The club Crystal Palace has been facing difficulties in convincing Kieran McKenna to become the new manager in place of Roy Hodgson. However, they are hopeful that the current Ipswich manager could potentially take over at the conclusion of the season. Hodgson’s position is still uncertain following their recent loss to Chelsea, which has left them with only a five-point lead over the relegation zone. They will be facing Everton, who are currently in 18th place, on Monday.
The chairman of Palace, Steve Parish, reportedly talked to McKenna’s agents. However, McKenna is said to be hesitant about leaving his current team, who are currently in fourth place and vying for promotion in the Championship.
Parish has long been a fan of the 37-year-old ex-Manchester United assistant, who joined Portman Road in December 2021 and recently extended his contract for four years after guiding Ipswich to promotion last season. Pursuing McKenna as a potential replacement for David Moyes at West Ham, should he not have his contract renewed at the end of the season, would require a club to pay a substantial amount in compensation.
Parish’s preference is to delay replacing Hodgson until the summer, however, he has considered firing the 76-year-old multiple times during a stretch of four wins in the last 18 league games, which has landed Palace in a fight against relegation. It is believed that he has reached out to several potential candidates in recent weeks, such as former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper and Julen Lopetegui, who was previously with Wolves.
During the televised game against Chelsea, a group of fans at Selhurst Park displayed banners criticizing the ownership for creating a “weak club culture and direction.” These banners, which were also seen during previous matches against Brighton and Arsenal, are unlikely to have been well-received by the boardroom.
Monday’s trip to Goodison Park – where Palace have not won since September 2014 – and the home game against Burnley could prove vital for Hodgson’s future given they are against sides in the bottom three.
Hodgson stated following the loss to Chelsea: “I want to make it clear that there is no sense of overconfidence here… However, if the inquiry is whether I believe this team is capable of leading us to success at this moment, I do. They demonstrated a great deal [against Chelsea] which only strengthens my confidence and conviction.”
“Pass over the advertisement for the newsletter.”
after newsletter promotion
When questioned about potential connections to Palace, McKenna stated last week: “I am fully devoted and dedicated to Ipswich and our current season, as well as the upcoming game.”
Source: theguardian.com
