Crystal Palace face Roy Hodgson dilemma as chief sounds out replacement options
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is strongly considering sacking Roy Hodgson - but believes that ready-to-go replacements are few and far between.
Hodgson's second spell as manager of the Eagles is on the verge of coming to an end after Palace were thrashed 4-1 by arch-rivals Brighton on Saturday. 3-0 down after just 34 minutes, droves of away supporters left Brighton's ground early, while some fans who did stay to witness the full humiliation ended up in a confrontation with Danish defender Joachim Anderson after the final whistle.
With just two wins from 12 Premier League games, the Eagles languish five points above the relegation zone. Hodgson survived long enough to take charge of last Tuesday's crucial 3-2 win at home to fellow strugglers Sheffield United, although some board members view the decision not to sack him beforehand as a missed opportunity because the January transfer window was still open.
That's according to the Guardian, who report that Parish is having difficulty finding a replacement who's willing to take over immediately. The Palace chairman also hasn't consulted with the club's biggest shareholder, John Textor - nicknamed Hollywood's Virtual Reality Guru - regarding the future of Hodgson since losing heavily to Brighton.
Former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has long been considered the favourite to succeed Hodgson, while ex-Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is also in contention. The Eagles' next three games include clashes with Everton and Burnley, two teams in the relegation zone who are showing the fight required to stay up.
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Hodgson, 76, came in to rescue boyhood club Palace mid-season last March and was given a one-year contract extension over the summer. The club's board have been criticised for that decision and further shortcomings, but Hodgson defended chairman Parish after protest banners were once again unfurled on Saturday.
"I think it is harsh, I think it is wrong. I think Steve Parish has done a fantastic job for the club," the former England and Liverpool boss stated. "We understand the fans are unhappy, we got beaten heavily at Arsenal and came here and our fans expected us to win the game and lost 4-1.
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Steve Parish has been heavily criticised (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)"It would be unrealistic to expect them to go home happy after that and unrealistic also to think the fans aren't going to protest. All I can say is we are doing our best. Of course, you always empathise in the sense, as a fan, you want your team to win. But games have to be analysed. Fans will have come here with high hopes.
"Unfortunately at the moment, especially given the situation we find ourselves in, not even being able to field a team a bit more capable of doing that, you have to accept it isn't always going to work out that way. Dreams and hopes are one thing but at the same time there is reality and the reality today was, despite our best efforts, we were outplayed by a better team."
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