Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace completed the loan signing of Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea on Wednesday, with the England under-21 international moving to Selhurst Park on a one-year deal.

A statement on the Eagles' official website confirmed the news of Loftus-Cheek's temporary departure from Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder said he hopes the move to Palace will be good for him, per the club statement:

"I had the option of coming to Palace, and I thought that it would be great for me. I live not too far away, I was born in Lewisham and Palace is a good club so I thought it's a good chance to play here and be a part of the team. They have a very strong team and I'd like to be a part of that this season."

The 21-year-old has long been viewed as one of the most talented young prospects in England, per the Telegraph.

However, former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho afforded him few first-team opportunities, and little has changed since the club appointed Antonio Conte.

In the 2016-17 campaign, Loftus-Cheek played only 31 minutes in the Premier League having been granted 408 minutes of top-flight action in 2015-16, per WhoScored.com.

It is obvious that the Londoner needs more game time than that if he is to make good on his enormous potential.

He will hope to see a lot more action under Palace manager Frank de Boer, and the competition for places in the middle of the park will not be as fierce as it is at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, Loftus-Cheek could be valuable for the Eagles, as he is a gifted passer of the ball and should work well in the south London outfit's squad. 

Having been given little chance to show his talents at Chelsea, the youngster will relish the opportunity for more game time at Selhurst Park. 

For their part, Chelsea and their fans will look for Loftus-Cheek to flourish at Palace and return to west London rejuvenated at the end of his loan spell.

Crystal Palace have confirmed the appointment of Frank De Boer as the club's new manager on a three-year deal.

The Eagles announced their new boss on Monday on the club's Twitter feed:

It’s the news you’ve all been waiting for…

Welcome, @FdeBoerOfficial: https://t.co/RmyuX71d8z#deBoerIsOurs pic.twitter.com/21IlbxRSXL

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) June 26, 2017

In a statement on the club's official website, De Boer expressed his delight at being appointed:

I am thrilled to be appointed as manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. It is a great honour to take charge of such an historic club, a club that is known around the world for its hugely proud and passionate fan base. This role is a hugely exciting opportunity for me, and I cannot wait to get started in the Premier League with the players and staff here in south London.

The Dutchman arrives at Selhurst Park seeking to build on the good work done by Sam Allardyce, who left his post after steering Palace to safety in the 2016-17 Premier League season.

De Boer represents a glamorous signing for the south London side. The Dutchman enjoyed a glittering playing career with Ajax and Barcelona, winning six league titles in his career as well as the 1994-1995 UEFA Champions League.

As a manager, De Boer steered Ajax to four successive league wins between 2010 and 2014 before leaving the club in the summer of 2016.

Inter Milan snapped the Dutchman up as a replacement for Roberto Mancini last year, although his stay at the San Siro was a short one. De Boer was sacked in November last year with the Nerazzurri down in 12th place.

Nevertheless, football journalist Daniel Storey believes the Eagles have made an excellent appointment in the 47-year-old:

Gap between Premier League's pulling power for players and managers highlighted by Crystal Palace's appointment of Frank de Boer. Fine coup.

— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) June 22, 2017

At Selhurst Park the former Ajax man will have a clutch of talented players to work with, including the prolific Christian Benteke and the scintillating Wilfried Zaha. However, his most difficult challenge will be instilling some consistency into this group of players.

After all, Palace have the quality within their ranks to push up towards the top end of the table and last season they earned some impressive scalps, winning at Chelsea and Liverpool in the run-in. But against sides unwilling to open the game up, they can look a little one-dimensional.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe suggested the patient style De Boer will look to utilise may not align well with the current squad, who are at their best when set up to counter-attack:

That #CPFC squad is ripe for physical, direct, speedy football. Zaha, Andros, Benteke, Milivojevic, Van Aanholt… https://t.co/ARa25WxyZy

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) June 23, 2017

The coach will have to adapt his philosophies, something he was reluctant to do at Inter, in order to get the best out of Palace. Possession football can work in the Premier League, although De Boer will need to prepare an adaptable outfit ready for physical battles too.

Allardyce instilled some solid foundations during his brief time at the football club and if De Boer can add a flourish to those, Palace supporters should have a season to savour. 

Crystal Palace and Wilfried Zaha agreed to a five-year contract extension on Thursday, the club announced.

