Roy Hodgson’s first game as Crystal Palace manager ended in a 1-0 defeat to Southampton as they set two unwanted records at Selhurst Park.
Steven Davis’ early goal for Saints means Palace have become the first ever top-flight team to lose each of their opening five league fixtures without scoring a goal.
Their pursuit of a first Premier League goal of the campaign is now longer than Newcastle’s wait of 438 minutes in the 2005-06 season.
It took only six minutes for Southampton to expose the extent of the challenge Hodgson must overcome. Dusan Tadic beat Jeffrey Schlupp and though his cross was palmed out by Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, Davis was on hand to tuck it in as the appointment of the former England manager in place of Frank de Boer paid no instant dividend.
On-loan Ruben Loftus-Cheek - one of very few plus points in Palace’s miserable season so far, combined with Andros Townsend after a quarter of an hour to square to Christian Benteke in front of goal, and the striker forced a fine save from Fraser Forster despite his shot lacking conviction.
Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand insists there is ‘no bad vibes’ towards Virgil van Dijk despite the Dutch star wanting to leave the club during the summer.
Van Dijk handed in a transfer request and was forced to train away from the first-team following months of uncertainty surrounding his long-term future.
The Dutch star was strongly linked with a move to Liverpool, but the transfer broke down and the Saints owners were determined to keep him at St Mary’s Stadium.
Despite Van Dijk wanting a move to a bigger club, Bertrand is adamant his team-mates have no hard feelings towards him and have welcomed him back into the squad.
‘Sign Van Dijk in January’: Liverpool fan targets owner John W. Henry over £70m swoop - at Boston Red Sox game
Bertrand, speaking to Sky Sports, said: “It is nice to keep hold of players,” he told Sky Sports . "There were no bad vibes in the dressing room.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinions and what they want to do in their lives, but we just get on with it and play as a team.
"He has clearly stated that there are some big teams involved and wanted him and he just wanted to go on and pursue his career and move on to really big things.
“But he had a contract with Southampton and it did not happen. The club did not want to sell him and that is it, that is football.”
Van Dijk played for Southampton’s reserves last Monday and was named as a substitute for the Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Crystal Palace became the first team in Premier League history to lose their first five games without scoring as Roy Hodgson’s tenure began with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton.
Four days on from Frank de Boer’s sacking, former England boss Hodgson was tasked with lifting the Eagles’ early-season slump, but Steven Davis’ early strike extended their miserable start to the season.
Virgil van Dijk made his first appearance since January 22 following his summer transfer saga, coming off the bench to see out a victory which lifts Saints momentarily up to fifth in the Premier League.
Palace, meanwhile, remain rooted to the foot of the table ahead of games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.
The sense of optimism which surrounded Selhurst Park following Hodgson’s appointment evaporated within six minutes as Wayne Hennessey parried Dusan Tadic’s driven cross to the feet of Davis, who poked the ball home beyond the outstretched leg of Palace full-back Joel Ward
It proved to be a testing first half in the Palace hot-seat for Hodgson, whose misfiring attack added to his defensive concerns, with Christian Benteke firing Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s cut-back straight at Fraser Forster on 18 minutes.
Chelsea loanee Loftus-Cheek provided a threat throughout, evading three Southampton defenders on 32 minutes, but his drive towards goal was blocked by Ryan Bertrand.
Saints remained on top though, as Tadic and Redmond almost doubled their lead before half-time.
Hodgson got into his side at the break and they responded with an early onslaught on the Southampton goal but, again, Forster proved impenetrable, thwarting Jason Puncheon with a sublime point-blank save on 49 minutes.
Southampton settled from there on, utilising Shane Long on the counter and containing Palace, whose threat in front of goal significantly reduced when Loftus-Cheek was substituted on 78 minutes.
Van Dijk then came on for the final three minutes, drawing a line under a summer of speculation which has seen him linked with Liverpool, to earn Saints their first win in three, piling the pressure on Hodgson in the process.
Roy Hodgson: "It was the worst possible start, conceding the goal so early, a team that’s obviously a little bit nervous and anxious anyway becomes even more nervous and anxious.
“I’m learning all the time, in training and also in games. I learn what I know really, in that there is a lot of heart out there, a lot of pain when it’s not going well and people care. They want to do better but we have got to mould ourselves into a better football team.”
Mauricio Pellegrino: "We controlled the ball and that is something that we need because we have the quality of players to keep the ball and dominate the game. We also did really well defensively from the beginning until the end.
