Five possible replacements for Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace

Cameron Smith

• 13 Feb 2024 19:53 GMT
• 5 min read

Crystal Palace face the threat of being relegated from the Premier League this season and Roy Hodgson may lose his job as a result.

The 76-year-old was re-appointed at Selhurst Park following the sacking of Patrick Vieira in March 2023, and he guided them to safety with an impressive upturn in form during the final weeks of the season.

Palace’s poor run of form this season isn’t solely down to Hodgson, however. Injury issues have plagued their campaign, with Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucoure missing substantial parts of 2023-24, while Marc Guehi is currently absent too.

Those four players are arguably Palace’s most influential stars and their unavailability has been felt hugely.

Hodgson isn’t responsible for this, but he did rush Olise back against Brighton & Hove Albion, and the Frenchman is now out injured again after an 11 minute cameo against the Seagulls last week.

Their 3-1 loss against Chelsea on Monday night was unfortunate, especially considering they took the lead through a Jefferson Lerma first-half strike and conceded twice in stoppage time, but the result means Palace have now won only two of their last 15 games in all competitions (vs Brentford and Sheffield United).

They are only five points clear of the relegation zone and need a major revival if they are to avoid dropping back into the Championship.

Hodgson is under pressure and it may be time for Crystal Palace to finally move on from the elder statesman and appoint a younger manager capable of injecting some life into their squad.

But who could they appoint to replace Hodgson?

Michael Carrick

FootballTransfers understand that Michael Carrick is on Crystal Palace’s shortlist of potential candidates to replace Hodgson and he makes perfect sense.

He has shown his tactical brilliance since being appointed at Boro and while things haven’t been ideal this campaign, Carrick has been dealt a tough hand with regards to returning loanees and injury issues.

Crystal Palace are already interested and an appointment would be a smart choice.

Oliver Glasner

The Telegraph have reported that Oliver Glasner is one of the main contenders to become the next Crystal Palace manager if Hodgson is sacked.

The Austrian guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022 and is highly-regarded among many Premier League clubs due to this accomplishment.

He left Eintracht last summer after a poor second-half of the season, but Glasner could be an intriguing option for Palace, particularly given he typically operates in a 3-4-3 system.

That formation may suit Palace’s current squad and give Eze and Olise complete creative freedom in the two slots behind a central striker.

Kieran McKenna

Kieran McKenna is also wanted by Palace, according to The Telegraph, due to the immense job he has done at Ipswich Town.

The former Manchester United assistant manager guided Ipswich to League One promotion last season and they could repeat that feat in the Championship this campaign as they currently sit fourth.

Ipswich are competing with Southampton and Leeds United for the second automatic promotion spot behind Leicester City, with McKenna a key reason why they are punching well above their weight.

It’s unlikely he would leave Ipswich just yet given how adored he is by the fans, but Palace should push hard for McKenna as he is one of the most exciting managers in English football right now.

Graham Potter

This one seems unlikely given his history with Palace’s rivals Brighton, but Graham Potter is an option for the Eagles.

Potter excelled at Brighton and while his achievements on the south coast have been slightly diminished by the impact Roberto De Zerbi has made, there is no doubting his coaching ability.

His spell at Chelsea wasn’t great, but Potter performed just as well as Mauricio Pochettino is currently doing at Stamford Bridge and few could argue the Argentine is a poor manager.

A possible opening at West Ham makes more sense given his history with Brighton, but anything can happen in football.

Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper has also been touted as a possible replacement for Hodgson following his sacking by Nottingham Forest in December, and a move to Crystal Palace could represent the perfect opportunity to get back into the game.

Considering the other options available to Palace, appointing Cooper would be a slightly underwhelming choice, but he has Premier League experience and helped Forest escape relegation last season with an impressive end to the campaign.

Cooper is certainly an option and could be a safe bet if Palace want to avoid taking a risk with their next appointment.