An idealistic mind can often be a thing of danger.

Crystal Palace are realising this the hard way, with manager Roy Hodgson’s philosophy not exactly matching their own. The experienced manager took them a long way in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, only to fall disappointingly to Watford, rendering the rest of the campaign pointless.

In a game pitting the new style against the old, Javi Gracia proved why the new and emerging tactics will always be more effective. Watford outwitted Palace in their own game, giving them enough respect to hold their line and nudge through a win. Hodgson, however, was lacklustre with his approach.

The Hornets wouldn't allow a repeat of the 2016 FA Cup haunt them. Despite Michy Batshuayi’s world-class strike serving as a beacon of hope, the Hornets crushed their hopes immediately afterwards. A lack of concentration or organization caused the Eagles downfall. Unlike Gracia, Hodgson wasn’t pragmatic enough with his approach and went into the game thinking his side as the “bigger” one, something which came back to haunt him.

However, much to everyone’s surprise, he discarded the FA Cup “as a bonus”, reiterating the Eagles’ focus on securing a better Premier League finish. He’s done a lot of good work at Palace, but Hodgson doesn’t have that winning mentality anymore.

Under his reign, the Eagles will keep on strutting ahead and never really achieve anything commendable anytime soon. The Eagles had the opportunity to fly high in the FA Cup once again yet failed. As good a job Hodgson has done, he's beginning to look behind the times.

Yet Hodgson’s careless approach tarnished their hopes, robbing the fans of a date with Wembley.

Palace fans, do you feel Hodgson should be replaced next season? Join the discussion by commenting below...