Hodgson needs shooting stars to shine as he plots escape route

TWELFTH in the table, but only four points off the bottom of the Premier League, Crystal Palace’s new boss Roy Hodgson knows his struggling side are fighting for their lives.

Palace’s destiny is in their own hands, with a series of ‘six-pointers’ to come against relegation rivals starting with Leicester to Selhurst Park tomorrow.

Games against Leeds, Southampton, Everton, Wolves, West Ham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest follow in the remaining 10 matches Palace have to save their season.

And it is up to Hodgson — coaxed out of retirement aged 75 — to turn the tide after the sacking of Patrick Vieira a fortnight ago.

Looking ahead to the visit of Leicester, Hodgson (below) has demanded energy, enthusiasm, optimism and a lack of fear. But more than anything, as the division’s lowest scorers, Palace need goals. The Eagles remain winless in 2023 heading into April, all six of their league victories coming before the turn of the year.

While draws with Manchester United and Liverpool offered temporary respite, Vieira ultimately failed to get the best of talents such as Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze — and an unkind run of fixtures from January to March proved his undoing.

The return of first-choice goalkeeper Vicente Guaita is a major boost. A goalkeeper crisis saw 19-year-old academy player Joe Whitworth drafted in for defeats by Brighton and Arsenal before the international break.

Further forward, talisman Wilfried Zaha is likely to leave in the summer but Hodgson will hope to have the Ivorian fit and firing for the run-in.

Zaha won two caps for Hodgson’s England before switching to play for Ivory Coast in 2017, and many of his most electric performances in a Palace shirt came when Hodgson was at the helm.