The winger said in a press release:

"Palace is in my heart and I don't think the story is over. I spoke with [chairman] Steve [Parish] and I think I still have more to give this Club. The supporters have been amazing and I want us to do more than just stay in the League next year. I would like to thank the Chairman for being a big part of my journey and his fellow owners for backing me and rewarding my progression. Let's do this!"

He also had a message for his Twitter followers:

It's lit bruh ✨

— Wilfried Zaha (@wilfriedzaha) May 25, 2017

Zaha has long been one of the most naturally talented wide players in the Premier League, combining blistering pace and breathtaking pieces of skill at his best.

However, during his time with Palace, he's been unable to appropriately harness his ability on a consistent basis. Indeed, Zaha has a penchant for being erratic with his end product.

There were signs of improvement throughout 2016-17, though. While Palace found wins tough to come by, Zaha was a menace on both flanks and made some vital contributions to his side. The 24-year-old finished with seven goals and nine assists in the Premier League for the Eagles.

Contract stability may bring the best from Zaha, though he will have to adjust to a new manager after Sam Allardyce's stunning decision to leave the club on Tuesday.

His next manager may demand more from his forward players, both in the final third and in terms of defensive duties. More responsibility, in turn, may draw a greater level of maturity from the former Manchester United man.

The maturation process is one Zaha needs to undergo with Palace if he is to realise his potential. There have always been glimpses of a player with game-changing abilities at Selhurst Park, although stringing together these performances in succession has proved to be a huge challenge for him.

Sam Allardyce left his post as Crystal Palace manager on Tuesday and said in a club statement he has "no ambitions to take another job."

The Palace website announced the surprise news that Allardyce was departing just five months after he succeeded Alan Pardew in the manager's role.

Allardyce said: "I will always be grateful to Crystal Palace and Steve Parish for giving me the opportunity to go out with my head held high having helped keep the club in the Premier League. More than that, they gave me a chance of rebuilding my reputation after what happened with England. ...

"I want to be able to savour life while I'm still relatively young and when I'm still relatively healthy enough to do all the things I want to do, like travel, spend more time with my family and grandchildren without the huge pressure that comes with being a football manager. This is the right time for me. I have no ambitions to take another job."             

The Eagles were just a point above the Premier League relegation zone when the former England manager took over in December.

Palace ended the season seven points clear of the drop, having beaten the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the second half of the campaign.

Per Dominic Fifield in the Guardian, Allardyce, 62, penned a £2.5 million-a-year deal to 2019 when he joined Palace.

Before the announcement, the Daily Mail's Matt Lawton reported Allardyce was unhappy he did not get the assurances he wanted from Palace chairman Parish about transfer funds and strengthening the squad this summer, so he decided to call time on his brief Selhurst Park career.

The Palace job was Allardyce's first managerial post following his ill-fated 67-day tenure in charge of England, which ended after an undercover newspaper sting in September.

On-loan Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will remain at Crystal Palace for treatment on the knee injury he suffered against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday amid reports he could feature for the Eagles again this season. 

There were fears the France international's season could be over after he fell awkwardly on his leg against Spurs, but Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph reported the injury is "not as serious" as first thought.

Sakho could make his way back into manager Sam Allardyce's lineup before the end of this term, as Bascombe described the centre-back as having an "outside chance" of playing against Manchester United on May 21.

There were concerns Sakho ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee following Wednesday's tumble, which James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo reported could have kept him sidelined for up to nine months.

However, Allardyce can afford to breathe a sigh of relief after learning the 1-0 defeat to Spurs may not be Sakho's final appearance in Palace colours.

The Guardian's Dominic Fifield reported on Friday that the player had instead suffered bruising and a strain to his knee ligaments, although he noted it would still require a swift recovery to return by season's end:

I guess it would take the rehab / treatment to go very smoothly for that to happen. But all better than a cruciate injury etc

— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) April 28, 2017

Sakho will undoubtedly be raring to get more playing time on the board before his Selhurst Park stay comes to an end, too, having revived his best at Palace after becoming an outcast under manager Jurgen Klopp at parent club Liverpool. 

