Blinksportsnews247It seems like a belated farewell to him following an incredible 48-year management career that included two stints at Crystal Palace, Blackburn, West Brom, Fulham, Liverpool, England, and Switzerland. Hodgson took years to earn respect, has lived and worked abroad, and is still passionate about the game enough to play well into his seventies.
He simply chuckled and claimed he didn’t know any better when someone recently asked him why he didn’t just kick back and enjoy retirement. It seemed as though Hodgson was making his final stand as the manager of Watford in 2022. He was not happy about it and even grumbled about having to go up the stairs to get to his office.
However, Hodgson was unable to resist going on one final Red Adair expedition when Palace called to save them from relegation the previous season. In fact, Palace chairman Steve Parish invited him back for a second year because everything worked so well. This season hasn’t been without its challenges.
There is a great deal of mutual respect between them. Parish has been very clear that he did not want to fire Hodgson this season if at all possible. He even went with him to the hospital.
When Palace was having trouble getting results over the holidays and new year, Hodgson became quite irritated at a press conference when Steve Cooper was constantly being mentioned in connection with his position. The questions were deemed “disrespectful” by him. Although Hodgson continues to hold himself to a high standard and led Palace to improved performances, they have since regressed due to an injury problem, which has once again brought him under scrutiny.
It put him in yet another tough situation, knowing that there was a news conference to be held and that further questions would be directed towards him regarding a potential replacement. After being “taken ill” on the training field on Thursday morning, there’s a good probability Hodgson won’t be in command once more.
Finding his replacement will require expediting the procedure. He has been receiving medical attention at the hospital, and this is not the first time he has been unable to play for Palace this season—earlier in the campaign, he was unable to travel to Aston Villa. While Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington will probably be involved at Everton on Monday night, Palace is also in discussions with Oliver Glasner, the former Eintracht Frankfurt manager, about taking over permanently.
Hodgson must now perceive this as a chance to exit politely. The players at Palace continue to respect and admire him. They hold him in high regard. It is never appropriate to minimize or undervalue his managerial contributions. He is an excellent planner. He has a talent for assembling teams that are challenging to defeat.
They battled and narrowly lost the game in injury time against Chelsea on Monday night despite a plethora of injuries. That’s a credit to Hodgson as a motivator and manager. Should this mark the culmination of his management career, he should be extremely proud of it.
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