Alan Pardew is back.
The feel good factor was evident in the Dover display. Let us now move on and create some more history as another season in the Premier League would be fantastic.
Is it achievable? Certainly, with a few tweaks we are more than ready for another Pulis style assault on the Premier League table.
Aston Villa
To be honest there is not much to talk about from the Villa game. It was pretty poor with not much goal mouth action for either sets of supporters to get excited about.
One pleasing aspect for the Palace faithful would have been the defensive performance. We finally looked tough and resilient at the back. The shape was good, Joel Ward came into the middle and did well. I will say, even though we do not utter his name too much anymore, it was as if Tony Pulis was managing.
Yannick Bolasie had our best chance of the game, but his effort hit the bar. Overall it was a good point.
I want to move on the Dover game had far more talking points. More importantly it was Pardew’s first game as Crystal Palace manager.
Dover Athletic
The FA Cup trip to Dover Athletic had banana skin written all over it. I was nervous, we could have potentially been the first major scalp on third round weekend.
It was a clinical performance. The squad was strong. We had to show Dover respect, they had done well to get to the third round, but ultimately they went out with a whimper. They offered nothing which did surprise me. I thought they would come at us straight away that never materialised and once we got the first goal the gulf in class was just too much.
The squad Pardew named had a few fringe players that have not had much Premier League football. Dwight Gayle, Barry Bannan and Damien Delaney all impressed as did returning loanees Stuart O’Keefe and Glenn Murray.
It was Scottish international Bannan that impressed me the most. Under Neil Warnock he was unused most of the time but he certainly has talent. He has played in the Premier League for most of his career. With Mile Jedinak absent, he could be the one to come in and fill the void. He lacks the physical presence of our other midfielders but his guile and eye for a pass is something that we could benefit from tremendously. Having someone with an eye for a pass could be the difference in our upcoming games.
Ever since Scott Dann walked through the Selhurst Park doors he has been impressive, he is fast becoming a fan favourite. His calming influence on the back four last season was a major factor in Palace staying up.
This year he has been just as good, except for that performance against Villa at home. On Sunday he scored two goals, at every set piece he was a menace and the Dover defence just could not handle him. The back four just looks so much more composed when he is pulling the strings. If we lost him at a vital time I would be worried but at this moment in time he is improving and so is the team.
Pardew Effect
You could see it in the body language of the players on Sunday. Pardew coming in has given everybody a lift. We needed it. Pardew tends to do well in his first season and keeping us up would be another great achievement.
If you want to read some more on Pardew and his time in the North East you must have a look at the article written for TEB by Newcastle fan Jake Jackmann ‘From Newcastle with Love’.
Pardew’s appointment has lifted the club, and at a vital time. It will hopefully work wonders. We all know just how important this January transfer window is. If we get it right I am confident that we can pull away from the mess we are currently in. Get it wrong and it could be curtains.
We have games coming up that are certainly winnable. Tottenham at home will be tricky and after their surprise win over Chelsea, they will be in high spirits. We could get a result after all, we should have won at White Hart Lane.
After that is Burnley away, that is a big game, a game we should be winning but they are currently playing without fear.
You get the picture. These next set of fixtures could go a long way to determine our league status for next season.
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