You Only Live Twice – Roy Hodgson is back for a second spell as Crystal Palace manager (Photo: Getty)
‘Time has treated me very well and it would take a fair bit for me to step back in again. But you never say never because you are going to miss it whether you are 75 or 35’.
Roy Hodgson’s final words upon departing Watford last season perhaps unintentionally made reference to the 1983 James Bond movie Never Say Never Again. This flick saw Sean Connery return to the role (albeit unofficially) some 12 years after he last wore his tuxedo, with solid yet unspectacular results.
Now look, one could do a lot worse than ‘solid yet unspectacular’ and Connery as Bond is of course iconic, but it was a film no one was really asking for and in truth it made a mockery of the franchise.
The same can now be said for Hodgson’s return to Crystal Palace just under two years after he left Selhurst Park – only this time the results may not be as pretty.
The 75-year-old is back in the dugout, replacing Patrick Vieira who was sacked last Friday with the Eagles without a win in 2023. This shambolic run has dragged the club into the most open relegation battle the Premier League has ever seen. The gap from Palace in 12th to Southampton in 20th is a mere four points.
Hodgson is on paper a smart appointment. He first joined Palace in 2017 with the side winless and goalless after four matches under Frank de Boer. He rescued his boyhood club, secured a solid mid-table position and proceeded to keep them there until his departure in 2021 – all while working on a shoestring budget.
Tomorrow Never Dies – except for Patrick Vieira who was sacked last Friday (Photo: Getty)
The former England boss is the best manager Palace have had in the Premier League era.
But can he keep them up again? Logic would suggest yes. He knows the club, he knows most of the squad and he’s done it before. Just ignore the two wins in 18 games that relegated Watford last season.
Additionally, the Eagles have a less than daunting fixture list to contend with; eight of their 10 games come against teams below them – away trips to Tottenham and Fulham the exception.
A View to a Kill – Palace chairman Steve Parish has made a very risky call (Photo: Getty)
But regardless of the end result, Hodgson has only been handed a short-term contract and will surely be off again in the summer. Though he may prove to be a quick fix solution, his regressive appointment has made Palace look as old-fashioned and uninspiring as Hodgson’s tactics itself.
His first exit in 2021 was emotional yet widely welcomed by fans – and quietly by some players. New life and new football was desperately needed at Selhurst Park and Vieira delivered just that.
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The results may not have always been there, but the Arsenal legend laid the foundations for Palace to become a vibrant team that recruits and develops great young talent.
Hodgson’s second stint will only last 10 games but threatens to undo all that hard work. Fans will arrive at the clash with Leicester City on 1st April not with hope and anticipation but dread and fear. The players who signed for Vieira like Michael Olise and Marc Guehi will no doubt be equally frustrated.
No Time to Die – Can Wilfried Zaha fire Palace to safety before his inevitable exit in the summer (Photo: Getty)
Any chance of retaining talisman Wilfried Zaha, meanwhile, is now over. The club legend grew annoyed with his team’s lack of progress under Hodgson but seemed to be enjoying his football again under Vieira. This was not the way his last dance was meant to go.
The outcome of chairman Steve Parish’s decision remains to be seen. If Palace are relegated, he will be a laughingstock. If they survive, his next appointment will need to be special, someone who can keep Vieira’s dream alive and consign Hodgson’s comeback to a footnote in history. After all, you only live twice.
MORE : Crystal Palace confirm Roy Hodgson return after sacking Patrick Vieira
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The 75-year-old’s return could undo all of Patrick Vieira’s good work.