A steadfast Roy Hodgson lauded Crystal Palace’s first win in nine games but said it is “disrespectful” after his 47 years as a manager to assume he might have been fretting over his job security.
Pressure on Hodgson’s position would have ramped up if Palace had lost their home match against Brentford on Saturday, but a 3-1 win — their first since November 4 — eased the pressure on the 76-year-old.
Hodgson was asked whether victory over Brentford might have proved wrong anyone doubting his position as manager.
An irritated Hodgson replied: “I’ll tell you what I really think. I’m 76 years of age. I’ve been working for 47 years. I’ve got a CBE for my services to football, and I’ve got a CV which is incredible. So I’m afraid my answer is that that makes no difference or any interest to me. And to suggest that it should is disrespectful.”
Addressing the performance and Palace’s recent form, he continued: “Although we haven’t been bitterly disappointed with the way we’ve played, we haven’t taken many points, so the three points today were very critical, perhaps more critical even than the performance.
“So to go down 1-0 after 90 seconds, it couldn’t have got much worse. But the players rallied around after that and some of the attacking play was very good.
“[Michael Olise] has [been excellent] since he’s been back. Since [the Everton match] he’s just gone from strength to strength. What he’s done is he’s been Michael Olise, because he’s an outstanding player. His individual performance was a crucial one, I think, in helping us to get the victory.
“You can’t affect the outside noise. No weeks ever go by without noise being directed. My attitude has always been: I'm employed to do my job, I'll do it to the best of my ability, and if there are people who want me to leave the club then they can tell me and I’ll have to do it.”
Hodgson also insisted that he has never feared Palace being sucked into a relegation battle, having now gone six points clear of the dropzone.
He added: “We, the coaching staff, have never lost belief in the team and think this team will do well and are certainly not relegation candidates. But, on the other hand, you are a relegation candidate when you start slipping down the table and there’s not many points between you and the teams below you.”
Olise, who scored twice, pulled up with a suspected hamstring injury in the final seconds of the match.
“I can't tell you,” Hodgson said, when asked the significance of the injury. “I spoke to him. He didn't seem overly concerned. And I spoke to the doc and he wasn't shaking his head [or] suggesting we need a scan tomorrow. But I don't think it was a major snapping of the muscle.”
Palace host Everton on Thursday in the FA Cup third-round, and don't play again in the Premier League until January 20 when they visit Arsenal.
