Palace's dream Roy Hodgson successor has never lost a game'

In April, Steve Parish re-appointed 76-year-old Roy Hodgson in an attempt to save Crystal Palace from relegation to the Championship. The move turned out to be a huge success, with the ex-England boss winning five of his ten games and losing only twice.

However, heading into this weekend, Palace were five games without a win and had only won one of their last nine matches, putting them just a few places above the drop zone in the Premier League table.

This run of bad form has fuelled speculation about Hodgson’s future at the club, with Crystal Palace apparently interested in Julen Lopetegui, according to Spanish publication Marca, who has never lost a game against Crystal Palace despite only playing against them once.

Julen Lopetegui’s managerial statistics

The Spaniard will be familiar to Premier League fans following his time as manager of Wolves last season, when he saved the club from relegation. Lopetegui was in charge of 27 games, winning ten, drawing five, and losing 12. However, he was fired before the 2023/24 season began.

Despite having managed several great teams, including Sevilla, Real Madrid, Spain, and Porto, he has only won three titles in his career, two of which were consecutive European Championships with Spain’s U19 and U21 sides in 2011/12 and 2012/13.

His most recent and significant victory was the UEFA Europa League, which he won with Sevilla in 2020.

Lopetegui frequently employs an adventurous 4-3-3 formation that emphasises on attacking full-backs, creative wingers, and a roaming midfielder who can join the attack. However, this 4-3-3 is adaptable, and depending on the individuals, it may be a 4-4-2 or even a 4-2-3-1 inside the same game.

If Lopetegui was to be appointed as the Eagles manager, the 4-3-3 formation would remain as it has provided him with success over the years, particularly at Sevilla.

The current Palace squad has some similarities to the one that the 57-year-old won the Europa League with, which means his system would fit the side quickly and with ease. Lopetegui demands that his two centre-backs are comfortable in possession, can progress the play, and have athleticism, which Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have in abundance.

Tyrick Mitchell at left-back will look to bomb forward at any opportunity, and so will Joel Ward at right-back, however, the latter doesn’t exactly match the profiles of Nelson Semedo and Jesus Navas, and a right-back may be on the Spaniard’s wish list for January if he does join.

Eberechi Eze is simply an unbelievable technician who can win a match on his own. The number ten thrives when drifting to the left of the midfield, and he will use his creativity, dribbling, and ball-carrying to get his side up the field. Eze is arguably a mixture of Matheus Nunes and Ivan Rakitic, and he would play in their role.

The ex-Real Madrid manager loves wingers with pace, a solid defensive work rate, and the ability to test the opposing custodian. He also believes they will form a partnership with the number nine, who has traditionally been a target man, with Jean-Phillipe Mateta potentially being the next Luuk de Jong.

Overall, Lopetegui would immediately help Crystal Palace, who have ran out of ideas under Hodgson. If the Spaniard does sign, Palace should be able to remain up comfortably, with his aforementioned fluidity of play certain to be a breath of fresh air at Selhurst Park.

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Palace’s land dream Roy Hodgson successor reveal’

Julen Lopetegui’s managerial statistics

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