Roy Hodgson deserves a proper send-off as his Crystal Palace reign looks to be winding down

Roy Hodgson has been avoiding, evading and dancing around the speculation of his future for the entire campaign – but as the curtain begins to fall on Crystal Palace’s Premier League season, it appears increasingly likely that the 73-year-old will depart Selhurst Park in the summer.

Despite going ahead through Christian Benteke’s early opener at St Mary’s on Tuesday night, two goals from Danny Ings and one from Che Adams saw the South Londoners fall to a 3-1 defeat.

The start was a scintillating one. Christian Benteke scored after just two minutes – collecting Scott Dann’s header back into the box, outmuscling several Southampton players and smashing a half-volley underneath Fraser Forster.

Palace could have retaken the lead after Danny Ings brought the home side level. However, Luka Milivojevic saw his 40th-minute penalty kick saved by Forster – it would cause Hodgson’s side to capitulate following the half-time break.

A Che Adams tap-in at the back post and a second for Ings as the match drew to a close helped the Saints claim all three points.

While there has been zero threat of relegation during this season, the importance of securing a ninth consecutive year in the Premier League has become engulfed by a pessimistic and predictable approach to games.

The Eagles produced a ponderous, pedestrian and prosaic performance – one that has become all too familiar from Hodgson’s side.

The lack of activity in the transfer market has left the club with an upcoming summer full of risk-taking and jeopardy. The Hodgson reign is coming to an unsavoury end – the uncertainty over several key squad members and the concealment over the manager’s future have contributed to the fractious relationship amongst the fanbase.

When criticism about the style of football regularly surfaces, I find it impossible not to cast my mind back to the first season under Hodgson.

Frank de Boer lasted just 77 days in the job and was sacked after losing – and failing to score – in the opening four Premier League matches in the 2017-18 season. Hodgson got a sinking ship back on course. He guided the Eagles to comfortable safety – and it was some of the best football I have seen played at Selhurst Park.

It was a young, vibrant team – consisting of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a fearless Wilfried Zaha, an unpredictable Bakary Sako, an energetic James McArthur, a creative Yohan Cabaye and the gallivanting Patrick van Aanholt..

But as the seasons have gone by, the team has become dilapidated – no longer able to compete at that exquisite level with an energetic youthfulness. The performance against Southampton showcased the insecurities which have been placed on show for all to see.

Having taken to the pitch just over 72 hours before kick-off on Tuesday, there was little surprise that the exhausted and lethargic approach of the players soon took shape after the 15-minute mark.

Palace’s defensive security has been exposed on numerous occasions this season, and Ings duly exploited Scott Dann and Cheikhou Kouyate’s awkward partnership.

He was allowed crucial time and space in the box to swivel and get a shot off to bring the Saints level.

And for his second, Ings seized upon the lack of pace in Palace’s porous defence.

While it may sound like a verbal attack on the defence, it is far from it. Unfortunate injuries to Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins and Nathan Ferguson have forced Hodgson to play Kouyate alongside either a 34-year-old Dann or Gary Cahill, 35. It forces Palace to sit back, as going forward leaves space in behind the defence.

However, once again, this was no fault of Hodgson’s. He has made it abundantly clear in recent weeks that he has long hoped for rejuvenation in the squad before this summer.

The constant irritation with a rigid and unimaginative 4-4-2 has also led to heated discussions about Hodgson’s tenure. But on May 19, when the club welcomes 6,500 fans back through the gates at Selhurst Park to take on Arsenal, it should be a day for pushing the immediate criticism to one side and celebrating the job that Crystal Palace’s longest-serving Premier League manager has completed.

It is important to remember that Roy Hodgson has kept Crystal Palace safe and secure from the bottom three with one hand tied behind his back.

His net spend during his four-year tenure at Selhurst Park is a staggering minus-£11.5m.

This summer feels like a natural time to try something new and adventurous. But Hodgson has earned the right for a night of appreciation and applause for the dedication he has shown to Crystal Palace.

STAR MAN
Christian Benteke. He has found a rich vein of form.

BEST MOMENT
Benteke’s emphatic finish past Forster after juggling the ball around a swarm of Southampton players.