Preview: Crystal Palace (H) – Pre-season Friendly

Darren Currie’s side face a very tough test against top flight opposition but go into the game in high spirits after drawing 1-1 with League One side Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

Dan Sparkes opened the scoring on 53 minutes but the hosts couldn’t hold on to clinch the win as the Chairboys struck late through a trialist.

A Look at the Opposition:

The Eagles finished 12^th last term on 49 points in a season which also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, eventually losing to runners-up Watford.

Last campaign also marked their sixth in England’s top division since returning in 2013, finishing 10^th or lower in each season.

However, they’ll be hoping to use this pre-season as preparation to be amongst those in the top half next time around.

Similarly to Barnet, Palace have also seen a new goalkeeper walk through the door in Stephen Henderson from Nottingham Forest, proving to be their only signing so far.

As for their pre-season schedule, they began with a Swiss Uhrencup clash against Luzern, the Eagles winning 6-5 on penalties after drawing 1-1.

They failed to win the tournament though as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to BSC Young Boys on Saturday.

The Bees will await them in their first match back in England before they head to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest.

After that, they face a trip to Bromley before hitting the road again, travelling to Bristol City and AFC Wimbledon before facing Hertha Berlin at Selhurst Park.

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Darren Currie will be going up against former England manager Roy Hodgson tonight.

The 71-year-old took the reins at Palace in September 2017 and would go on to guide them to an 11^th place finish in his debut season.

However, last campaign saw Hodgson and Palace drop down a position in the standings but he did lead the Eagles to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Hodgson’s managerial career has taken him around the block, that’s for sure.

In fact, the 71-year-old has managed in eight countries and it all began at Dutch side Halmstad in 1976 in a spell which stretched to only two years.

The Croydon-born manager then returned to England in 1982, taking charge at Bristol City after taking up the number two role under Bob Houghton for two years.

Hodgson then jetted off again to take over the managerial role at Oddevold before moving to fellow Swedish sides Orebro and Malmo respectively.

He enjoyed plenty of glory in Sweden, winning the Allsvenskan title twice with Halmstads before doing it five more times with Malmo. Whilst at the latter, he also won the Svenska Cupen twice too.

Switzerland proved to be his next destination though, taking charge at Neuchatel Xamax which then led to him being named the nation’s manager in 1992.

Fast forward three years and Hodgson then moved to Italy’s Inter Milan where he’d go on to be a UEFA Cup runner-up before returning to England again in 1997 with Blackburn Rovers.

A caretaker role at Inter followed before Swiss side Grasshoppers came calling in 1999.

Danish side Copenhagen were next before he moved back to Italy the following year, taking charge of Udinese in 2001.

The list continued in 2002 when he would go on to take over at another national side, this time it was United Arab Emirates in a spell which only lasted two years.

After that, Hodgson went to Norwegian side Viking before being named Finland’s new boss in 2006.

He would then return to the Premier League with Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom before securing England’s managerial role in 2012.

During that time, he led the country to the Euro 2012 quarter-finals before clinching third in the FIFA World Rankings.

However, England endured a shock World Cup 2014 Group D elimination which proved to be the start of a downward spiral for Hodgson.

That’s because Euro 2016 didn’t look any brighter either after The Three Lions’ lost 2-1 against Iceland in the Round of 16. Hodgson then resigned from his post after the nation returned home.

As for his playing career, the former defender started out at Palace before going on to play for Tonbridge, Gravesend & Northfleet, Maidstone United, Ashford Town and Berea Park.

He then went on to hang up his boots in 1976 after spending two years at Carshalton Athletic.

Last Time Out:

It has been just over four years since these two sides last faced each other.

The Bees were the hosts as they welcomed the Premier League side to the Hive in a friendly back in 2015 but fell on the wrong side of a 5-3 defeat.

John Akinde bagged first in the opening minute before Dwight Gayle netted a hat-trick to put Palace 3-1 up before the hour mark.

Luke Gambin, who took the captain’s armband at half-time, pulled one back for the Bees but Palace soon rustled the net again through youngster Reise Allasani.

Barnet tried to claw their way back into it for a second time courtesy of an 81^st minute Kevin Lisbie goal.

However, Palace flexed their Premier League muscles once more when Fraizer Campbell made sure of the win.

Connections:

Palace’s Sporting Director Dougie Freedman began his playing career at Barnet in 1994 but left a year later after attracting interest from the Eagles. The former Scotland international enjoyed an impressive first and only season with the Bees, netting on 24 occasions.

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