Pardew needs radical change to save job at Palace

The Crystal Palace co-owners will need to see evidence that Alan Pardew is willing to make radical changes to his own approach and to gauge the players’ reaction in training this week before determining whether he still has a future as manager of the ailing London club.
Palace lost their sixth successive league game, 5-4 at struggling Swansea City, on Saturday to leave them outside the relegation places on goal difference only and Pardew’s stewardship hanging by a thread. Senior figures at Selhurst Park were taking stock on Sunday after the latest embarrassing defeat, the visitors’ 4-3 lead having been overhauled in the last six minutes at the Liberty Stadium.
The co-owner and chairman, Steve Parish, has consistently backed the manager, secured at significant expense from Newcastle United almost two years ago. Although there is still a desire within the set-up in London for Pardew to turn the situation round and hoist the team back into mid-table, patience is starting to wear thin. Two of Palace’s co-owners, the American major-shareholders David Blitzer and Josh Harris, have witnessed only six Premier League victories since each bought an 18% stake in the club a little under a year ago, and will need convincing that the 55-year-old is the man to haul the team out of their nosedive. All parties are acutely aware of Sam Allardyce’s availability as an alternative.
The three major shareholders had envisaged Pardew overseeing a critical trio of games against Swansea, Southampton and Hull, matches which appeared to offer him a chance to revive the team’s form after their dismal run, but the chaotic manner of Saturday’s surrender has put even more scrutiny on his position.
The hierarchy, having been told the players have been drilled extensively on defensive duties over the past few weeks, will seek evidence from Pardew that more drastic steps are being taken to tighten up a team who have conceded 26 in 13 games this season, and 17 in their past five matches. Palace have not kept a clean sheet in the top flight since mid-April.
Those changes to the approach would have to extend further than Pardew’s intention to hold clear-the-air talks at the club’s Beckenham training ground, having accused some of his players of not putting their “heart and body on the line” towards the end of Saturday’s defeat.
The recruitment of a defensive coach would appear to be a priority, with Palace having shipped 13 goals from set pieces this season, including four at Swansea. Where that would leave the current coaches, Kevin Keen and Keith Millen, remains to be seen. The board will also seek evidence that the players are still receptive to the manager’s instructions. Pardew has indicated the time may have come to make changes to his selection at the back after seeing his team concede late goals in each of their past three games.
Asked whether he would respond to the latest chastening setback by punishing his players with extra physical work, he replied: “No good running them into the ground. No benefit in that. But I do see a benefit in having a major chat about those goals we conceded because we talked about it all week and I haven’t had the response I wanted, if I’m honest, in terms of a couple of those set-plays, so I need to address that. It might be I need to change some of the team.”
It was put to Pardew that his players lacked leadership on the pitch when it mattered and “wilted” in injury-time, when Fernando Llorente scored twice from close range to capitalise on some woeful defending.
“That’s a word you use,” replied Pardew. “In terms of myself, the two situations we just needed to defend better and you have to put your heart and your body on the line at times and we didn’t do that for those two goals and there’s nothing more I can add. I am not going to hide from it. It is an awful defeat for us in the position we are in.”
To complete a thoroughly miserable day for Palace, Connor Wickham left the field on a stretcher in the second half after twisting his knee and Pardew fears the worst.
“It looks a serious injury. We will have to wait for the scan but it doesn’t look good,” the Palace manager added.
“His studs got stuck in the ground and his knee twisted.”