Roy Hodgson chose a boxing analogy to describe his side’s latest thumping in Manchester, inevitably inviting the observation that in a real ring fight the referee would have stopped such an uneven contest.
“I don’t want to criticise my players in any way but we are taking a few blows to the chin,” the Crystal Palace manager said, as his team remain without either a goal or a victory. “We are without Zaha, Benteke and Loftus-Cheek and we lost Scott Dann the day before the game. We are playing with a winger from Wolves at centre‑forward. Add all those things together and we have to accept we are the boxer fighting in a weight class he is not able to handle at the moment. We are taking the blows and getting knocked down, but we are attempting to respond and not stay on the canvas.”
Hodgson said he thought Palace acquitted themselves well in the periods between United’s goals, which brought to mind the curate and his egg, though he is correct in observing he does not have to play top teams every week, even if Chelsea lie in wait after the international break.
“We are in a difficult situation but at least we know we are not going to have to play 38 games against City and United,” he said. “If we can stop the players doubting themselves too much then who knows, we might look back on this terrible spell and say it helped us build the character to stay in the league. The lessons we are learning at the moment could stand us in good stead later in the season.”
Next up are Chelsea at Selhurst Park in two weeks’ time. Here Palace were partly undone by two goals from Marouane Fellaini, a player enjoying life under José Mourinho after enduring difficult spells since joining United from Everton. “Some players perform better for different managers,” Mourinho said. “All managers have their own preferences and I think Marouane has important qualities, ones I can use to help the team.
“I can play him as a defensive midfielder or as a second striker, and that is unusual. He is a great player and a great character. I think only such a strong character would have survived the difficulties he has faced here, when people did not recognise his qualities. He is a fighter, a guy with lots of pride, and I am really pleased if I have helped him reach his present level and change people’s perception of what he has to offer.”