Crystal Palace to check blinds at Wolves after Roy Hodgson fumed at BT Sport for showing post-match inquest
CRYSTAL PALACE will pull the shutters down to avoid more prying on their Molineux suite tonight.
Roy Hodgson is still furious his post-match inquest was shown live on TV after they lost 2-0 at Wolves in July — a seventh straight Premier League defeat.
Covid restrictions meant Palace had to prepare for the match in a glass-fronted hospitality box overlooking the pitch.
BT Sport showed footage of an animated Hodgson addressing his players — but the broadcaster later deleted their video from social media after a private blast from Palace’s boss.
However, Hodgson is furious it was broadcast live and pundits labelled it as an angry rollicking.
I’m telling you it wasn’t a dressing down. I’m still not happy about that situation and we made it clear to the TV company concerned.
Roy Hodgson
SunSport understands Palace’s kit men will make sure suite blinds — which Wolves say were in place last season at Molineux — will be fully drawn.
Hodgson, 73, said: “I’m telling you it wasn’t a dressing down. The people who were filming had no idea what my message to the players was.
“But they decided in their wisdom they would make up my message and set it forth as a dressing down to the players which was far from the truth.
“I’m still not happy about that situation and I think we made it perfectly clear to the TV company concerned.
“At Wolves we thought it was amiss you’re asked to change in a hospitality suite with clothes all dotted around — nothing like a dressing-room atmosphere.
“Yet at the same time you’ve got people filming through the windows because it looks out on the pitch.
“We’ll make absolutely certain this time that doesn’t happen again.
“If I then wanted at some stage to say something to the players, either positive or negative, it would stay in the dressing room, where it belongs.
“Whatever happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room. It isn’t broadcast to the world at large.”
Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha, 27, is in buoyant mood having scored the winner at Fulham, with his five goals in six matches this season already eclipsing last season’s total.
Hodgson, whose side will go joint-top with a win tonight, added: “Wilf is an excellent player. He has got so many qualities, so much to give.
“We’re fortunate this year, he has started well. His form has been good, his attitude has been excellent.
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“I’d think if he can keep this up, there’s no reason he can’t continue to score goals.
“He’s really thinking: ‘Right, I need to be more selfish. I need to get amongst the goals myself, start shooting more’.”
C PALACE (likely): Guaita, Clyne, Dann, Kouyate, Van Aanholt, Riedewald, Milivojevic, Schlupp, Townsend, Batshuayi, Zaha.