Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has said it has been hard work that has turned his side around, not a “bounce” from his appointment.
Hodgson believes his side have discovered more consistency, which will prove to be crucial for the remainder of the season. The Eagles’ boss said;
I never talk about a bounce. It’s a grind, if you like, to try and improve our play from the very first moment.
That didn’t work because four defeats became seven. Then, in the last 19, we’ve been fairly consistent. We’ve had spells where we’ve won, drawn and lost.
To pick up 27 points from those 19 games, I don’t regard that as a bounce. We’ve worked hard for that and have to try and keep up that points tally in terms of average points per game in the final 12.
Hodgson also addressed how his team need to act to relieve pressure ahead of a relegation battle. He continued;
Partly taking points off a top six club, and more so winning two games in a row. That pushes you enormously up the table and eases the pressure. The only thing is that wins are hard to find if you’re not one of the top teams in the league.
The former England manager also echoed a popular opinion about the Premier League this season, that the relegation fight is so tight this season that mid-table hardly exists. He said;
I don’t remember a relegation battle like this one. I remember them from Fulham in 2008, so I don’t go as far back as some others. But this is an unusual situation.
Normally there’s a clearer middle group in the league, but today there doesn’t seem to be a real middle group. It doesn’t take many points to get into the middle – 30 points – at the moment, which is something that gives us all hope, I suppose.
Palace next face a struggling Everton side at Goodison Park on Saturday.
