A banner put up recently outside Crystal Palace’s training ground told Roy Hodgson exactly what supporters group Holmesdale Fanatics thought of his safety-first style of football.
‘Palace pandemic of apathy,’ it read, hanging at the entrance to their Beckenham base so the players would see it. ‘Change this mentality. Restore the pride, ambition and vision.’
Saturday’s win, courtesy of a first-half VAR-prompted penalty by captain Luka Milivojevic, all but assures Palace will be a Premier League club next season.
With that in mind, it is time for Hodgson to remove the shackles.