Crystal Palace should stick with 'fighter' Alan Pardew despite losing run, says former boss Alan Smith

EXCLUSIVE: Smith says defensive problems can be easily dealt with
Keep faith: Alan Smith has urged Palace to stick with Alan Pardew
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Tom Dutton2 December 2016

Former Crystal Palace manager Alan Smith says the club hierarchy should keep faith with manager Alan Pardew.

Pardew joined Palace in January 2015 and led them to a first FA Cup final in 26 years last term, but the Eagles have struggled for league form since the turn of the year.

Palace have won just five Premier League games since the beginning of January and avoided relegation on the penulatimate weekend of last season despite entering the New Year in rude health.

The club backed Pardew in the summer transfer window, spending more than £50million, but the Palace boss has so far failed to correct last season's form.

The Eagles last picked up a Premier League point in September, losing six in succession to plunge Pardew's position into serious doubt.

But Smith, who was sacked as Palace boss following their relegation to the second tier in 1995, has urged the club to stick with Pardew.

"They haven't got an alternative and I can't come up with an alternative so I think if you can't, you stick with what you've got and make it work," Smith told Standard Sport.

Alan Pardew's 2016 at Crystal Palace in pictures

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"He's a fighter Alan, he won't give in on it easy, so I'd stick with him."

Palace's defensive performances have been central to their poor run of from.

Indeed, the Eagles are only behind Chelsea, Liverpol, Manchester City and Arsenal in terms of goals scored this season, but also have the second-leakiest defence in the top tier.

The nature of last week's defeat to Swansea will only have intensified the pressure on Pardew as the club shipped four goals from set-pieces to take goals against from dead-ball situations to 13 for the campaign.

But Smith believes Palace can still have a good season, and added: "It's the defence that's letting them down and it's easier to coach back four players than it is front players.

"That could pretty easily be dealt with, the bigger problem is when you're not scoring goals. My advice would be to stick with him.

"It's a terrible run they're on at the moment, you just pray they're going to get that win at some stage."

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