“They created a few chances at the start, but after that, I don’t remember too many other clear chances for them. I think we should have scored another goal but I am happy with the performance.”
Alan Pardew: "For me, there was a lack of personality on the pitch today as individuals and a team. I’m struggling to find something really positive to say aside from Ruben Loftus-Cheek was terrific in the time he had on the pitch and he was their best player.
“There were a few players I know very well out there looking a bit short on confidence. Roy has put disciplines in there and they have taken them too literally. They were too flat in the first half and too defensive minded as a group.”
A summer signing from Juventus, the midfielder showed his quality at Selhurst Park. Lemina played a part in June’s Champions League final and shone for Saints, breaking up the play impressively and showing his passing range. A dominant presence.
Palace will look to avoid a repeat of their 3-0 opening-day defeat to Huddersfield when the Terriers head to Selhurst Park in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, before beginning a grueling run with a trip to Manchester City. Southampton, meanwhile, welcome Manchester United to St. Mary’s on Saturday.
Roy Hodgson’s tenure in charge of Crystal Palace began with a defeat as Steven Davis’ early goal secured Southampton victory at Selhurst Park.
The Northern Ireland international broke Palace’s resistance within the first six minutes on Saturday, stroking the ball home from inside the penalty box.
Palace battled to find a way back into the game and created chances of their own. But thanks to some fine goalkeeping from Fraser Forster, not even a change in management could help the home side find their first league goal of the season.
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Roy Hodgson takes charge for the first time as Crystal Palace manager hoping for an immediate reaction from his side against Southampton at Selhurst Park.
Hodgson has said he feels ‘energised’ by his return to the Premier League, and the Saints provide his first competitive game since the shock Euro 2016 exit to Iceland 15 months ago.
Southampton will make a decision on whether to recall defender Virgil van Dijk after coming through a game with the under-23s this week. Follow minute-by-minute coverage with Sportsmail’s BEN GROUNDS.
Two hours before kick-off, Roy Hodgson got out of his car in the car park between Selhurst Park and Sainsbury’s. It was as good a place as any to embark upon the road that leads away from Iceland and Hodgson shook hands with the group of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him before yesterday’s game against Southampton and smiled for the selfies that they requested.
‘He knows the club,’ one supporter said to no one in particular as he watched him walk towards the stadium, reassuring himself that Hodgson’s return to the place he first visited 64 years ago with his father, a Croydon bus driver, would be a cure for the uncertainties visited upon this corner of south London by the doomed 77 day reign of Frank de Boer.
A few minutes before the start, Hodgson marched out of the tunnel in front of the Holmesdale End, where he had stood on that first visit as a child, and acknowledged the applause of the crowd before he walked towards the dug-out to take charge of a game for the first time since England were knocked out of Euro 2016 to the accompaniment of the Viking Thunderclap on June 27th last year.
Glad All Over rang around the ground. ‘So glad you’re mine,’ the Dave Clark Five sang as Hodgson walked up the touchline, past the Palace cheerleaders in their white crop-tops and their black leggings and their blue and red pom-poms, and on to the dug-out.
Some still mock him for what happened that night at the Allianz Riviera but Palace represents a chance to remind supporters that he is an accomplished manager who led Fulham to the Europa League final, managed Inter Milan, led Switzerland to a World Cup and won eight league titles at three clubs in Sweden and Denmark.
He has been anointed by some as the new Grand Old Man of English football, a dignified successor to Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alex Ferguson and his appointment last week made him the first man over 70 to take over at a Premier League club.
The early signs, though, are that it will not be a short journey to redemption. A little under two hours after he took his seat in the dug-out, a big, baggy coat covered his suit and his hair was flattened by rain as he walked back towards the tunnel in the wake of a 1-0 defeat to an early goal from Steven Davis.
Cheers had turned to groans. He had been booed for substituting Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who had been Palace’s best player, even though Hodgson later explained that Loftus-Cheek had been suffering from cramp and could no longer run. Still, the optimism that had greeted his appointment had been given a hefty kick by reality.
In his return to the game, Hodgson had just watched Palace become the first top-flight team in the history of English football to lose their first five games and score no goals. Since 1888, 2,465 teams starting top-flight English seasons and Palace had just broken new ground.