And the Eagles have felt the full benefits of his presence in kind, as OptaJean illustrated just what Sakho's impact has meant to a Palace team that's close to guaranteeing its Premier League survival:

63% - Crystal Palace have won 63% of their Premier League games this season with Sakho (5/8), only 23% without him (6/26). Injured. pic.twitter.com/JXMdu7fXMH

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) April 27, 2017

A long-term injury setback would have been a hammer blow for Sakho given his form since joining Palace on loan this past winter.

Damien Delaney and Martin Kelly will still be the favourites to deputise in central defence while Sakho makes his recovery, and Allardyce will be hoping Scott Dann and James Tomkins can also return from injury in the near future.

Over the course of this season, the Crystal Palace Girls Under-12 team have become used to a familiar routine when they turn up at grounds and parks across south London.

Their arrival always causes a hum of activity, an audible chatter amongst players, fans and parents. There will be a few long stares, and often a sharp intake of breath as the opposition come to realise they are about to play a team consisting entirely of girls.

"When they first see us, boys start whispering to their friends and laughing at us because they think we are going to be easy," says Crystal Palace Girls' 12-year-old defender Remmi Gardner. "We see that and think, OK, we will show you."

Palace striker Lily Edwards knows only too well what's at stake: "You can hear their parents saying, 'Oh come on, boys, they’re only girls, you have to win this.'"

These girls are pioneers, making history as the first generation of young female players to compete against boys in their own leagues.

This season, 68 elite girls teams at Under-10 and Under-12 levels—including those from Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Crystal Palace—have been playing in local grassroots boys leagues.

Before now, it was strictly girls versus girls. But Kay Cossington, the Football Association’s head of women's talent and England’s Under-15 girls coach tells Bleacher Report that last year, the FA made the radical decision to experiment with playing girls against the boys.

"A lot of thought went into this because we wanted to give the most talented girls in the country the best competition experience possible," Cossington says.

"We wanted to stretch these girls, toughen them up and make them better players by throwing them in against the boys, so as to help them become quicker, more creative, and more physical."

Nesta Hibbert has been managing Crystal Palace’s U12 Girls team for four seasons, and she was initially shocked when she heard of the FA's plans. But on reflection, Hibbert, the sister of former Charlton and West Ham defender Chris Powell, thought her girls would relish the new challenge, having grown tired of winning most of their games.

During an earlier season as Under-10s, the Palace Girls were utterly dominant, winning 23 of their 24 games, scoring 135 goals and conceding just four. They had become too good for their fellow girls.

"We were winning games with ease, and after a while that gets boring," says Hibbert, who runs the side along with head coach Dylan Charlery-Bowen.

"We would regularly win by eight or nine goals, so the idea of taking on the boys sounded exciting and the challenge they needed. There was some reluctance, but all came to see we needed to test ourselves. It has been a great wake-up call."

Twelve-year-old Sophie McCormick is the bright and enthusiastic captain of the Crystal Palace Girls. She plays in central midfield.

"I was really excited when I heard we were going into a boys league, because I wanted to prove girls were just as good at football," she says. "We are completely equal. A lot think football is a boys' sport, but we are showing that isn’t the case."

The Palace Girls entered this brave new world with a jolt, suffering a 12-2 defeat in their opening game against a boys team.

"It was a shock to the system," Hibbert says. "After the first three goals, I could see the girls shrink in size and their shoulders sag. They were stunned. They had not lost many before. They weren’t even used to conceding many goals. They could have given up, but they didn't, and they have kept battling all season."

The Palace Girls lost the majority of their early games, and heavily too, going down 7-1, 6-1, 4-1 and 5-1, as they adapted to the new realities of playing boys, whom they found to be faster and stronger.

At the start of the season, their main concern had been the greater physicality of boys and having to tackle them.

"We were worried that the boys would be a lot more rough and could hurt us," Remmi says. "But when we started playing, we realised not to worry and just get stuck in. If they barge us, we give it back to them, and they have been shocked at that."

Sophie shared these concerns, but she too has thoughtfully managed to overcome them during the season.

"Boys are about being physical, whereas girls use their minds; we try to think about the game more,” she says. "We draw them in and pass the ball around them. Girls are more focused on being technical, while the boys are on full blast, with lots of running."

On the day I watched the girls, a Sunday in early March, they never shirked a challenge and matched the boys for strength and stamina all over the pitch.

After six months playing against boys, here was a team that had grown immensely in confidence. The dismissive words of the opposition and their parents were clearly driving them on.

