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Crystal Palace might hire a “intense” 3-4-2-1 manager to replace Hodgson….

Published

11 months ago

February 9, 2024

Crystal Palace could turn to “intense” 3-4-2-1 manager to replace Hodgson

Crystal Palace once again find themselves at a dangerous crossroads under Roy Hodgson. With the Eagles out of form and the fans beginning to turn on the veteran manager, Steve Parish could now turn to a potential replacement who’s yet to manage in the Premier League.

Whilst Hodgson is still in charge, three wins in 18 games doesn’t exactly scream job security and Palace’s recent 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion could prove to be the beginning of the end of his second spell in charge. The former Liverpool boss especially came under scrutiny for his decision to substitute Michael Olise when Palace were already 3-0 down to Brighton before their star man suffered a lengthy injury.

With that said Palace have already reportedly spoken to both former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Julen Lopetegui and former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper over the potential role, though both have reservations about taking over in the middle of the season. What’s more, according to Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail, Crystal Palace hold an interest in Oliver Glasner to varying degrees.

Glasner’s last managerial role was at Eintracht Frankfurt, where he spent two years and won the Europa League in the 2021/22 season. Since leaving the Bundesliga club last summer, the Austrian has been without a job.

As Palace continue to consider Hodgson’s future, Glasner could be an ideal alternative option to choose from, should those at Selhurst Park miss out on the likes of Cooper and Lopetegui.

Although Cooper and Lopetegui both have the benefit for Premier League experience, Glasner would bring the anticipation of the unknown when it comes to English football. The former Frankfurt man certainly has plenty of credentials to back up his ability too – not least his Europa League win two seasons ago. He earned several fans in Germany as well, including former RB Leipzig manager Marcos Rose.

Glasner’s preferred formation of 3-4-2-1 would be an interesting change from Hodgson’s 4-3-3, with the former Frankfurt manager potentially getting even better form out of Eberechi Eze, who’d be playing a more advanced central role. As things stand, the Palace star slots into a midfield three, which could quickly prove to be limiting when the Eagles become overrun.

So Glasner is certainly an impressive candidate and if the results fail to change under Hodgson, we may get a closer look at his managerial style in the Premier League.