Alan Pardew has been confirmed as the new manager of Crystal Palace, and has immediately vowed to make history with the club.
The Eagles lost Tony Pulis prior to the start of the current campaign when the now-West Bromwich Albion boss quit the club over a disagreement over transfer funds, and Neil Warnock was installed as his successor. But the 66-year-old could only lead the Londoners to three wins from his 16 matches in charge, and he was sacked with the side in the bottom three of the division.
Pardew was soon regarded as the favourite to replace Warnock, despite him still being in charge of Newcastle United at the time. But the 53-year-old had endured a topsy-turvy time at the St James Park club, with many supporters losing confidence in him long ago. So when he was give the chance to talk to the club he represented as a player, he jumped at the opportunity.
Although Palace had hoped to have had Pardew in charge for their match against Aston Villa on New Year’s Day, which ended goalless, a delay meant they could only finalise his appointment on Saturday. The former West Ham United boss has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Selhurst Park club, and he has set his sights on making history with the capital club.
“I am absolutely delighted to be the new manager of Crystal Palace,” Pardew, who made 128 league appearances for the club from 1987-1991, told the official club website. “Everyone knows my history here, what’s important now is to move the club to the next level. I believe with the backing of Steve and the board I can help achieve that and create some new exciting history for the club.”
Pardew began his managerial career with Reading, who he led to second place in the third-tier of English football in 2002. He resigned from his post early in the 2003-04 campaign when the Hammers showed an interest in him, and he eventually joined the Upton Park club shortly afterwards and led them to the Premier League the following season, when they also reached the FA Cup final only to lose a dramatic match to a Steven Gerrard-inspired Liverpool. He was eventually sacked in December 2006, yet his absence from the game was short as he joined Charlton Athletic less than two weeks later.
Pardew was unable to prevent the Addicks from slipping out of the top-flight that season, and having failed to show any signs of returning them to the elite, he left by mutual consent in November 2008 when they were in the bottom three of the Championship. The next port of call was Southampton, who he led to the Football League Trophy success in 2010 but was sacked five months later amidst widespread reports of a falling out with chairman Nicola Cortese.
It was something of a surprise when Newcastle turned to Pardew in December 2010, especially as Sky Sports reported that from a poll of 40,000 fans, only 5.5 percent wanted him. Yet he kept them in the Premier League during that first season, and in his first full campaign in charge, far exceeded expectations with a fifth-place finish. This was undoubtedly the high of his time on Tyneside, though, an it is widely accepted that he has taken the Magpies as far as he could.
Upon his departure from the club, Pardew said: “It has been a privilege to manage Newcastle United and I want to thank my captain Fabricio Coloccini and all the players, John Carver, Steve Stone, Andy Woodman and all the staff, all of whom have been outstanding servants to Newcastle United. A special thanks also goes to the fans for all their support over the last four years. I must also thank Mike Ashley and the board for their unwavering support during my tenure at the club.”
Will Pardew keep Palace up, and will Newcastle regret agreeing to let him go? Let us know what you think by joining in with the discussion below.