"Boys always expect to win, you can see it in their eyes," Sophie says. "That makes us even more determined. We want to prove that we are not weak, we can be just as good as them."

Sophie's teammate Lily Edwards hears the disparaging words of parents and opposing players and uses it to fuel her fire. "That makes me angry and want to show them," she says. "I don’t take it personally. They are being silly; of course we can be as good as them."

At the beginning of February, the girls proved their point by securing their first win over a boys side when they overcame Junior Bromleians United with a 4-2 win.

The girls celebrated as though they had won a Cup final, revelling in joyous celebration and taking lots of souvenir team pictures in the goal.

"It was a wonderful moment. The girls were ecstatic; they had proven girls could beat boys. It meant so much," recalls Hibbert. "There had been a fear that we might not win a game all season, but we proved that it is possible.

"The boys team were understandably downhearted as they walked off the pitch, and I even heard some parents say, 'Oh gosh, you got beaten by girls!' But their manager was very complimentary and said he wanted some of my girls to join his team!"

At the end of every match, Hibbert and her girls present the best boy on the opposition with "Man of the Match" awards—a medal to hang around their neck and a bag of sweets.

"You can see the same boys who might have been uncertain about playing girls only an hour earlier are now chuffed to have actually earned their respect," Hibbert says. "It is a nice moment."

At the match I attended, played at the girls' home ground at a school in south London, the boys from Caribb FC had to fight all the way for a narrow 3-2 win. Afterwards, they wore sweaty expressions of undisguised admiration for the girls who had just matched them.

"I can’t lie, I thought it would be easy," said Caribb FC player Romel Gambicky. "But it was tough. They were really good. They have some great players."

Six months after sending the girls into the unknown, and with evidence in games like that one, the Football Association are keen to declare the experiment a triumph.

"It has been a huge success. The feedback from coaches, players and parents has been really positive,” Cossington says.

"Over the season, the girls have all developed their games: learned to be quicker and play the ball forward more, as well as how to deal with the strength of boys and use their bodies to protect the ball. Boys start kicking a ball when they can walk. They watch Match of the Day, they play FIFA. It is natural for them, but girls start later, so this season playing against boys has helped them catch up."

The FA hope this will eventually produce more and better female footballers and speed up their development.

"There is already a lot of talent out there, but now that girls are playing against boys, they will also develop the attitude and strength they need to become professional footballers," says Arsenal’s Alex Scott, who has won more than 100 caps for England.

"You will learn nothing beating other girls teams 10-0, but against boys you will learn to be more resilient and improve at a faster rate. I think in 10 years' time we will see that this will have helped create better women players."

---

Gone are the days when female footballers were treated as a mere novelty and the sport just a hobby for them. Since the launch of the Women’s Super League in 2011, young English girls now know they can become professional footballers.

The WSL plays host to several leading players, including England internationals Scott, Steph Houghton and Toni Duggan, who can each earn an annual salary of up to £65,000.

England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2015 helped create new heroes and generate even more interest in women’s football.

On the global stage, leading women’s players like Alex Morgan and 2015 FIFA World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd, both from the USA, can earn up to $3 million a year and attract a roster of sponsors, including Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonald's.

"The perception of the women’s game has changed so much in the last 10 years," says Scott, who is involved with Premier League Primary Stars, an organisation that hopes to raise participation in the game. "When I was a kid, my mum’s friends would laugh when she told them I wanted to be a footballer when I grew up, but it isn’t frowned upon any more.

"There is now a pathway, and these girls playing now know they can one day become a professional footballer. It is a career they can genuinely aspire to. They don’t have to go to the USA, either. In fact, as you can see with Carli Lloyd, they are now coming here."

At the start of March, the FA sought to tap into the growing interest in women’s football by announcing their aim to double the number of girls and women playing the sport by 2020. The governing body has long wanted football to be a genuinely national sport—not just a boys sport, where girls felt relegated to the fringes.

The FA’s chief executive, Martin Glenn, even declared at the launch, as reported by the Daily Mail, that he firmly expected England’s women to win a World Cup before the men, citing their superior toughness and mental fortitude.

