Friday 15 September 2017 17:29, UK
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has promised to adopt whichever style of play "will help us win football matches".
Palace are bottom of the Premier League going into their home game with Southampton, live on Sky Premier League this Saturday lunchtime.
Four consecutive league defeats meant an end to the short Frank de Boer era at Selhurst Park, which saw an unsuccessful attempt to change Palace's style of play to make them more effective in possession.
Hodgson is keen to take a pragmatic approach to the situation as he looks to guide the club out of the relegation zone, something the 70-year-old is convinced will happen.
"All styles of play are dependent on the types of players you have there to play the game," he said.
"It's difficult to impose a style if you don't have the players there who are comfortable with that style, that's pretty obvious to everybody.
"I have seen quite a lot of Crystal Palace over the last five years, especially the four years I was working with England.
"I have seen many of the players who are still here progress during that period of time and I think I have a clear idea of what they are good at and what they can do.
"Our style needs to be one that will help win us football matches."
As for their chances of Premier League survival, Hodgson added: "I believe the team will stay up, absolutely. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe that, or that me and my coaching staff would be the people to do that.
"There's never been any doubt in my mind. It could be a good year if it ends up with Palace in the Premier League and the fans happy: that would make me very happy."
Hodgson described his time as England manager as a "huge honour" but admitted he was pleased to be back working in club football.
His focus now will be on helping secure Palace's Premier League status, with the game against Southampton followed by the visit of Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup before a string of difficult league fixtures.
Trips to Manchester on consecutive weekends to face City and then United are followed by a London derby against Chelsea in south London after the international break in early October.
But Hodgson is keen to stress he and the club will be judged on where they finish at the end of the season, not after a handful of matches.
"I really enjoyed my time with England, it was a huge honour, I have very good memories of those times and the people and players I worked with but it's over," he said.
"That was a chapter in my life and that chapter has now finished and focus on the next one. As far as I am concerned, it is Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace.
"I am happy to be working with the team and I am hopeful and enthusiastic about what we can achieve.
"Everything we do will be based on getting enough points to ensure that we stay in the league because the aim is to end the campaign as a Premiership team.
"Our focus is on May, not the end of September. Leagues aren't won at the end of September and teams aren't relegated at the end of September.
"I was heartened by what I saw on the TV in the Burnley game last weekend. I saw a team which I thought dominated the game and defended well, so the least I can hope for is that we can reproduce that form tomorrow [Saturday]."
Watch Crystal Palace v Southampton on Saturday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League at 11:30am.
