Crystal Palace fails to get Ipswich manager, stays with Hodgson

Crystal Palace Chairman Steve Parish is holding out hope that Roy Hodgson can turn things around as manager. However, mounting pressure is making the prospect of keeping the 76-year-old on board more challenging. Parish has been working to identify and select candidates to replace Hodgson, but none of the potential replacements are ready to commit to the project.

The most recent rumor to move to Crystal Palace was Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna. However, McKenna is not willing to leave Ipswich Town while the side fights for promotion. Currently, Ipswich is fourth in the Championship, which would set the club up for a spot in the promotion playoffs. Recent struggles have sunk Ipswich from when it was second in the league table, a spot it held from September until just 10 days ago. Over its last nine games, Ipswich has picked up nine points on the back of six draws and one win.

Therefore, the hurdle is luring McKenna away from Ipswich in a pivotal part of the campaign. Likewise, Crystal Palace wants to make a move in the summer, because any move for McKenna right now would require a compensation package. McKenna still has one more season left on his contract after the current campaign, and he has turned Ipswich Town around rapidly.

“My full focus and commitment is with Ipswich and the season that we’re having and the next game ahead,” McKenna said about the links to Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace wants the manager who is bordering consecutive promotions

McKenna is one of the top managers available in the English game currently. He is a former assistant and youth coach at Manchester United and Tottenham. Now, McKenna has been at Portman Road for just over two years. He took over in the middle of the 2021/22 campaign. That year, Ipswich finished 11th in League One. In his first full season at the club, Ipswich Town secured promotion to the Championship. This season, Ipswich was a common pick to rise into the Premier League. A blistering start to the campaign included 11 wins out of the side’s first 13 games. Ipswich and Leicester City created a large gap in the Championship table.

That success may have tapered off. Still, what McKenna has been able to do with Ipswich is drawing the attention of several Premier League clubs. For example, West Ham United is showing interest in bringing McKenna to London. David Moyes, much like Roy Hodgson, has been under the microscope this season. In a similar run of form to Palace, dismal results from the Hammers are leading to increased pressure on the manager.

Palace board under scrutiny of supporters

Even though Parish may want to wait until the summer to fend off West Ham, Crystal Palace fans continue to voice their frustrations with the club. Major defeats against Arsenal and rivals Brighton preceded the recent loss against Chelsea. At each game, supporters waved banners that called the club weak as it sits idle during this run. Crystal Palace does have games against relegation candidates Everton and Burnley. Results there could be crucial to the future of Hodgson.

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