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The stats that prove Palace must convince Hodgson to sign a new deal – opinion

Crystal Palace fans may not clamour for the football they have played under Roy Hodgson this season, at times it has been turgid, and they are the division’s second-lowest scorers on 25 goals.

However, there can be no doubt the lifelong fan, and manager, always gets the job done, and on 36 points he appears set to have steered the Eagles to yet another season in the top-flight having beaten Brighton and Hove Albion 1-0 at the weekend; his 100th game in charge.

The man in charge at Selhurst Park has achieved a remarkable level of consistency, despite the chronic lack of investment in south London, and the club must secure the Premier League’s oldest manager, at 72, to a new deal.

The one-year extension he signed last term is due to expire in the summer, but the Crystal Palace boss might be holding out for the promise of more significant investment as this term the Eagles have spent just £7.11m, making a £43.07m profit from player sales, as per Transfermarkt. Despite the lack of investment in the first team, Hodgson has masterminded a 36 per cent win ratio with the Eagles, which saw them comfortably avoid relegation last term and they are set to finish on the same number of points, 49, at the culmination of the current campaign.

Even with talisman Wilfried Zaha failing to live up to his usual levels of influence at Selhurst Park, providing just three goals and assists, that has not deterred Hodgson’s remarkable consistency, as per WhoScored, producing a Premier League best seven goals from Jordan Ayew. The Ghanaian striker has been relegated in his previous two Premier League campaigns with Swansea and Aston Villa, yet somehow Hodgson has found the formula to get him firing and keep the Eagles afloat.

Throughout his long and illustrious career, the former Inter Milan and England manager’s Premier League consistency has been remarkable, as his win ratio with Blackburn, Fulham, Liverpool, West Brom and Palace all stand between 34.04 and 36 per cent. In terms of win percentage alone, this has been his best spell in the Premier League, and he could yet eclipse the record haul of Premier League points he set with Crystal Palace last term, 49. Hodgson’s outstanding consistency and longevity on a shoestring budget mean the Eagles would struggle to find a better manager who cares more about the club so they simply must convince him to sign a new deal.

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