Crystal Palace lie just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League table.
After a very brief post-transfer window bounce, Crystal Palace are now in more trouble than ever near the bottom of the table. The Eagles are just one point off the relegation zone and face an uphill battle to keep their rejuvenated squad in the Premier League. Here are three things they need to do to ensure survival.
Sort out set pieces
One of the most elementary requirements for teams wishing to thrive in the Premier League is to be disciplined on set pieces. Crystal Palace have struggled all season and it has been particularly evident of late with lackadaisical defending against Manchester City, Burnley and Liverpool.
They’ve scored five goals from set pieces this season but with the height and power in their possession, even that does not seem like enough.
Liverpool’s Joel Matip scores their third goal
Bring in Wickham
When Palace splurged over £30m on Christian Benteke in the summer, they must have thought their striker woes were over. However, Benteke is struggling from the same problem he encountered at Liverpool – he’s not mobile enough to link in and create space for the quicker and more creative players.
One man who is able to do this is Connor Wickham, who scored against City over the weekend. He’s more mobile and better served to put in the work required for the likes of Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha to shine. What’s more, Wickham is already halfway to his goal tally from last year in all competitions, so the time seems right.
Crystal Palace’s Connor Wickham scores their first goal
Just sack Pardew
It seems fairly straightforward. Alan Pardew is not working whatever magic he claims to have and things have not been good for nearly 12 months now. The FA Cup run papered over a few cracks which have soon opened back up again after a poor start to the season.
With the money he spent and the squad at his disposal, Pardew is not performing to the requisite standard. Next week’s crunch game at Swansea is already a relegation six-pointer but it shouldn’t really matter. A win for the Eagles just prolongs the stagnation under Pardew, while a loss should be the final nail in his coffin.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
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