Crystal Palace vs Chelsea: Alan Pardew's revolution has potential to hit new highs

Alan Pardew reaches his first anniversary as manager of a club making giant strides on and off the pitch

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew (Getty Images)

At this soothsaying time of year, one of the safer predictions for the next 12 months is that Crystal Palace will equal a small piece of club history by starting next August at the highest level of English football for the fourth season in succession.

Twice before, from 1969-73 and 1989-93, they have sat at the top table for that long, only to be ejected in ignominious fashion. In between times, the squad tipped as “team of the Eighties” lasted two years before collapsing, and three later promotions to the Premier League were reversed within 12 months. Too often in the past, the talk was of potential, rather than achievement; about a great catchment area, stadium development plans and promising young players.

At the risk of tempting fate, it is reasonable to suggest that 2015 offers evidence of something more solid being built at last in London SE25, off the field as well as on it. For all the dramatic improvement in results, the most significant development last year may turn out to be the patiently negotiated agreement brought to fruition in December for two American investors, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, to take a 36 per cent stake in the club.


 Wayne Hennessey and Scott Dann celebrate a victory for Crystal Palace
 (GETTY IMAGES)

The additional finance will facilitate much-needed improvements to the stadium, training ground and infrastructure, as well as further strengthening of a squad whose record in the past year was all the more admirable for lacking a real goalscorer. Since former midfielder Alan Pardew, a veteran of the club’s best-ever League season by far (third place in 1991), returned as manager a year ago this week, Palace have played the equivalent of a full season of Premier League matches and taken 63 points. More often than not over recent seasons, that total would be worth a place in the top six.

Even Pardew, a man never accused of lacking self-belief, expresses surprise at the transformation since he inherited a team in 18th place, with three wins from 20 games.

“It’s been an astonishing year,” he said. “We have definitely upped our game.” By utilising the pace and counter-attacking potential of players such as Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha (below) to maximum effect, Pardew was able to steer the side into mid-table comfort well before the end of last season. In the summer, he added another dimension by using a combination of personal contacts and the new wealth of supposedly smaller Premier League clubs, such as Palace, to bring his former Newcastle playmaker Yohan Cabaye back to England from Paris St Germain on a salary that would have had former owner Ron Noades reaching for the smelling salts.

Crystal Palace's fans have become known for their displays (Getty Images)

Other signings like Connor Wickham, Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford and goalkeeper Alex McCarthy may have proved far less successful, but Cabaye’s influence on the team can hardly be overstated. Although Palace remain more effective away than at home (17 of this season’s 31 points having come on the road), the further improvement has coincided with more fancied teams struggling for consistency. Pardew believes that the resulting topsy-turvy nature of this season’s Premier League offers encouragement to all manner of clubs: “The Premier League has been shook up a bit and it must give big clubs like Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday hope as well. “It’s a season that’s thrown up a few surprises, but the top clubs will react. We will drive them to get better. Suddenly the opportunity has come to get past them and because we have been able to go out and buy better players, we can compete. It hasn’t totally happened yet but the opportunity is there.

Crystal Palace's coups - 2015 highlights

10 Jan v Tottenham (h) 2-1

Alan Pardew’s first League game in charge lifts his new club out of the relegation places.

6 April v Manchester City (h) 2-1 

Despite having only 26 per cent of possession, Palace beat the then champions.

16 May v Liverpool (a) 3-1 

A brilliant counter-attacking display ruins Steven Gerrard’s farewell.

29 Aug v Chelsea (a) 2-1

“Spirited, determined, intelligent performance,” says one report of win away to new champions.

8 Nov v Liverpool (a) 2-1

Anfield conquered again to inflict Jürgen Klopp’s first loss. 

28 Nov v Newcastle (h) 5-1

Palace blitz Pardew’s former team to go sixth in the table.

“I don’t think anyone would doubt that the middle pack downwards has improved. As a Premier League manager I can tell you that has definitely happened over the last four or five years. The Stokes, Evertons, Liverpools are all good sides. The top teams, for whatever reason, are just struggling a little bit.”

One of the earliest warnings to Jose Mourinho this season was Palace’s fully merited 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge in August, regarded at the time as a minor blip. Now Pardew has to hope today’s visitors do not continue to experience the sort of bounce from Guus Hiddink that he himself inspired as a new appointment a year ago.

“This is one of a small bunch of managers who has been top of his game and won lots of trophies and you can tell he has got that kind of experience that will settle Chelsea down,” said Pardew.

“It needed a certain character to follow Jose and he is a good choice in the interim anyway. I think they are going to find it hard to get into the top six, but they will push. They could possibly catch us.”

As to how far Palace can go by May in building on their annus mirabilis: “The next two months are going to be very important for us. If we can get two or three wins during that period, you can ask me that question again.”