Manchester United? I’ve only seen them play on Match of the Day, admits Hodgson

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed he has only ever watched Manchester United play on Match of the Day this season.

Since his appointment in September, Hodgson has done an impressive job at Selhurst Park to give Palace a fighting chance of survival following seven defeats from their opening seven games this term.

But a recent downturn in form has seen the Eagles pulled back in to the relegation zone ahead of Monday evening's meeting with Manchester United in south London.

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Jose Mourinho will likely start January signing Alexis Sanchez, who scored twice as Arsenal edged past Palace at Selhurst Park in December, and Hodgson will instruct his players to keep tight to the Chile international.

“We are going to be playing against a very good player and, if we give him a lot of time and space, and a lot of opportunities to do the things he is good at, he is likely to succeed,” said the Eagles boss.

“We know he can create goals. We know he is a very busy, hard-working player, who is not going to give up ­easily. I can’t make any comparisons about his style at United and his style at Arsenal."

“I don’t follow them that closely. What I see of United is on Match of the Day, and you know from Match of the Day there is as much talking and analysis as what you see from the excerpts that are edited from the game.

Crystal Palace have never beaten Manchester United in the Premier League era and head into the game without a win in five matches.

And Hodgson believes the Palace fans will be key to ending the club's winless run against bogey team United, who they last beat in the league in 1989.

The Palace boss added: “My hope would be to see the place rocking, because that would mean we would be ­buzzing around the United ­penalty area a few times, as that’s what gets the fans going.”