Former Newcastle Manager Alan Pardew has officially been appointed manager at Crystal Palace. Pardew spent the last four years in charge of Newcastle United, before moving on to manage the club he once played for.
While Crystal Palace have yet to confirm the deal, the Daily Mail reports that things between Pardew and the club have been finalized, with the Eagles agreeing to pay Newcastle £3.5 million in compensation. The deal will allow Pardew to take charge of the club in time for their upcoming FA Cup tie against non-league side Dover Athletic.
More from The Top Flight
- Barcelona identify Newcastle star as Robert Lewandowski replacement
- Arsenal injury news: Mikel Arteta confirms “rapid” attacker suffered injury
- “600 days” Fans make SHOCK Chelsea revelation – They really are poor
- Arsenal transfer news: Mikel Arteta rivals Manchester United for wonderkid
- Manchester United: Erik ten Hag pinpoints 4 players amid Brighton loss
During his time in charge of Newcastle, Pardew proved to be anything but popular with the club’s supporters, his appointment in 2010 was only backed by 5.5% of them. The displeasure towards him grew during his tenure at the club, but he supporters’ anger seemed to peak at the end of last season, when some of them staged a walk out during the side’s 3-0 victory over Cardiff City.
Most supporters also voiced their disgust with both the club’s owner, Mike Ashley, and Pardew. Many who attended the match claimed that the abuse Pardew sustained from fans was the worst ever seen during a Newcastle soccer game.
"“This was arguably the worst personal abuse a Newcastle manager has had to endure at any game. It was an excruciating afternoon for all concerned.”Source: The Chronicle"
However, with what Pardew had to work with at Newcastle, the job he performed was nothing short of respectable. With Owner Mike Ashley having control over the club’s transfers, Pardew was left to the wolves, to try to build a decent squad. The club failed to sign many top players during this time, while selling top players Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye without suitable replacements coming their way.
Playing for 90
As bad of a reputation as Pardew has developed, most of the problems at Newcastle were not his fault. If anything, Pardew has proved his ability to manage an okay squad and keep them in the Premier League. Being a former Eagles player, Pardew should be warmly welcomed by the supporters as he attempts to rescue the club from possible relegation.
The first thing that needs to be accomplished at the London based club will be the evaluation of the current squad. With the transfer window already opened, all sore points will need to be properly identified in order to target the right players. If Pardew can find some quality players and convince them of the side’s potential, there will be no reason why Crystal Palace cannot climb their way out of relegation again.
Last year, it was Tony Pulis who saved the club from certain relegation. Can Alan Pardew cause lightning to strike twice, and bring Palace back from the brink yet again? Only time will tell, but the second half of the Premier League season looks to have gotten a whole lot more interesting.