Crystal Palace could hire ‘managerial genius’ to end Hodgson nightmare

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 28: Roy Hodgson, Manager of Crystal Palace, acknowledges the fans after the final whistle of the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park on May 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

Despite sitting in 14th place and five points clear of the relegation zone, the wheels have well and truly fallen off at Crystal Palace this season.

Roy Hodgson’s Eagles have won just six of their 23 games this season, drawing six and losing the other 11, including some punishing defeats away to Arsenal, Newcastle United, and, worst of all, Brighton & Hove Albion.

Along with having the sixth-worst defence in the league, the south Londoners also have the third-worst attack, and with star players Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze set for spells on the sidelines, the immediate future’s not looking bright.

All of these things combined have left fans feeling understandably frustrated, a frustration that has made Hodgson’s role untenable, and it’s now a matter of when and not if Steve Parish and Co give him the sack.

It was reported earlier this week that the club seriously contemplated firing Hodgson in the aftermath of their embarrassing derby defeat to the Seagulls on Saturday, but stopped short of pulling the trigger due to the trouble they are having securing a replacement.

A number of managers have been touted for the role, such as Steve Cooper, former Manchester United midfielder and now Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick and even former Wolverhampton Wanderers, Spain and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui.

However, while all three of the aforementioned managers would likely improve things at the club, the best option might be the up-and-coming Kieran McKenna, who has been linked to the club several times over the last few months.

The Northern Irishman has done an unbelievable job for Championship club Ipswich Town, taking them from a middling League One side to one fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

While getting him through the door might be challenging, the allure of managing an established top-flight team with a significant fanbase might be too tempting to turn down.

McKenna has a slightly different background to most high-profile coaches as a severe hip injury early on in his career forced him into retirement at 22 years old before he could make his senior debut for Tottenham Hotspur, the side he spent most of his youth career with.

Upon hanging up his boots, he started to coach in the team’s academy before taking the reins of the U18 side in 2015 and then taking charge of Manchester United’s U18 a year later.

Two years after that, he was offered an assistant coach role by José Mourinho – which he kept following the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – before finally managing a team of his own when he joined Ipswich in December 2021.

Since taking the job with the Tractor Boys, McKenna has won promotion to the Championship with an unreal points haul of 98 and is currently just two points off the automatic promotion places in the Championship, with a game in hand.

With his record and personal story, it’s easy to see why sports reporter John Chubb labelled the 37-year-old a “managerial genius”, but how does his recent record compare to Hodgson’s?

Well, in McKenna’s spell with Ipswich, he has managed 114 games, won 65, drawn 31, lost 18 and averaged 1.98 points per match, whereas Hodgson has managed Palace for 37 games in this recent spell, winning just 12, drawing ten, losing 15 and averaging just 1.24 points per match.

It’s quite clear, then, that while the Palace boss has an endless amount of experience and knowledge he can call upon, he simply hasn’t been good enough for the Eagles this season.