Back in December 2023, Roy Hodgson enraged the Crystal Palace fanbase by claiming they were “spoilt” after a 2-0 loss against Bournemouth.
When asked for his thoughts on boos from the Selhurst Park faithful after the result, the former England manager said: “I would sum it up as a very sad evening for us. The fact is that the expectations are high, hence the boos… the fact is, the fans have been spoilt here in recent times. They’re used to seeing us do very well at home and get good results.”
Prior to those comments, Crystal Palace fans had only witnessed a single victory at Selhurst Park by that stage in the 2023/24 campaign, a 3-2 win over Wolves.
It was a thoughtless remark by Hodgson at the time, and the immense efforts of Oliver Glasner after he replaced the 78-year-old in February of that season only makes the comments worse.
Crystal Palace’s fixtures are out for the 2026/27 season! Which game are you most excited for? 🤔
Now, Crystal Palace fans really are being spoiled
If Hodgson felt Crystal Palace supporters were “spoilt” back in 2023 amid a period of abysmal football and pathetic cup runs, we would love to hear what he thinks of this trophy-laden period happening right now.
Glasner well and truly spoiled the fanbase during his two-and-a-half seasons in south London, leading Crystal Palace to a first major trophy with the FA Cup success in 2025, before going on to remarkably secure the Community Shield and UEFA Conference League as well.
As the French Coach of the Year arrives to replace the Austrian in Pierre Sage, and only Real Madrid can claim to have more goalscorers at the 2026 World Cup than Crystal Palace, these are the times when the fanbase truly can be considered spoilt.
The bar has been set incredibly high.
Fans were quite right to kick off at Hodgson after those comments in 2023, as were they to display a banner demanding more after a humiliating 5-0 defeat at Arsenal in January 2024.
We all knew the players were capable of more, as Glasner – who almost joined Nottingham Forest – proved that very season by overseeing six wins and a draw in the final seven Premier League games.
Where do you think we can finish in the UEFA Europa League next season after victory in Leipzig? 🤔
If Nottingham Forest can reach the last four while in a relegation battle, surely we can at least make the final? 👀
Most of the side Hodgson regularly talked down to went on to make history for Crystal Palace, which just goes to show how valuable it is to have a real believer managing the side over a pessimist.
