Hodgson on the winter break, two-game weeks & transfers...
Speaking ahead of Crystal Palace's FA Cup third-round replay against Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday (17th January, 19:45 GMT), manager Roy Hodgson discussed a range of topics – and you can catch up with his key quotes below...
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On whether the replay changed his plans…
“No, we were fortunate in that respect. It’s a bit unlucky to now find ourselves with two games in short succession, but we had a lot of benefit from this year's winter break.
“It was after the match against Everton on the Thursday night. We were able to give the players six days free. They could then go and do whatever they really wanted to do – quite a few of them went away to warmer climes – and we've been back since Friday.
“We've done the necessary number of training sessions to prepare for the game tomorrow, but we can't complain about the break we've had mid-season – we're very grateful for it.”
On the prospect of facing Arsenal on Saturday…
“I think it's always a slight advantage if you get a full week's run up to a game. They [Arsenal] have actually had two weeks run up to the game, so they might argue it's even better still. But I think it's nice to get a full run up to the game.
“When you have to play midweek, like we've got to do, it's not something that many coaches will say it's an advantage or ‘we're happy to do that’. Most would say I'd have rather had the full week, but it's part and parcel of football life and it's ridiculous to try and start using it as some sort of excuse.
“We knew that if we didn't beat Everton in our home game we would play a replay. We didn't beat them, so we have ourselves to blame if we don't like the replay – that's our own fault. We had the chance and we didn't take it.”
On playing at home in the fourth round should we advance…
“I don't think we need that incentive – the incentive is we're playing a top team Everton, in good form I think. They've done extremely well recently. I think they're a very difficult team to play against and beat.
“We're in the same league and we want to show that we're capable of not only containing them or matching them, we want to beat them, and really and truly that's our only focus at the moment.
“Let's get that game played and let's get the performance from the team that we hope we'll get, and then we'll have two or three days before we play the next one.”
On this week's Premier League charges for Everton…
“Well, it shouldn't [have an effect on the teams around Everton] because the fact is we should work on the basis that they haven't broken any rules, and there is no threat of sanctions, and that they've got the number of points they've got and we need to get more than those points.
“If you find yourself in a difficult situation and then points are deducted from those two teams [Everton and Nottingham Forest] which help you out, of course you'll be grateful for that, but I don't think it's something we take into account.
“It really is purely a matter for those two football clubs and the Premier League, and the people who are looking into the matter and making decisions about what the right punishment is.
“That's something really purely for them and I think we, who are not absolutely involved in it, because it's not our club that's being looked into or judged in this way, should mind our own business and get on with our game, and keep trying to win our games and let them find a solution to whatever problems that they've created for themselves.”
On the importance of spending sensibly…
“I think the club has been very well managed in the six years, I suppose, that I've been closely involved with it.
“There's only been one real spell of spending when a new investor came in, and that money was spent extremely wisely, but I mean since that…I thought the club was very sensible in what they did. They were very happy with the players they brought in.
“I don't think, when we looked at it, there were that many glaring gaps that the club thought they had to fill, so I am 100 percent behind what Steve Parish and Crystal Palace Football Club do, because I do think that it's very important that you abide by whatever rules are set up and you make certain that your club is viable and stable, so that every year your fans hopefully will get the chance to come and watch the team in the division they want to watch the team in.”
On transfer speculation linking Palace to Kalvin Phillips…
“He's a good player. I would like to think that if Kalvin Phillips is available and is a possibility for the club – once again, there would be financial restrictions, who knows whether the club feels they can afford that – but if you're talking about the level of player, I don't think there would be many managers who would not say ‘yeah, we'd be really happy to have him come to the club.’
“But as far as I'm concerned it's a name that's out there. All we know, like most other clubs, is there's a possibility that Manchester City will either sell him or loan him. If they are purely going to sell him, then I wouldn't think we would be in the market.
“If they are going to loan him, I would like to think that possibly we could put our hand up and push ourselves forward and what we could then, of course, offer is probably the chance of playing regular football in the Premier League in the build-up to what is going to be a very important summer for England and obviously for him.
“But we might not be the only club in that position, so at the end of the day a lot will have to happen I think before we find out where Kalvin Phillips is going to end up, if he's going to go anywhere.”