Roy Hodgson probably has the toughest job to perform in this world. Crystal Palace are currently in the midst of a shambolic start to the season and the former England manager needs to do some miraculous thing to put their season back on track.
The Eagles have lost all their seven encounters in the Premier League so far and there is a huge possibility of losing the eighth one too, given their next opponent is defending champions, Chelsea.
According to reports, Palace are monitoring Non-League defender Lex Allan. The towering defender is currently with Millwall as he has been training with the Championship club for quite a while.
The defender has attracted attention for his height which is believed to be six feet seven inches. Sittingbourne’s 19-year-old defender has also alerted a number of other clubs and Palace are considering taking the player on trial.
The Eagles are assessing a number of options to beef up their squad and Hodgson wants to tap up every possible option at his disposal. Sittingbourne play in Isthmian League Division One South and the lanky defender has featured six times for them this term.
Palace do have a very interesting lineup of defenders but there is a lack of stability and assurance in the side. The likes of James Tomkins and Scott Dann are quite experienced in their task but they haven’t performed to the full force this season and as a result, the Eagles are lurching at the bottom of the table.
The defender is currently contracted with the club on a long-term deal, but that shouldn’t be a problem if a club like Palace come calling with an offer. Statistically, there are enough defenders at Palace’s need right now but there is still room for two players on the squad and to ensure productivity. So, Hodgson could offer the player a short-term contract to use his service.
Sittingbourne manager confirmed Palace’s interest in the player. “He was at Millwall again last week, Palace have said they want him to train with them and Fulham have also enquired.
“There was also a scout from Birmingham at our League Cup game against Ramsgate last Tuesday but we didn’t play Lex that night.”
Allan might not be of Premier League standards yet but he has the quality to adapt and a coach like Hodgson can easily mould him to a much better player. It remains to be seen whether the East Londoners further approaches the player or just sit back tight.