Placing girls in boys leagues this season has been done to aid this process and make them physically and mentally stronger. Some of the girls playing for the 68 elite teams in boys leagues, possibly even from the Crystal Palace Girls Under-12 side, could go on to represent England and win this World Cup

"I would love to be a professional footballer. I have been dreaming about that, and hopefully playing against boys will help me do that," Sophie says. "I have come on a lot playing against them. It has made me tougher, fitter, stronger and faster."

This season’s experiment has even started a debate that it could lead to a woman playing in the Premier League in the future.

"I can definitely see that happening," Hibbert says. "If they are now playing together at this youth level, then why not?"

For now, the Crystal Palace Girls will return to playing in a girls league next season when they graduate to be Under-13s and play 11-a-side football for the first time, but with the new rule that they must also play five extra games against boys teams.

Some girls are keen to return to this safer environment, but most will miss the weekly challenge of taking on the boys.

Their captain, Sophie, speaks for most of her team-mates about this bruising but ultimately rewarding season when she reflects, "Our main goal was to prove girls could be just as good as boys at football, or even better and actually beat them, and I really think we have shown that. We can be really proud of that."

Sam Pilger is a contributing football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @sampilger

Daniel Boylett, a Charlton Athletic fan, has been found guilty of trying to punch Crystal Palace's eagle mascot, Kayla, during a clash between the two teams in 2015.

The Press Association (via the Guardian) reported the 36-year-old was tried at Croydon crown court in London on Friday. 

Charlton and Crystal Palace met in the Capital One Cup in 2015, an ugly affair that came with plenty of fan violence. The Eagles beat their rivals 4-1.

According to the report, Boylett was one of five fans in the dock, with the other four charged with football violence. Boylett had a charge of violent disorder added to the list.

Kayla, a 25-year-old bald eagle, has been Palace's mascot since 2010. According to the report, it's unclear if the punch landed, but the bird did not seem hurt in the aftermath.

Sentencing will take place on April 28.  

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho completed a loan move to Crystal Palace on deadline day, giving the France international the chance to prove to the Reds he still has a future at Anfield. 

Palace formally announced the deal in the early hours of Wednesday morning:

BREAKING: #CPFC are pleased to announce the signing of @mamadousakho on loan from @LFC until the end of the season. #WelcomeMamadou 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/FSztfuCMQZ

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 1, 2017

Sky Sports News HQ's Kaveh Solhekol reported the total cost will be £3.6 million for Palace. They're paying a £2 million loan fee as well as £1.6 million for Sakho's wages for the remainder of the season.

As reported by Dominic King of MailOnline, Liverpool told Sakho to find a new club after their pre-season tour, from which he was sent home early because of disciplinary issues. The former Paris Saint-Germain man turned down summer deals with Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, who were interested in a permanent switch.

He has been forced to train with Liverpool's academy squads and play most of his minutes with the under-23 side since.

Per King's report, manager Jurgen Klopp had no plans for the 26-year-old this season, but the German believes Sakho still has a future with the club. He'll have to prove he can be a professional on loan, something This Is Anfield finds odd:

Reports today that Sakho has been told to leave. Can you prove professionalism by being at a different club?!https://t.co/3NNDatfub7

— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) August 30, 2016

The France international has flashed his talent on plenty of occasions, but he has also made headlines for the wrong reasons.

Per MailOnline's Ben Nagle, he bounced back after a public incident in which he left the stadium before a derby match against Everton in 2014, so there are reasons to believe he can overcome this latest setback as well.

With Joe Gomez working his way back to health and the summer arrivals of Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan, competition for the centre-back spots is severe at Liverpool, and Sakho won't have it easy battling his way back.

But with Crystal Palace, he has the chance to shine again. At the very least, some strong performances could lead to a permanent move to another top club.

Sam Allardyce is the new manager of Crystal Palace after the club confirmed his appointment on Friday.

The Eagles revealed the deal was finalised with a statement on their official website, with Allardyce agreeing to a contract for two-and-a-half years. 

The 62-year-old takes over at Selhurst Park in place of Alan Pardew, who was sacked on December 22 following a terrible 2016. Allardyce takes over a club that is in 17th place in the Premier League table, one point clear of the relegation zone.

It’s the first role taken on by the new Palace boss since his infamous 67-day spell in charge of the England national team; he left the post in September by mutual consent after a sting from the Daily Telegraph captured Allardyce advising how to "get around” Football Association rules.

