to enter the conversation.
‘It’s great to see Roy Hodgson back in business. What an impact!’ he wrote on his blog.
‘It was a big call by Steve Parish to invite him back to Palace, but going forward why not Alan Pardew? Why does Pardew never got a mention when jobs become available? He’s a proven PL manager and would do a very good job for someone.’
Perhaps the reason why Pardew doesn’t get mentioned is the same reason why clubs are starting to steer clear of the likes of Sam Allardyce et al.
They’re seen as ‘yesterday’s men,’ and managers whose ideas belong in the past. Maybe such a summary of their credentials is a little unfair, but Pardew certainly hasn’t done anything of note of late that should see him jump the queue if the top job at Selhurst Park becomes available again so soon.
This is an old April fools joke!! If keys has said and believes that then he needs to collect his P45 and retire. It’s not even funny.