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Roy Hodgson on Man City vs Crystal Palace, Pep Guardiola relationship... and why he still fears relegation
Crystal Palace are punching well above their weight this season.
Only Liverpool and Norwich City spent less than the Eagles going into the season, and Roy Hodgson has battled desperately against the worst injury crisis he's ever faced in recent months.
Despite everything in their way, Palace travel to Manchester City - the site of perhaps their greatest ever upset, where Andros Townsend's stunning strike helped them to a 3-2 win last season - just three points off the top six.
In their seventh consecutive Premier League season, Palace appear to be sitting pretty then. Not for Hodgson, however.
This weekend sees the 72-year-old take charge of his 95th Premier League game as Palace manager, and his ambition across each and every one of them has remained the same. Safety.
Asked whether he still fears the drop - eight points below - Hodgson was unequivocal. "Yes."
Hodgson continued: "I don't know that anyone is really cut adrift, Watford have proved that. If you can go from eight points from whatever number of games [before Pearson] to out of the relegation zone, no one is cut adrift.
"I think all the teams down there are capable of staying in the League, and all of us who are above them would be well advised to be wary that we don't get sucked into it. Am I comfortable? No. Do I fear relegation? Yes."
Hodgson knows more than most about management, and holds this weekend's opponent - Pep Guardiola - in the highest esteem. The Manchester City boss this week joked that Hodgson must have a rather dull home life to still be managing on a day-to-day basis at his age.
But Hodgson's enthusiasm has never waned in south London - an impressive feat for a manager who is often reminded of his seniority. His hunger for developing and coaching players has never faltered, but after decades in the dugout, taking notes from opposing coaches - even Guardiola - is no longer of interest to the former England manager.
"I don't think in terms of my relationship with other managers at this stage of my life has necessarily been relationships from which I am trying to learn from them," said Hodgson.
"I don't expect them to be trying to teach me things and I don't necessarily think it is incumbent on me either to look to learn from other managers from the two or three minutes [I speak to them].
"I learnt a lot from Don Howe, Bobby Robson and David Sexton when I was a young coach. These days my life has changed enormously.
"Watching his [Guardiola's] team, I am pretty certain that if I had the players at my disposal that he has I would certainly be trying to play in a similar way."
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