West Brom can take advantage as Pardew's positivity evaporates
Consider the following for the moment. Less than two months ago, after 17 games of the season, Tottenham and Crystal Palace were locked together in fourth spot both on 29 points, level with Manchester United, with just goal difference separating the three sides. Nine games later Tottenham are two points off the top of the table and are one of the favourites to win the league.
Palace? They’re 21 points off the table, down in 13th just eight points away from the relegation zone. The positivity of Pardew has disintegrated in a run that has left them winless in the league since December 19. No team, not even Aston Villa, have worse form over their last 10 league games.
And the worst of it is, this should come as no surprise when Alan Pardew is in charge.
Since Pardew’s managerial career began officially at Reading in 1999, he has always had a relatively positive impact on a squad. He may not be improving the win rate dramatically initially, but he makes his team hard to beat.
In his first 25 games at Reading, West Ham, Charlton, Southampton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace his percentage of games lost in the opening 25 fixtures was 36 per cent or less. At West Ham and Southampton it was as low as 20 per cent.
But in the following matches this loss percentage climbed at each and every club he managed as the Power of Pardew wore away.
If Crystal Palace’s form is the equivalent of a stinking huge pile of turd, sprinkled with the dashed hopes and dreams of fans like hundreds and thousands, West Brom’s is just your standard dog sh*t that you elegantly avoid while walking to the pub. It’s not particularly noteworthy but still not pleasant.
The Baggies’ victory against Everton ended a five-game winless streak in the league and they’re a punt to heap more misery onto Alan Pardew. The value bet may be West Brom to win by exactly one goal however at . Every single West Brom win this season has been by a single goal, while 67 per cent of Palace’s defeats have been by the slimmest of margins.
Back the Baggies to continue Pardew’s fall from grace.