Bournemouth’s victory over Brighton on Friday night had already left Palace marooned in miserable isolation at the foot of the Premier League. And in Hodgson’s next three games in charge, they will face Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. Wilfried Zaha, the club’s star players, is still recovering from a knee injury. Mamadou Sakho, their leading defender, is not yet fit. All things considered, honeymoon periods aren’t what they used to be.
‘There are no dream jobs where you walk in and put your track suit on and everything just materialises,’ Hodgson said. ‘You have to work for these things. There is no lack of good attitude from the players I have got here and we know we have got a fight on our hands psychologically with the games we have got coming up.’
Before Hodgson’s arrival, Palace had shipped seven goals in their first four league games this season, which included humbling home defeats to Huddersfield Town and Swansea City. Within a few minutes of the start yesterday, Hodgson was given a first-hand demonstration of the reasons why.
Dusan Tadic is one of Southampton’s most talented players but for some reason the Palace defence decided to give him the freedom of Selhurst Park for the entirety of the first half. Left back Jeffrey Schlupp left Tadic in glorious isolation, as if he’d been told the Saints wide man had a bug and it was catching.
Tadic did not need long to take advantage. Only six minutes had gone when he got the ball in space on the right. Schlupp closed him down eventually but Tadic drifted past him as if he wasn’t there and crossed into the box.
The ball flew across goal at catchable height but Hennessey palmed it away into the path of Davis. Davis scuffed his right-foot shot but it wrong-footed Ward, who had got back to try to cover, and bobbled over the line into the corner of the net.
Palace failed to heed that warning. Tadic was Southampton’s go-to-guy for the first 45 minutes. Fortified by an outstanding performance from Mario Lemina at the heart of their midfield, the visitors fed Tadic relentlessly.
Palace, low on confidence and even lower on composure, seemed powerless to reorganise and stifle the threat. Only a series of last ditch clearances from Palace defenders stopped Tadic’s promptings put Southampton further ahead.
Palace did look better going forward and created plenty of chances of their own. Most of them were either made or attempted by Loftus-Cheek, who, revelling in regular first team action at last after his sojourn at the margins at Chelsea, looked a class above his teammates.
It was Loftus-Cheek who fashioned the first Palace chance for Benteke, early in the half, crossing for the Belgian striker whose close range shot was blocked by the body of Forster. And it was Loftus-Cheek who let the ball run after half an hour then darted on to a return pass from Benteke and fired a low, fizzing shot just wide.
Just before half-time, Loftus-Cheek had a low shot blocked by Bertrand. Just after it, he accelerated to the byline and drilled in a cross that only needed a firm touch to deflect it in. Puncheon did touch it but it was a faint nick that merely succeeded in taking the ball away from Cabaye, who was queuing behind him to try to grab the equaliser.
Luck seemed to be against the home side, although luck is sometimes a cover for ineptitude. Puncheon should have scored when Schlupp crossed into his path as he lurked unmarked on the edge of the six yard box but he hit his shot straight at Forster, who saved well.
When the goal did not come, Palace ran out of steam. Their attacks became more predictable and laboured and Southampton’s defence dealt with their forays forward with relative ease.
Hodgson tried to inject new momentum into the performance by substituting the tiring Loftus-Cheek with Sako 13 minutes from the end, a move that elicited a dull chorus of boos from the Holmesdale End.
Palace could not force a decent chance before the final whistle blew and when the end came, Hodgson turned to the Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino and offered his congratulations.
‘It is painful today and I fear it is going to be painful in some of the moments going forward,’ Hodgson said after the game. He knew already that football was not a merciful business. The ignominy of Iceland has been replaced by inheriting a start of historic awfulness at Palace. This time, at least, he has the chance to fix it.
Saints picked up their first away win of the season as Virgil van Dijk made his much anticipated comeback.
Steven Davis scored the only goal of the game as Saints defeated rock bottom Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in Roy Hodgson’s first match in charge of the Eagles.
While the match itself will not live too long in the memory, it was an important three points for Saints as it marked their second win of the campaign thus far and their first on the road.
It also heralded an important moment as van Dijk was reintroduced for the final few minutes having been ruled out since January, firstly by injury and then his desire to leave the club, which culminated in a transfer request.
Palace were in an upbeat mood at the start after a rousing reception for new manager Roy Hodgson and got forward immediately, but Andros Townsend hooked a shot well off target.
Up the other end Steven Davis got a fairly weak effort on target but it was a simple save for Wayne Hennessey.
