Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, Michael Calvin suggested that Bournemouth manager, Eddie Howe, could be a good fit for one of either Crystal Palace or Watford.
After taking over at Bournemouth back in October 2012, Howe guided the club from League One to the Premier League in the space of just three seasons, finishing the 2014/15 season as Championship winners.
Under his leadership, Bournemouth then enjoyed a five-year spell in the top-flight, which eventually came to an end this season, with the club finishing in 18th place – despite a valiant 3-1 victory over Everton on the final day of the season, which saw them miss out on survival by just one point.
Following their relegation, Howe has so far refused to comment on his future with the club, suggesting that he will speak to the club’s owners before making a decision on the matter.
However, Michael Calvin believes that 42-year-old Howe could be a suitable candidate to take over at either Crystal Palace or Watford, stating on a recent episode of the Football Writers Podcast:
“I wonder whether he might even end up at Crystal Palace, where they’ve had interest in him in the past. Roy Hodgson’s done a fantastic job, but they did seem to run out of steam after the restart.
“I wouldn’t wish this probably on my own worst enemy at the moment, but there’s a vacancy at Watford, isn’t there?”
TIF Thoughts…
As Calvin points out, Hodgson had been doing a decent job with Palace this season, as, prior to the unexpected break, the Eagles were sitting pretty in 11th place in the league, just six points behind Manchester United in fifth place.
However, following the break, Palace went on to win just one of their nine remaining fixtures – with the only victory coming, coincidentally, against Bournemouth – ranking Hodgson’s side 19th in the Premier League form table and eventually finishing the season in 14th place.
This poor form, as well as reported disagreements on potential transfer targets, has led to ‘crunch talks‘ between the club and their current manager, regarding Hodgson’s future in south London.
Would you rather the club keep Hodgson, or replace him with Howe?
Keep Hodgson
Get Howe
And, if these do not go well, it may not be surprising to see Howe to Palace rumours become rather more prominent.