Journalist James Olley has claimed Roy Hodgson's return to Crystal Palace will be a short-term appointment regardless of results, and that he will not continue beyond the end of the season.

What's going on at Crystal Palace?

With the Eagles winless in 2023, the club made the decision to sack manager Patrick Vieira and bring back his predecessor.

Palace are 12th in the Premier League but are just three points clear of the relegation zone, and their poor form has now placed them in a relegation battle.

The decision to re-hire Hodgson is a surprising one given that the 75-year-old had otherwise retired from coaching, but it seems that the decision was made with the threat of relegation in mind.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Olley claimed that Hodgson will only be in charge until the end of the season, even if he does particularly well, as there is no desire on either side for him to extend his stay.

"He won't probably have any aspirations about going into next season," he stated.

"It's not a case of if he wins seven out of his 10, 11 games, he's suddenly going to decide [he] wants a new two-year contract.

"I very, very much doubt that will be the case. The job is pure and simple: Roy, come in, you know the club, you know the league, you know the players, get us to 40-odd points."

Was hiring Hodgson the right decision for Crystal Palace?

With the club's aims focused solely on survival, having a manager familiar with the squad, league and club may prove useful as they aim to end their rotten spell of form, but his appointment may also point to a lack of ambition from the club's hierarchy.

When Hodgson initially departed, Palace were playing football which focused on efficiency over aesthetics, and Vieira was brought in as a long-term manager to help guide the team to greater heights than Hodgson had managed.

Some may argue Vieira wasn't backed enough in the transfer market, with the squad desperately lacking goals, and Hodgson may struggle to get this current group of players to improve in front of goal.

The aim now is for Hodgson to steer Palace to safety, before the club look in a different direction for a coach who can maximise this current squad's potential and bring a more exciting style of play to Selhurst Park.

However, their failures this term suggest the likes of Steve Parish absolutely must get the next appointment right.