Even though Crystal Palace is five points above the relegation zone and in 14th position right now, the team’s performance has drastically declined this season.
This season, Roy Hodgson’s Eagles have only won six of their 23 games; they have drawn six and lost eleven, including some crushing losses on the road against Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, and Arsenal.
The south Londoners have the third-worst offensive and the sixth-worst defence in the league. With prominent players Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze expected to miss time with injuries, the team’s near future does not appear promising.
Fans’ understandable displeasure over all of these issues has rendered Hodgson’s position untenable, and it’s now just a question of when rather than if Steve Parish and company fire him.
Palace’s managerial search
Following their dismal derby loss to the Seagulls on Saturday, it was rumoured earlier this week that the club was s
eriously considering replacing Hodgson. However, they decided against it since they are having difficulty finding a replacement.
Many managers have been mentioned for the position, including Steve Cooper, Michael Carrick, the current manager of Middlesbrough, and former manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Spain, and Real Madrid, Julen Lopetegui.
Though all three of the aforementioned managers would probably make the team better, Kieran McKenna, who has been connected to the team multiple times in recent months, may be the best choice.
The Northern Irishman has transformed Ipswich Town, a Championship team, from a mediocre League One team to a team vying for promotion to the Premier League.
Even if it could be difficult to get him in, the pull of leading a well-established elite squad with a sizable fan base might be too much to resist.
How McKenna compares to Hodgson
Unlike most well-known coaches, McKenna’s career began and ended at the age of 22, due to a serious hip injury that prevented him from playing for Tottenham Hotspur, where he had played for the majority of his childhood career.
After hanging up his boots, he began coaching in the team’s academy. In 2015, he assumed leadership of the U18 team, and a year later, Manchester United’s U18 team came under his command.
After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival, he continued to serve as assistant coach after José Mourinho gave him the position two years later. In December 2021, he finally managed his own team when he joined Ipswich.
With a staggering 98 points earned since joining the Tractor Boys, McKenna has advanced to the Championship. With a game remaining, he is currently only two points off of the automatic promotion spots.
It’s understandable why sports writer John Chubb called the 37-year-old a “managerial genius” given his track record and backstory, but how does his most recent performance stack up to Hodgson’s?
In other words, throughout McKenna’s tenure at Ipswich, he oversaw 114 games, winning 65, drawing 31, losing 18, and averaging 1.98 points per game. Meanwhile, during Hodgson’s most recent stint at Palace, he oversaw 37 games, winning just 12, drawing 10, losing 15, and averaging just 1.24 points per game.
Thus, it’s evident that even though the Palace manager has an abundance of expertise at his disposal, he hasn’t performed well enough for the Eagles this year.
Although McKenna may still be inexperienced in leading a first team, his experience speaks for itself and he would undoubtedly fire the south Londoners once more.
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