Nice Roy was humiliated in Nice, but more than a year after the Fundamentally Hilarious conflating of the Brexit vote and England's Euros exit to Iceland, Hodgson is back in English football.
He has returned to Crystal Palace - the side he supported as a boy - with the considerable task of rescuing them from a perilous early-season situation. Palace were rooted to the foot of the table with a round, zero points from their first four games as Hodgson arrived. And , after today's game with Southampton, they remain there with the added indignity of a Premier League record. It is the first time a Premier League club have not scored in their first five games while also failing to keep one out at the other end.
It is early days for Hodgson, of course, and while his side showed admirable endeavour in a 1-0 defeat to the Saints, they were once again painfully goal-shy. They had 11 shots in all, just four of them on target, and some fans frustrations spilled over before full-time.
Reuben Loftus-Cheek was Palace's outstanding player, and looked the Palace player most likely to score.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek's game by numbers vs. Southampton:
100% aerial duels
6 take-ons
3 shots
1 chance created
1 tackle
Strong performance. pic.twitter.com/R1D5weupdP— Squawka (@Squawka) September 16, 2017
He didn't last the full game, however, with Hodgson subbing him for Bakary Sakho for the final 15 minutes. This could perhaps be excused by the fact he was just returning from injury, but it didn't spare Hodgson the boos of the home support.
It took Palace fans just 77 minutes to boo Roy Hodgson. Taking off Loftus-Cheek not a popular decision
— Joe Krishnan (@joekrishnan) September 16, 2017
It was a dispiriting start for Hodgson, against a side who reintroduced one of their best players: Virgil Van Dijk replaced Dusan Tadic for the final ten minutes to acclaim from the Southampton supporters.
A far more popular substitution than Hodgson's.
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