However, there was no denying the Northern Ireland skipper on six minutes as he gave Saints the lead.
Davis started the move by slipping the ball out to Dusan Tadic on the right. He skipped outside Jeffrey Schlupp and put in a low cross that Hennessey dived to palm out, but only as far as Davis whose first time sidefooted finish was directed into the bottom corner.
Palace were unravelling defensively and Shane Long had a presentable chance from a diagonal cross by Tadic from the right. He attempted to loop a header back over Hennessey but it drifted over.
Christian Benteke should have levelled the scores on 16 minutes as he was presented with the chance to shoot first time on the turn inside the six yard box after Nathan Redmond had slipped and Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s cross had taken a slight deflection.
The big striker’s effort wasn’t particularly well struck and at a perfect height and direction for Fraser Forster who stood big to block from close range.
Redmond struck an effort from 25 yards but it was straight at Hennessey as Saints continued to pressurise a creaky Palace.
Loftus-Cheek served Saints a reminder their lead was not yet a secure one as he drove forward and unleashed a powerful low drive that zipped just wide.
Moments later he battled his way into the area and was only denied by a last ditch challenge from Ryan Bertrand.
Yohan Cabaye became the first player to pick up a yellow card for a late challenge on Mario Lemina.
Saints threatened to finish the first half with another goal to give themselves a cushion to show for their dominance.
However, Tadic’s shot in the area was bravely blocked, while Hennessey was able to get down to his right to save from Redmond’s low effort from just outside the box.
Townsend had the final shot of the half but slashed a half volley well wide of the target.
At the break Saints had the lead and were comfortably the better team but knew they would ideally get themselves another goal to start to feel more secure.
Saints rode their luck at the beginning of the second half as Palace created two great chances in the space of a minute.
Firstly, nobody in a Palace shirt was able to get a decisive touch on Loftus-Cheek’s drilled low ball across the six yard box.
Then, just moments later, Schlupp found Jason Puncheon with a low ball from the left but the former Saints man put his shot from close range straight at the diving Forster when virtually anywhere else would have been a goal.
Scott Dann went in the book after hauling down Davis as Saints tried to wrestle back control of the game as the conditions at Selhurst Park changed from sunshine to driving rain.
James McArthur quickly followed after a couple of fouls in quick succession.
The game was starting to drift a little and Hodgson tried to do something about it with Luka Milivojevic replacing McArthur on 69 minutes.
Shane Long was shown a yellow card for dissent as Saints got increasingly frustrated with referee Robert Madley.
However, the most important thing for them was to keep their lead intact.
Joel Ward got a head on a deep free kick but it was simple for Forster.
There were boos of disapproval ringing around Selhurst Park as Palace took off Loftus-Cheek, who had been their brightest attacking threat in the game, replacing him with Bakary Sako.
Opportunities had been few and far between for Saints in the second period but they had a great chance to kill off the game on 79 minutes.
Davis whipped in an inswinging corner that found Oriol Romeu totally unmarked eight yards out but he headed over the bar.
Saints made their first change to try and shore things up for the final five minutes with James Ward-Prowse coming on for Redmond.
They knew what was going to be coming as Palace prepared to lump even more long balls up to Christian Benteke.
Saints had dealt with it well all afternoon, with Lemina also providing an excellent shield in front of the back four.
To be fair, Palace hadn’t looked much like scoring for the majority of the game but Pellegrino knew that without the cushion of a second goal his team would have to dig in.
To help them cope with the potential aerial bombardment he brought on Virgil van Dijk for his first appearance since January 22 and also since handing in a transfer request. He replaced Tadic as Saints went with five at the back for the closing stages.
The Saints fans responded by singing his name and applauding him on to the pitch.
Cedric Soares almost wrapped things up as he cut inside from the right and hit a left footed shot that Hennessey saved with his legs at the near post.
Manolo Gabbiadini replaced Long as Saints looked to run down the five minutes of added time, which they duly did without too many dramas to secure the three points.
Saints bounced back from last weekend’s home defeat to Watford by winning 1-0 at Selhurst Park, as an early goal from Steven Davis on his 200th appearance for the club settled the match.
Pellegrino was thrilled with the victory, but also the manner in which his team achieved it, as they dominated the majority of the game.
“I’m really pleased and not just about the result,” said the Saints boss. "It’s really important to get the three points, but obviously for the performance – how we achieved the game from the beginning and the spirit with which we played from the first minute.
