A manager who has been praised by Man City’s treble-winning leader Pep Guardiola is reportedly “attracted” to the Crystal Palace position, as pressure on incumbent head coach Roy Hodgson grows following yet another setback.
After losing to Chelsea 3-1 in south London on Monday night, the Eagles had now lost three straight games. Mauricio Pochettino’s team inflicted heartbreaking last-minute goals, scoring twice in stoppage time.
Palace actually took the lead and held their own for a good chunk of the match, but Hodgson’s initial struggles to find the positives brutally undid their good work.
Regarding Palace’s loss to Chelsea, Hodgson remarked, “I’m not really in the mood if I’m being brutally honest of (highlighting) positives and trying to find things to say that would cheer me up, because I don’t know what could be said that would cheer me up.”
What can I say to lift the players’ spirits? I could argue that, given the players returning and how well these guys are playing, the 14 games we have left should be promising for the future.
Just after halftime, Conor Gallagher, a former Palace loanee, cancelled out Jefferson Lerma’s first goal. The Englishman then gave Chelsea the lead in the 91st minute, and Enzo Fernández completed their victory.
After two straight victories across all competitions, Mauricio Pochettino is under a little less criticism, but the same cannot be said for his competitor in the dugout from last night. In fact, it has been reported that Palace board chairman Steve Parish and others have been considering managerial alternatives for Hodgson; recently, information on former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui has surfaced.
After leaving Wolves last year, the Spaniard has been linked to a move to Selhurst Park. Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke claims that Lopetegui is “attracted” by Palace’s strong roster.
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