Crystal Palace’s excellent start to the season shows that fans were wrong to doubt Alan Pardew in the summer.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
There was always a feeling that Alan Pardew’s cup run last season had papered over some severe cracks in his Crystal Palace side. While Eagles fans were able to enjoy the glitz and glamour of two Wembley cup ties, just two league wins in 2016 was a major cause for concern.
Pardew then bought himself some time by completing the signings of French international goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and former West Ham United favourite James Tomkins, while July brought the arrival of Andros Townsend once the transfer window officially flew open.
Crystal Palace’s Steve Mandanda
But Palace fans were screaming out for a striker. Connor Wickham, while industrious, was not prolific enough and Palace’s struggles in front of goal carried over into the start of the season. After one point from a possible nine, and just one league goal, the knives were out once again for Pardew, who was under increasing pressure to sign a striker.
Once he did, however, everything seemed to click. The arrival of Christian Benteke coincided with a five-game unbeaten run, as Palace soared to eighth. Obtaining a striker as proven as Benteke is an achievement for which Pardew should be praised, having negotiated an increasingly volatile market with ease.
Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke applauds their fans after the match
And now, having won 11 points out of the last 15, there’s not a sniff of discontent among Eagles fans. Pardew has turned it around in dramatic fashion and for that, he deserves credit. The challenge now is to avoid his trademark post-Christmas slide.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
