Roy Hodgson is working his magic once again at Crystal Palace.
Hodgson returned to the London club on March 21 and has guided it to straight victories – 2-1 over Leicester on April 1 and a 5-1 hammering of Leeds last Saturday.
Remarkably, those were Palace’s first victories after a 13-game winless streak under former boss Patrick Vieira – the man who replaced Hodgson at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
The former Arsenal hardman had a successful first season at Selhurst Park, guiding the team to a 12th-place league finish and reaching the semifinals of the FA Cup. It lost that match to Chelsea.
However, Vieira could not carry on his remarkable work this season, and in 28 matches, he only managed six victories, nine draws, and oversaw 13 defeats.
The 27-point total had left The Eagles three points off the relegation zone.
Under Hodgson, Palace has climbed to 12th in the English Premier League, six points off the bottom three, with eight games to play.
During his first spell at the London club, from September 2017 to May 2021, Hodgson kept Palace in the top flight with his shrewd management style.
He was also the oldest person to manage in the top division, aged 73 when he stepped down after saving Palace from relegation in the final season.
Hodgson has managed 22 teams in eight countries and was manager of four countries – England, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and Finland.
At Fulham, Hodgson lead the Cottagers to Europe for the first time.
Remarkably, Fulham reached the Europa Cup final in 2010, only to lose 2-1 after extra time to Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
Now back at his boyhood club, expect Hodgson to continue weaving his magic before he returns to retirement until the next time a club needs to “break glass in case of emergency”, and turns to him for help.
FIXTURES (Malaysian time)
SATURDAY
Aston Villa vs Newcastle (7.30pm)
Southampton vs Crystal Palace (10pm)
Everton vs Fulham (10pm)
Tottenham vs Bournemouth (10pm)
Wolves vs Brentford (10pm)
Chelsea vs Brighton (10pm)
SUNDAY
Manchester City vs Leicester (12.30am)
West Ham vs Arsenal (9pm)
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United (11.30pm)
TUESDAY
Leeds vs Liverpool (3am)
Main image: Crystal Palace FC
