Crystal Palace host Liverpool, live on Sky Sports from 7pm
Monday 20 August 2018 16:36, UK
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish believes manager Roy Hodgson is key to ensuring the long-term success of the club.
Hodgson signed a new two-year contract with Crystal Palace in August, which will see him remain as their manager until the end of the 2019/20 season, after helping the club to an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League last season.
Parish hopes the club can maintain a "very long" relationship with the former England, Liverpool and Fulham manager after the impact he has had at Selhurst Park.
"He can help our football club, in my opinion, beyond just the first XI and into the future. I do hope we can maintain a very long relationship with Roy because he is a fantastic football person, very level-headed and he brings a lot to the football club," Parish said.
"Staying in this division is ground zero, but of course we've got a few things that we haven't had in recent years, like stability, we've gone through a summer with a manager - I've managed to keep a manager for the summer - and the place feels really good.
"But we know that's sometimes when things can come to bite you. We're really not complacent, we're working super hard, and going to give this season our best shot to at least have less stress this season."
Palace host Liverpool on Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League, after beating Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage in their season opener.
The 71-year-old manager started his playing career at Crystal Palace, with Parish hailing Hodgson's longevity and the respect he holds within the game.
"He is very happy at the football club, he started his career there, there's this lovely synergy, maybe he'll end his career there - I don't want to write his career off! But maybe this will be home for him, we certainly hope it is," Parish added.
"There's not many managers where you go to away to a club and they're singing his name on the terraces while we're beating them. We were at Craven Cottage with Fulham and they were singing his name on the terraces, so this is a massively-respected figure in football."
