Three Players Roy Hodgson Should Look To Sign At Crystal Palace
It is official. Roy Hodgson has been confirmed as the new Crystal Palace manager on a two-year deal. The 70-year old has replaced Frank de Boer, who was given the sack on Monday, after 77 days in charge at the Selhurst Park. (Sky Sports)
Hodgson has been out of a job ever since he quit the managerial post of the England national team following their exit from the UEFA Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland. His last club management job was with West Bromwich Albion five years ago.
The former Fulham boss will have a difficult job of turning things around at the Selhurst Park, after an extremely poor start to the new season, that sees them at the bottom of the Premier League table. The Eagles have lost all their four league games – with the latest one being a 1-0 loss away at Burnley, and are yet to score a single goal in their league campaign.
And here we compile a list of three players that the new manager should look to sign in the January transfer window, in order to get their season back on track.
Shane Long (Southampton)
The 30-year old finds himself on the fringes at Southampton, with Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini ahead of him in the pecking order. Long is yet to start a single game in any of the competitions this season and an exit in search of regular football might be welcomed by the player.
Long is someone that Hodgson knows well and has worked with in the past, having first brought the striker to West Bromwich Albion. The Irishman may not be the most prolific goal-getter, but is still a more than decent option to have in the ranks. Given that the Eagles lack an alternative to Christian Benteke at the top, a new forward would be a welcome addition to the club.
He may not be the most attractive option, but Long is someone who knows the Premier League well and knows what it takes to excel at this stage and could prove to be the catalyst for a push in the second-half of the season.
Joel Robles (Everton)
The Spaniard is another who has slipped down the order of preference at his club, Everton, following the summer arrival of Jordan Pickford from Sunderland. Robles finds himself as the third-choice keeper at the Goodison Park now, with Maarten Stekelenburg being the No.2 for Ronald Koeman.
Palace are short on numbers in the goalkeeping department with veteran stopper Julian Speroni being the only backup for an error-prone Wayne Hennessey. Bringing in a new keeper, who knows the league well and performed well last season when given a chance, could prove to be a smart move by the Eagles and Robles would prove just that.
The 27-year old featured 20 times in the Premier League last season and managed to keep 10 clean sheets in the process, indicating that he can be a reliable option between the sticks. And with his contract set to expire next summer, he could be up for grabs at a cheap price, making him a viable option.
Jan Kirchhoff (Free Agent)
The 26-year old is a free agent after leaving Sunderland at the end of last season. It is a bit of a surprise that he hasn’t been picked up by any club so far.
Kirchhoff, a former Bayern Munich player, who left the Allianz Arena in order to get more playing time, hasn’t hit the heights he was expected to reach. Injuries, playing with a team with struggles all over the pitch have played a part in his stagnation, but he still remains a player that can add great value to the squad.
Able to play in the defensive midfield or as a centre-back, the German national may have played just 8 times last season, but will be able to provide Palace with depth in two areas of the pitch and will be coming in for free. So he can be bought right away, and this would be a shrewd acquisition.