New manager Alan Pardew was talking ahead of the FA Cup third round tie against Dover about his feelings on returning to Palace, and speaking after the game he was obviously delighted with one win from one since he came in.
Speaking to Crystal Palace FC ahead of the potential banana skin, Pardew explained.
‘Every time I came back here it was always a lovely welcome and a nice feeling, and I knew that, at some point, I’m sure I would have worked for this club because really and truly my home is in this area. For me, it’s what you would class, as about as close as you can as a manager, to your own club.’
Pardew admits it was tough leaving a big club like Newcastle, but he felt it’s the right choice and the right time for him to have a new challenge in his career.
‘The players have got great attitudes here, they have been first class and I’ve been very impressed. So can I help change that energy into more tangible results, well that might take a transfer, a change of style a little bit, and that’s hopefully what a manager of my experience can manage to do.’
Having mentioned ‘a transfer’ with the January window opens, the gaffer said discussions had already taken place about potential targets and he wasn’t going to put ‘pressure’ on the chairman, but he did say the least he felt we needed was a ‘player or two at least.’
‘To suddenly change to expansive football is not going to suit us and we’ll find teams will be more technically dominant that us in the Premier League, so we have to find a different way. A few tweaks here and there, a general evolution of our system and that’s really as much as I would put on it.’
With Pardew’s presumed attitude to the cups following his time at Newcastle, speaking after the four nil victory, he explained.
‘From the start of the game through to the finish we were in control and that is very difficult to do against any opposition, never mind the level of the match. I was really pleased because I asked the team to play a slightly different style to what they have been used to and open up the pitch a little bit more and that gives them a chance to express themselves and I thought they did that really well throughout the game.’
Pardew went on to say that for him he wanted us to start the game by making a statement early on and going at them, and he felt we did that fantastically well, and really could’ve taken the lead before we did with chances we were creating.
‘But you have got to put the ball into the dangerous areas and really this team hasn’t been doing that to the levels that it should. The application and attitude of the team can never be questioned as these players a real honest group and I have seen that in just the short amount of time I have been here.’
As for his approach to the cup, he admits that the Premier League is without doubt our focus because we have to improve our results and get ourselves into a comfortable position up the table, btu for him the Cup gives us a break, a chance to build confidence and helps the team get into a winning mentality and that should help with our league battle.
‘We have 18 matches remaining and every single one of them is going to be essential that we avoid defeat and if we can do that in most of them we will have a chance. The team showed what they are capable of and the most important thing about this match is we came here and did a professional job. I said to the players that an FA Cup run gives confidence and it breeds a winning mentality, so we’re in the hat, and if you’re in it, you can win it.’
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