ROY Hodgson says there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes to ensure Crystal Palace can strengthen in next month’s transfer window,
The Eagles have endured a seemingly never-ending injury crisis this campaign, something which has had an impact on results with the club winless in the Premier League since late September.
That was a 1-0 success at Manchester United with Palace back in the same city tomorrow to take on the blue side of Manchester.
Injuries remain an issue ahead of the visit to the treble winners, although Hodgson and co will just have to crack on until the window opens on 1 January before they can boost their ranks, something which it sounds like they are ready to do.
The Eagles boss said: “All clubs have a very strong department in terms of recruitment and scouting, and so it seems to me that’s an ongoing process.
“Sometimes that gets accelerated at a time if a club finds itself in a position where there are a lot of players that perhaps have got to be replaced for one way or another and for one reason or another.
“And as a result, the jeopardy becomes for us a bit stronger because you suddenly start to realise that our squad has been seriously depleted, and in order to get back up the strength we have to do something about it.
“I would think perhaps we are in that position a bit more than some other clubs.
“But in terms of the work that goes on behind the scenes, which is orchestrated by Doug Freedman and lots of people are scouting, and by Steve Parish himself, that’s definitely an ongoing process.”
Hodgson added: “I know that the people in that position would like in January to provide some sort of reinforcements because they’ve seen how the squad has been depleted.
“We have four players from the academy on the bench tomorrow.
“Now that’s fine, it’s good for four players on the academy on the bench.
“But if we’re going to get through a long part of the season, it might be too early to throw those players in and say ‘You’ve got to get the team up the table and start winning games’.
“That might be a big ask for them and an unfair ask.”
Palace may well be on a poor run of form, but there was a noticeable improvement during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool.
The outcome of that game was changed with the controversial 75th minute dismissal of Jordan Ayew when the Eagles were 1-0 up.
Despite the good display, the outcome was an all too familiar one and Hodgson pointed out it is far easier to be positive when you are winning.
He explained: “I don’t think it’s a question necessarily needing to take positives.
“We evaluate every performance in relation to what we’ve tried to do on the field, how we prepare for it, and how the players have adapted to the task. We were more than happy with that as has been the case in a lot of other games this season.
“In terms of positives – positivity, negativity are two elements of the game where we have to constantly deal with and fight.
“Unfortunately, positivity is so much easier to find when results are good and points are coming your way so that everything seems to be positive even when the actual situation hasn’t been so positive.”
Hodgson added: “At the moment we really need some fortune to turn our fortunes around a little bit, but I’ve not been disappointed particularly with performances in the games we’ve played so far, other than perhaps the Bournemouth one where we think we could have done better.
“But apart from that, in most we can find something positive about.
“Certainly to run Liverpool so close with all the things that happened during the course of the game, I certainly don’t think we should be anything other than proud at that performance.”
