23 OCTOBER 2013: Crystal Palace have just been hammered 1-4 by Martin Jol’s Fulham at Selhurst Park. Only five months previously, the affable Ian Holloway guided Palace to play-off ecstasy after a 1-0 win over Watford at Wembley. However, without the potency of Glenn Murray (injury) and Wilfried Zaha, Holloway’s naivety was brutally exposed in the Premier League.
The Eagles, just two months into the season, looked doomed and were already five points adrift, having lost seven of their opening eight league games. Yet, following Holloway’s surprise resignation, Tony Pulis did not shriek the challenge and Palace currently find themselves 10 points clear of the relegation zone in 11th. For the first time in Premier League history, Palace look certain to stay up. Here’s why Tony Pulis deserves to pick up the top coach award on Sunday week.
Committment
Whatever about the criticism of Tony Pulis’ turgid playing style, few can fault his commitment and infectious energy on the touchline. A perfect example of this was during Stoke’s match against Aston Villa in September 2010. Just hours before the match, Pulis’ mother passed away and he was given bereavement leave. However, after seeing his team were 0-1 down at half-time, Pulis drove to the Britannia and took his place on the bench for the second-half. Inspired, Stoke went on to the win the match 2-1.
Pulis has brought similar vigour to Palace, uniting the squad under one banner with early brunches before training and improving morale within the club. Crucially, Pulis has eliminated the factions that had developed between those who achieved promotion and those who arrived on the final day of the August transfer window under Holloway. Also, in talking with authority and standing for press conferences, Pulis courts little of the limelight that his predecessor overindulged in.
A case for defence
In the 22 Premier League games Pulis has overseen since 30 November, Palace have conceded just 20 goals and have kept nine clean sheets in the process. It’s been a remarkable turnaround, with Palace having leaked 21 goals in their 12 games before this. While Scott Dann’s arrival in January has been crucial, Pulis has been working with the defensive foundations of his predecessor – namely Julian Speroni, Damien Delaney, Adrian Mariappa and Joel Ward.
Even though Pulis has focused more on tightening up the defence, with deeper-lying central defenders and a less possession-based game, it would be unfair to suggest he has made Palace outwardly negative. After all, it must be noted that despite advocating an attractive brand of football, Palace scored just six Premier League goals with Holloway in charge. Rather, it’s a hark back to the pragmatic foundations that Dougie Freedman successfully laid in 2011-12.
Siege Selhurst
One of the main reasons why Palace finished fifth in the Championship last season was their home form. Remarkably, from a possible 69 points, Palace claimed 47 points (68%). With a boisterous home support in the compact Selhurst Park, Palace could afford to lose a whopping ten games away from home.
Holloway would surely have banked on Palace taking their fortress into the Premier League, but the Eagles claimed just three points from a possible 12 – conceding eight goals in the process – in Holloway’s four home games in charge this saeson. In contrast, under Tony Pulis, 27 of Palace’s 40 points (68%) have been earned at home. Pulis has brought the Britannia factor to SE25 and Selhurst Park has become one of the league’s most intimidating grounds.
Six-Pointers
Even though Palace’s 1-0 win against Chelsea will go down as the club’s most memorable result this season, it was an anomaly. Against clubs currently in the top half of the table, the Eagles have claimed just nine points from a possible 30 (30%). Instead, Pulis has focused his troops on taking points against teams in the bottom half and it’s worked to remarkable effect. In 11 games against those currently in the bottom half of the table, Palace have claimed an impressive 24 points from a possible 33 (73%).
January signings
Twelve months ago, few football fans had heard of Iain Moody but the mysterious sporting director has had a huge say on the Premier League relegation battle. Just a month after being sacked at Cardiff by Vincent Tan – which weakened Malky Mackay’s position significantly – Moody was appointed at Palace’s sporting director ahead of Pulis’ appointment. Cardiff’s loss was Palace’s gain and the Englishman has already struck up a positive relationship with Pulis. Together, the duo brought in Scott Dann, Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Jason Puncheon (permanently) on the final day of the January transfer window.
While Hennessy is being groomed as the eventual replacement for 34-year-old Julian Speroni, Dann, Ledley and Puncheon have all made an immediate impact. Tellingly, since the trio arrived, Palace have lost just four games. Dann, who was tipped for the England squad after a stellar season with Birmingham City in 2010, has given Palace’s defence the leadership and solidity that it badly missed under Holloway. Ledley’s arrival, at just £750,000, has brought poise and composure to Palace’s midfield. And the tireless Puncheon, arguably one of the signings of the season, has netted three priceless goals since signing a four-and-a-half year deal.
