SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
Before we write anything, let’s just give Roy Hodgson credit for what he did achieve at Crystal Palace.
The 74-year-old managed to keep us in the Premier League on a shoestring budget for many years, even during a season-and-a-half without fans.
As Patrick Vieira admitted after the 3-0 win over Tottenham, Hodgson’s efforts helped us to become a sustainable football club.
However, let’s focus on the one, huge negative – the football.
Hodgson’s target was undoubtedly to avoid relegation, and you may say it’s unfair to criticise his successful methods in achieving that.
Ultimately, the style of play was so bad that it is actually hard to give the ex-England manager much credit.
We’re seemingly not the only ones who think that.
Speaking after the 3-0 win over Spurs, Wilfried Zaha made a remark which suggested he disapproves of Hodgson’s style of play.
As quoted by the club’s official website, Wilf said: “The way we’re playing, we’re bound to get a chance. I feel like it’s not just counter-attacks and hoofing the ball around, when it’s properly planned, the way we’re playing, the goals are going to come eventually.”
In our view, that doesn’t sound like a man who’s enjoyed playing in such a style over the years.
Specifically, the following 13 words speak volumes to us.
“I feel like it’s not just counter-attacks and hoofing the ball around.”
The way Wilf reduces such a style to ‘hoofing the ball around’ is telling, as is his use of the word ‘just’ – it’s devaluing in every sense.
He isn’t wrong, though.
Under Hodgson, it never looked like we’d score at all – there was no plan.
Now, under Vieira, there’s clearly a pattern. Build from the back, hunt in packs to regain possession, and keep control of the game.
By the sounds of it, Wilf is far happier under the ex-Arsenal colossus than he ever was under Hodgson, which is great news for us.