"We were focused 100 per cent. In second balls we controlled them, especially in the first half.
"It was a tough game. In the Premier League, every single team has got this quality and can cause problems. It’s another three points for us. As a beginning of the league for me it is really good news.
"The characteristics and the quality of our players is to keep the ball, to go forward, try to dominate the game and we did for me almost the majority of the game.
“In front we were playing a tough team with quality, physically really strong in how they play and I think we were focused in every single detail.”
Pellegrino was also delighted for club captain Davis to net the winner on a landmark day for him,
“It’s really good news,” he said. “Steven is a really positive player and I think the goal is a trophy for him.”
Steven Davis struck the only goal of the game in the sixth minute to extend the hosts’ unwanted record to five successive defeats without scoring.
Forster made notable point-blank saves from Christian Benteke and Jason Puncheon either side of half-time, but was otherwise largely untested at Selhurst Park.
“It was always going to be a battle,” said the goalkeeper.
“I thought our centre-halves did really well to limit Benteke. Defensively, I thought we were very strong.
“It’s obviously going to be a tough place to come and we knew we’d have to defend well, but I think we did that.
“It’s good to do my job and contribute to the team. At some point I was always going to have to make a couple of saves and thankfully I’ve done that today.”
Forster admitted it was doubly important Saints returned to winning ways after suffering a first Premier League defeat of the campaign to Watford last time out – particularly with leaders Manchester United lying in wait at St Mary’s next weekend.
“After last week’s performance and result, it was important that we bounced back and we’ve done that by getting the three points,” he added.
“You always want to start well in the Premier League. It’s important to come to places like this, perform well and take the points.
“It’s good for us to get a bit of momentum going into next week.”
Roy Hodgson’s appointment failed to inspire Crystal Palace to their first point or even Premier League goal of the season on Saturday.
The former England manager, who replaced Frank De Boer earlier this week, began his reign as Eagles boss by overseeing a frustrating 1-0 home loss to Southampton.
Sportsmail’s KIERAN GILL was at Selhurst Park and has made five key points about Hodgson’s Palace bow and what the 70-year-old appears to have changed.
Well, at least Christian Benteke didn’t take any corners. We learned a few things about Hodgson here but one thing he himself learned was that this will be no simple task.
Hodgson is back in full-time day-to-day football for the first time since 2012. At the age of 70, and following a humiliating England exit, this won’t be easy.
He will leave Selhurst Park asking himself how his team did not score. The answer? Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Loftus-Cheek lively but same can’t be said of everyone
Those behind the scenes at Selhurst said the mood had been significantly lifted by the departure of Frank de Boer and the appointment of local lad Hodgson.
So did they work their socks off for him here? Some did, others didn’t. Hodgson handed Ruben Loftus-Cheek a start and the 21-year-old Chelsea loanee was lively throughout.
Joel Ward was among those who looked a liability here. Several times he was out of position and Andros Townsend had to provide cover for him.
Crystal Palace were happy to let Southampton have possession, particularly in the first half. The home side finished with having had 45 per cent of the ball.
Under De Boer, Palace had the most possession in their other two home ties (a 2-0 loss to Swansea and a 3-0 loss to Huddersfield), so this was a change.
With games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea to come in their next four fixtures, they best get used to not having the ball.
That’s why Hodgson has to drill into this lot the importance of keeping their shape.
Positionally fluidity but willing to go long
There was plenty of rotation from Hodgson. Sometimes Townsend was on the left wing, other times it was Jason Puncheon, and they finished the match with Bakary Sako in that position.
Balls across the box were frequent from Palace and they should have scored from at least two of them. Unfortunately for Hodgson, the finishing from Benteke and Co was off, while Forster was having one of those days.
P.S. Hodgson appears to have told his team not to be afraid to boot it long if necessary. While De Boer wanted it passed out from the back at all costs, Palace often opted for a long ball.
The atmosphere in the stands at Selhurst is usually among the best in the Premier League, though conceding in the sixth minute somewhat dampened the warm welcome for Hodgson.
Hodgson, who stayed sat down for the majority of the match rather than patrolling his technical area, was applauded as he walked out of the tunnel.
However, the mood changed in the 78th minute when he decided to substitute Loftus-Cheek. Indeed, the decision to take off their most dangerous player was greeted by boos.
Hodgson has work to do to convince his new fanbase he knows what he is doing.
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points
happy manager
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“It was a real level of desire today!”
