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Post by Football News on May 14, 2018 11:50:11 GMT
Crystal Palace 2-0 West BromThis game ended up a celebration of Roy Hodgson, with the affection bellowed by both sets of supporters. The home fans in the Holmesdale end waited until early in the second half to unfurl their banners of appreciation, with the ground then united in chorusing the former England manager’s name. He looked almost sheepish acknowledging all the adulation. West Bromwich Albion remember Hodgson fondly from his time at the Hawthorns, where he ensured survival and then consolidation over a 15-month tenure before taking up the reins of the national side. He has galvanised Palace in similar fashion, with a team who were goalless and pointless after seven matches ending the campaign outside the top half only on goal difference. The rise has been remarkable. Hodgson, Croydon-born and content in familiar surroundings, can plan progression from now. The first task will be to guard against complacency. “We mustn’t start thinking that, just because we’ve finished 11th, that’s our level,” said Hodgson. “That has only really been a product of the last three games [which were all won] otherwise it might have been us going down, and not West Brom. So we have to plan and build on this success. We need a philosophy and a clear idea of where we want this club to go.” Talks with the sporting director, Dougie Freedman, will resume this week to plan for next term, with only Damien Delaney of those players out of contract on 1 July having confirmed he will depart. There must be resolution on the futures of Yohan Cabaye, Joel Ward, Bakary Sako, Julián Speroni and Lee Chung-yong. Ruben Loftus-Cheek will return to Chelsea, leaving a void to be filled in midfield. It would take a mind-blowing offer for Wilfried Zaha for Palace to consider selling their talisman. There is no desire to sell a player who is contracted to 2022 and without whom this team did not muster a point in the 10 games he missed this season. “I understand people coveting Wilfried, but he loves playing for the club, he’s a Croydon boy and I don’t think he’s going to jump at the first opportunity,” said Hodgson. “He knows full well the last thing on anyone’s mind here is letting him go. We don’t need to sell him.” True to form, it was Zaha who eventually opened the scoring here, converting the excellent Patrick van Aanholt’s centre as West Brom struggled to reorganise after the introduction of Christian Benteke. Van Aanholt would add a second soon after, following some slick close passing in a cramped penalty area, rounding Ben Foster to score for the third game in succession. That confirmed the only defeat of Darren Moore’s caretaker stewardship of Albion, but should not detract from the impact he and his staff have made over the last six weeks. “We’ve restored pride in the football club,” said the interim manager. “We stopped the rot and offered hard work and endeavour, and even provided a bit of a feel-good factor. We’ve seen that over the final six weeks of a very difficult campaign.” Moore is a leading candidate to take up the position on a full-time basis, with West Brom hoping to confirm an appointment before the end of the week. Michael Appleton and Dean Smith have also been heavily linked. Guardian
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