Roy Hodgson has spoken of his pride at the likelihood of keeping Crystal Palace in the Premier League, but does not yet know where the achievement ranks in his career.
Only a highly unlikely set of results can draw Palace back into relegation danger with two games remaining and, actually, a top-half finish looks a more realistic end to the campaign.
That would mark a brilliant job done by Hodgson at Selhurst Park following Frank de Boer’s sacking, considering they were pointless and without a goal after four games when he arrived.
Even after 11 games, the Eagles’ points tally was at four, so for them to be as good as safe pleases Hodgson.
The 70-year-old said: “I am actually quite proud of what the players have achieved for this club, the way they have accepted all the things that have been thrown at us, the injuries, the misfortune in one or two games when we have played so well.
“I am really proud of those achievements. I will look back on it and be proud of the work me and my coaching staff have done too.
“But when you start ranking achievements it becomes difficult. I will tell you when I have been retired for two or three years and I don’t know when that will be.
“When I do retire I will look back on quite a few of my achievements and be proud of them and some of them might even surprise people.
“Sometimes you can do some of your best work when you don’t have the glittering prize to show for it.”
Hodgson is looking up and a top-half finish looks entirely possible with games against Stoke on Saturday and West Brom next weekend to come.
“I have got every faith in them to make sure they don’t show any signs of nonchalance because these last two matches are important for everybody, not least the integrity of the league because we are playing at least one team that has hopes of staying in it.
“All of us, players, staff, directors and not least of all the fans, all of us have to be very grateful that we are probably going to be in the league again and we can have another go at it next year.
“But of course, we are proud and we believe in ourselves and it would be nice to win those last two games and have a chance of finishing in the top half of the table.
“If that didn’t happen, that wouldn’t cause me the sleepless nights, they would have been coming preparing for a season in the Championship not the Premier League.”