Paul Merson has delivered an emphatic verdict on Crystal Palace’s survival hopes ahead of the crunch game against his former club Middlesbrough.
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce
Palace sit second bottom of the Premier League table with 19 points from 25 games and just one win since Sam Allardyce took over from Alan Pardew back in December.
The Eagles are staring the dreaded drop in the face but are just two points from safety with 13 games to go.
Their poor form has seen them tipped by many to be relegated and in doing so become the first side to drop through the Premier League trapdoor with Big Sam in charge.
The Selhurst Park side can go level on points with their 16th-placed opponents Boro on Saturday.
And former Middlesbrough star turned Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has delivered an emphatic verdict on the Eagles’ survival hopes.
“I know where Palace are, but they won’t be going down with Sam Allardyce in charge, believe me,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“For me, that is the biggest cert ever. They will stay up because Sam Allardyce is there.
Paul Merson
“When push comes to shove, at the end of the season he will sit 10 people behind the ball at home and get a 0-0 draw. Other managers won’t do that and think ‘I’ve got to attack, attack, attack.'”
Merson believes that reigning champions Leicester City will instead fill one of the three relegation spots in what is turning out to be an intriguing and increasingly nervy battle at the bottom.
Crystal Palace’s Damien Delaney and Jeffrey Schlupp look dejected
As many as seven clubs all the way up to Bournemouth in 14th place look like being involved.
If Palace do go down it will be the first time a club managed by Allardyce has been relegated from the Premier League.
Steve Parrish and the Palace board backed the manager in the January window and pressure is mounting on the survival specialist to start turning things around in South London.
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