No matter how talented we think we are, we all have our limitations. But, we can strive to be our best and, in some cases, we may even end up over-achieving.
Most Palace fans agree Roy Hodgson has done a brilliant job of steadying the ship since arriving at Selhurst Park, but there are serious questions about how far he can take the club. The veteran boss has a wealth of experience but has always had a ceiling in terms of his level. His tenures in charge of Liverpool and England exposed his weaknesses as a top-level coach, and at the age of 71, he is in the twilight of his career.
The big decision for the Palace hierarchy is whether they stick with Hodgson for the indefinite future or start planning for the longer term. There is a lot to be said for having a boss who can keep you afloat in the Premier League and the quest for progression to the next level can sometimes backfire. But, for a club like Palace, there is a sense that, with the right guidance, they could win a trophy or sneak into Europe. Once that level is achieved, there is something solid to build on.
Hodgson provides stability, but his style of football is not conducive to taking on the elite teams. And, as he has mentioned in the past, he is not about to change the methods that have served him well. What’s more, Palace are still only 6/1 to be relegated in the Premier League football betting odds.
Last season’s 11th-place finish was quite remarkable considering the Eagles lost their first seven games. No other club had ever avoided relegation after such a bad start. And that gives us a clue as to where Hodgson sits in coaching terms. Over the years, there have been a raft of coaches not quite cut out for the elite level but competent enough to steer a team clear of relegation. Fellow former England boss Sam Allardyce would also fall into this category.
Palace started the current campaign by losing five of their first eight matches. The rate of improvement seems to have stagnated and any positivity in the stadium has dwindled. It feels like the club might be approaching a crossroad where one direction leads to more of the same from Roy, and in the other, there is an opportunity to be bold and try a new approach.
Of course, the appointment of Frank de Boer was a bold experiment and one which the club to abandon at the first hurdle. The next change they make needs to be decisive. That means bringing in another proven coach who can take the club further than Hodgson or take another risk on an up-and coming-coach, but giving them time to implement their methods.
Either way, there is a growing consensus that the current incumbent has taken the club as far as he can.
