If there is one team who can say their fortunes have improved over the last five years, it is Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace are currently enjoying a successful start to their 2016/17 campaign under Alan Pardew. After initial fears that he may not be the man for the job this year, Pardew has guided his side into the top half of the Premier League table. Five years ago, it was a very different story at Selhurst Park.
In 2011, the Eagles had been experiencing a whole host of problems behind the scenes that left many fans wondering how long they could maintain their place in the Championship. However, under Dougie Freedman they managed to finish 17th as well as go on an impressive League Cup run that took them to the semi-finals.
Given the circumstances it was a relatively joyful year for Eagles fans, however looking back now it seems staggering to see just how far they have come. At the time, they were in their seventh consecutive year in the Championship with no sign of promotion in the near future.
Now in the present day, they are an established Premier League side who are looking to excel even further this season. It goes without saying that they would not go back to those times, however it is an important part of the story in Palace’s journey towards relevance in the top flight.
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