Questions over job speculation ‘disrespectful’, says Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson

LONDON – Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson gave a robust response on Dec 30 when asked if he was affected by speculation about his job, branding the suggestion “disrespectful”.

The veteran’s team snapped an eight-match winless run with a 3-1 home victory over Brentford.

Winger Michael Olise scored either side of half-time, cancelling out Keane Lewis-Potter’s early opener with a fine volley before extending the hosts’ lead with another good finish. Eberechi Eze had given the home side the lead six minutes before the break.

But the result came after what Hodgson acknowledged was a “difficult run”, in which Palace won just one of their previous 12 English Premier League matches.

The Englishman’s future was called into question with reports that he could be replaced by Steve Cooper, recently sacked by Nottingham Forest, or other available candidates.

Asked by reporters in his press conference whether he thought about the speculation, Hodgson said: “No. I think about the match and what needs to be done.

“There’s no point, you can’t affect the outside noise. If the noise isn’t directed at me, it would be directed at somebody else because that’s part and parcel of the game.

“No weeks ever go by without noise being directed, so when you’ve been in football as long as I have, you have to understand that it’s part and parcel of football.

“But my attitude has always been: I’m employed to do a job, I shall do it to the best of my ability.

“If there are people who want me to leave the club, they can tell me and I’ll have to do it.”

When Hodgson was asked again about the Cooper talk and whether the result on Dec 30 had proved his detractors wrong, he gave an unequivocal response.

“I’ll tell you what I really think,” he said. “I’m 76 years of age. I have been working 47 years.

“I’ve got a CBE for my services to football and I’ve got a CV which is incredible.

“So my final answer to you is that, it makes no difference or has any interest to me at all and to suggest that it should is disrespectful, that’s what I think.”

Meanwhile, Brentford boss Thomas Frank said he was “burning inside” after another defeat, but that he was pleased by his injury-ravaged side’s performance.

“No complaints about the effort or mentality from the players,” he said.

“I think in a lot of areas we did quite well, but the decisive factor today was the quality in both boxes.” REUTERS