Hodgson having ‘sleepless nights’ after Crystal Palace pair prove their quality
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson admits he is having “sleepless nights” about team selection after seeing his side beat West Brom 5-1.
Palace were level with the Baggies at the break, but asserted their dominance in the second half thanks to braces from Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke.
It ensured Hodgson’s side bounced back from successive defeats to restore some positivity. Indeed, the manager was delighted with the manner of the win.
“We looked dangerous throughout the game, and I am really pleased,” he told BBC Sport.
“In training we do a lot of work on attacking formations and how we try to cause problems. We knew at half-time we would have more of the ball and we had to work hard around the penalty area.”
That work in the final third was fruitful in the second half. Benteke got his first two goals of the season and Zaha scoring in his first appearance since recovering from Covid-19.
Hodgson was full of praise for the duo, who could be key parts of his attack in the weeks ahead.
“Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke showed they are goalscorers at heart,” he said. “Every team would miss their best player.
“Benteke’s work rate pleased me. You can’t judge him just on scoring goals or not, we expect a lot from our centre-forward. I’ve told him if he does that work he will satisfy me.
“Our front four have enormous talent, Premier League quality. If we can get them the ball often enough I’d expect them to score goals.”
Hodgson highlights squad depth
With players like Zaha and Benteke returning to form, Hodgson has plenty of options to choose from for his upcoming games.
He now claims his squad is that deep that he is not finding it easy to pick his lineups.
“For the first time I’ve been at the club I find myself having sleepless nights over team selection,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s not easy.
“You never want to compare, but of course you don’t have a really good reason to say why you’re picking someone else. If we are going to have a good season we need all these players.”