Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson reveals 'disillusionment' with football over handball rule changes

Frustration: Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has spoken of his disillusionment with football over the changes to the handball rules
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Jack Rosser @JackRosser_27 September 2020

Roy Hodgson is holding out little hope that his protests over the changes to the handball law will result in action as he grows increasingly disillusioned with football.

Crystal Palace were one of a few sides bitten by the new, far stricter, rules around handball over the weekend as Brighton and Tottenham also saw game-changing decisions awarded against them.

Palace benefited from the law change in their win at Manchester United last weekend - a decision Hodgson also criticised.

Speaking directly after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Everton, Hodgson said the "nonsense" change was "killing the game", but he holds little hope of being able to affect change.

"It’s more a disillusionment, really, with what’s happening to the game of football that I’ve been involved with for so many years that I’m now beginning not to understand," Hodgson said.

“I suppose if there is any anger, and I’m not exactly apoplectic here, it’s because good games of football like this one are being reduced to discussions about penalty decisions, which I’m boldly saying are completely and utterly wrong, and there will be just as many people out there who will be saying, ‘rules are rules, this is the new rule and you better get used to it’.

“I don’t dispute that. I’m still working in the PL, still working in football. My attempts for what they’re worth to prove to people that the rule is wrong, I don’t hold out too much hope that all of a sudden it will be changed back to the way the rule was just because Roy Hodgson says so.

“But I’m not complaining about a decision, I’m complaining about what we have allowed to happen to a rule.

Joel Ward was controversially punished for handball during Crystal Palace's defeat by Everton at Selhurst Park
AP

“Last week, we got a penalty at Manchester United and after the game I was asked the question, ‘Did you think it was a penalty?’ and I said, ‘No, I didn’t think it was a penalty’.

“So my conscious is very clear in that respect. I’m not angry because we’ve lost the game on a penalty decision.

“I’m disillusioned that the game I’ve loved and served for so long, I’m finding very hard to recognise now. I don’t see anything which even looks remotely like a penalty when the ball is in our penalty area."

Cheikhou Kouyate scored Palace's only goal against Everton, but it was his display in defence which perhaps earned him most credit.

The former West Ham midfielder has slotted seamlessly into the back four while Hodgson is struggling with defensive absentees, but said the penalty decision against Joel Ward killed the Eagles.

"For me it is not a penalty," he said. "This is the VAR sometimes, they come in to kill the game. We can do nothing. It is very, very hard to take it because after the penalty everything changes.

"We tried to push and it comes to nothing. It is hard."

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