When Alan Pardew left Newcastle for Crystal Palace many people were left scratching their heads at the decision.
At the time it would seem strange to leave a club sitting comfortably mid-table and take the role of a side in the relegation zone with a battle to stay up ahead of them. Newcastle has always been a club with a large fan-base but Pardew made it clear he didn’t want to continue operating under the financial restraints that existed.
He decided he wanted the challenge at Crystal Palace. The main challenge Pardew had was to keep Palace in the Premier League, a task which he succeeded in.
Only four games into the new season Palace are currently sitting second after four matches – possibly third after the late fixtures this evening. Last night’s result over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a 2-1 win, was one of the best ever under Pardew’s management. Crystal Palace are well placed for the remainder of the season and they must now have the belief they can beat anyone. This belief started in the latter part of last season with some important scalps including victories over Manchester City and Liverpool in the last two months of the season.
With the transfer window almost closed, Pardew will look to complete some final pieces of business. Pardew has spent over £50 million on players since his arrival so the books will need to be balanced with ten odd players expected to possibly be moved on from the squad.
Certainly the Crystal Palace squad on paper appears one of the strongest they have had for some time. The additions of Yohan Cabaye, Alex McCarthy, Connor Wickham and Bakary Sako considerably strengthen the team. All four played important roles in the victory over Chelsea last night, Sako scoring the opening goal.
Pardew might not be the flashiest manager around, but he is effective. Crystal Palace has shown the type of football they can play and they are very adaptable to the situation. Chairman Steve Parish has supported Pardew in the transfer market and so far the results speak for themselves.
It might be too early to start talking about European qualification but it is always good to dream big. And as Crystal Palace enters their third consecutive year in the Premier League, the relegation scraps should be well and truly a thing of the past.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Emi Martinez was saved by a new rule that resets yellow cards at the end of extra time, meaning his second yellow for taunting…
This season the top five leagues rankings of European football have been flipped on its head, as new competition heavyweights emerge. Just look at…
In all likelihood, just sixth spot remains up for grabs as we approach the final three rounds of A-League action in season 2023/24 and…
Not only did Erling Haaland's header hit the bar, but Bernardo Silva missed the rebound tap-in that came off his knee. Manchester City went…
After Manchester City saved Luka Modric's shot, the person in the stands didn't return the ball, holding up the penalty shootout for almost a…
Bayern Munich scored the only goal to defeat Arsenal 1-nil and progress to the semifinals. Former player Martin Keown says it's disappointing his former…
