da dobrowin： Crystal Palace appointed Roy Hodgson as their new manager this week after Frank de Boer was sacked following a disastrous start to the Premier League season, and the former England boss will already be considering making some huge changes in the coming weeks to get the team back on track.
da prosport bet： De Boer was only given the job in June but following the 1-0 loss against Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday – which means they have suffered four straight defeats without scoring a goal in the top flight – chairman Steve Parish decided to relieve the Dutchman of his duties in order to try and turn their fortunes around.
Hodgson arrives at Selhurst Park with plenty of experience of managing at this level with Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Liverpool, and West Bromwich Albion, and he will already be thinking about the alterations he needs to make – starting when the Eagles host Southampton on Saturday.
Here are three huge changes Roy Hodgson should make to get Palace back on track…
Ditch Frank de Boer’s formations
De Boer came to Selhurst Park wanting to give Crystal Palace a new identity and expansive playing style, but it just didn’t pay off for a number of reasons – one being a lack of time.
The 3-4-2-1 system he used on the opening day of the season brought about a 3-0 home defeat by newly-promoted Huddersfield Town, while the 4-3-3 alternative did see a slight improvement but not enough to for the side to find the net or pick up a point.
Hodgson now needs to go back to basics because of the personnel he has and the situation the club finds itself in, and it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see the former England boss go with a more familiar and defensively-minded 4-1-4-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation when Southampton visit south London on Saturday.
Drop Jason Puncheon and Wayne Hennessey
De Boer handed Puncheon the captaincy during the summer and he has played all but 17 minutes of their Premier League campaign so far.
However, the 31-year-old midfielder has struggled to make a real impact and it is unclear whether the pressure of wearing the captain’s armband is weighing too heavily on his shoulders, or whether he is just suffering from a lack of form like many of his teammates.
Hodgson will likely want to make changes to the starting line-up and Puncheon should be replaced by someone like Luka Milivojevic in midfield, while goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey’s spot may also be under threat following a disappointing start to the season.
With Julian Speroni available on the substitutes’ bench, Hodgson should look to remove a low-on-confidence Hennessey from the firing line and replace him with the fans’ favourite.
Give Mamadou Sakho the captaincy
Whether Jason Puncheon keeps his spot in the team or not, Hodgson may feel that it is time to appoint a more dominant and vocal captain if Crystal Palace are to pick up results and move up the Premier League table.
Having signed him in a £26m deal on transfer deadline day, the Eagles should consider naming Mamadou Sakho as their new skipper.
The 27-year-old made a huge impression and strengthened a leaky backline when he moved to Selhurst Park on loan from Liverpool in January, and he certainly has the presence and quality to be a successful captain for the south London outfit this season.
Do you agree, Palace fans? Let us know below.