While the stint in charge of the Three Lions was a blemish on his managerial record, Allardyce will bring plenty of experience with him to south London, per Sky Sports News HQ:

Only Sir Alex Fergsuon, Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp and David Moyes have managed more @premierleague games than Allardyce. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/CHJfFCKi2I

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 22, 2016

Indeed, the former Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland chief has fashioned a reputation for getting sides back on track. For those Palace fans who are concerned about the drop, he’s a manager who has never been relegated from the top flight.

His last post at Sunderland saw the veteran manager do an impressive job. The Black Cats were in terrible form when Allardyce replaced Dick Advocaat, but he shored the team up, made some key January signings and secured Premier League safety at the expense of local rivals Newcastle United.

According to sports journalist Ed Malyon, Allardyce has had some ideas about how to turn Palace around for a while:

https://twitter.com/eaamalyon/status/811955720061124609

Club chairman Steve Parish told the club's official website the Eagles are ecstatic someone like Allardyce was available: "We are delighted to be able to make an appointment so quickly and fortunate that someone of Sam’s calibre and experience was available."

At Selhurst Park, he will take over a squad that has talent but is low on confidence and in possession of a brittle mentality.

A striker like Christian Benteke should excel under Allardyce, who is renowned for playing a direct style of football that relies on a strong target man. Additionally, players like Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend should offer a frequent supply line from the flanks.

But top of Allardyce’s agenda will be organising a Palace side that were so ragged in defence at times under Pardew. While 2016 was a turbulent year for the coach, he’s proved time and again he’s well capable of handling such a task.

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Alan Pardew, it was confirmed on Thursday.

The Eagles released a statement noting the decision had been taken, via their official website. A separate piece included a message from Pardew:

I would just like to take the opportunity to thank everybody at Crystal Palace for their fantastic support. In particular a big thanks to the players who gave me absolutely everything and Steve Parish and his Board.

Personally I have a lot of good feelings for this football Club and am sad that my time there has ended.

I feel that I have a special bond with the club and hope that hasn't been affected, I wish everybody associated with the Club the best of luck in the future including of course the fans who have been magnificent.

Pardew's final game in charge of the club was the 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday. The team are in 17th place in the Premier League with just 15 points on the board. Per Squawka Football, it's been a miserable year for the Eagles:

No current Premier League side has won fewer points (26) or conceded more goals (67) than Crystal Palace in 2016. https://t.co/255NlRvVhu

— Squawka (@Squawka) December 22, 2016

According to sports journalist Ed Malyon, Palace have already been in touch with Sam Allardyce about the vacant position:

https://twitter.com/eaamalyon/status/811955720061124609

The sacking ends a two-year stint in south London for the 55-year-old, in which his team endured numerous highs and lows.

Pardew's finest hour at the club came when he steered Palace to the 2015-16 FA Cup final. The Eagles took the lead through Jason Puncheon against Manchester United, but they eventually lost out in extra time.

It's the team's league form that has triggered this decision, though. Palace did enjoy some wonderful runs under Pardew, but they were offset by desperate spells of form.

Indeed, after a bright beginning to last season, the Eagles went on a 14-game winless run that almost saw them dragged into a relegation battle; they eventually finished in 15th.

The current campaign has been something of a similar story, with a six-game losing streak between October and November, including disastrous defensive displays in a 4-2 loss to Liverpool and a 3-2 defeat to Burnley, plunging the side into a relegation scrap.

But the firmest indicator of the team's mental fragility came in the 5-4 loss to Swansea City on November 26. After falling 3-1 behind, the Eagles led 4-3 heading into stoppage time, but Pardew had to watch on as Fernando Llorente fired in a brace at the death.

As noted by Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday, during his time as Palace boss, Pardew didn't always take losses gracefully, either:

Pathetic and undermining to fabric of game for Pardew to try to shift blame for defeat on to a referee like that

— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) October 29, 2016

With players like Christian Benteke, Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, the Eagles have the potential to be one of the Premier League's most watchable outfits. The challenge for the new boss will be harnessing the attacking flair of those stars in a manner his predecessor was unable to do.

As for Pardew, his stock has fallen substantially as a result of his failings at Palace. While the 2011-12 season, in which he steered Newcastle United to fifth place, was extremely impressive, his record has left much to be desired since.