Enraged Eagles fans demand reform as their team is humiliated by rival Brighton.
The manager of Crystal Palace, Roy Hodgson, is under fire for his choice to start Michael Olise against Brighton despite the winger suffering yet another setback to his injury.
After impressing in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over Sheffield United, his first start of the year due to a hamstring injury, Olise was substituted late as a precaution and began on the bench for the Premier League rivalry match at the Amex Stadium.
He was brought on during halftime on Saturday as a desperately trying Palace looked to find a way back into the match against Brighton, down 3-0 after goals from Lewis Dunk, Jack Hinshelwood, and Facundo Buonanotte.
Hodgson made a terrible mistake by allowing Olise to play for just over ten minutes before experiencing a relapse of his hamstring injury and was replaced by Matheus Franca. After a late goal from Joao Pedro and a consolation goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace ultimately lost 4-1.
From the away end at the Amex, the traveling Palace supporters erupted in loud chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing,’ directed at Hodgson, furious that perhaps their finest player was being risked when not totally fit with the side trailing badly.
But thereafter, the former England manager insisted that he had heeded all the medical advice that was required for Olise, who also reportedly informed his manager that he could play in the second half.
“I was told he couldn’t start the game, everyone was quite comfortable with that,” stated Hodgson.
However, he informed me that he was okay to start the second half as a substitute and to play.
“Unfortunately I don’t have a crystal ball and I wasn’t to know that would lead to a recurrence of his injury.”
Hodgson said, “Wonderful, wasn’t it? ” to the taunts from Palace supporters, which were eagerly echoed by their Brighton counterparts. Is it pleasant? No, it isn’t.
“Yes, I have the toughness from managing for years to deal with that, no doubt, and we all have to deal with taunting from opposing fans because that’s just part of life.
“At the moment, our fans are expressing their dissatisfaction with everything that is occurring at the club and they are not happy with it either.
“But I have the fortitude, tenacity, and resolve to see things through because I volunteered to be this football team’s manager and coach. That kind of thing won’t intimidate me, for sure.”
After the final whistle at the Amex, tensions appeared to rise. Social media users have been sharing videos purporting to show Palace defender Joachim Andersen getting into a furious argument with supporters until assistant manager Paddy McCarthy drew him away.
“They are realistic enough to know the fans aren’t going to be happy to see their team lose 4-1 and I think the players did the right thing,” Hodgson stated.
Nobody is happier than we are. At least they made the effort to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the supporters for their support. It’s okay if people react.”
Hodgson was not pleased with another banner that was unfurled late in the afternoon, criticizing Palace chairman Steve Parish and the club’s ownership on a bad afternoon for the Eagles on the south coast.
He declared, “I think it is wrong, I think it is harsh.” “We acknowledge that the supporters are upset; after our humiliating loss to Arsenal, they were expecting us to win this match, but we ended up losing 4-1.
“After that, it would be ridiculous to expect them to return home pleased and to assume that the supporters won’t demonstrate. I can only remark that we are trying our hardest.
