Crystal Palace’s decision to appoint Sam Allardyce is a contender for one of the worst in Premier League history.With thing starting to look up under Alan Pardew, the Eagles have slumped under Allardyce. The improvements of Hull and Swansea have made it even uglier for the London club, who are now 19^th in the Premier League table and only ahead of bottom club Sunderland on goal difference.[ad_pod id='now-tv' align='centre']The traditional relegation firefighter has poured petrol on Palace’s disastrous campaign. While Pardew’s side were disorganised and flaky, Allardyce’s team now look out of place. They are playing a style of football that is yet to reap any rewards and won only three points from their last seven matches.Their last outing – which ended in a 1-0 defeat at Stoke – was symbolic of a side in turmoil. Creating almost nothing throughout the match, they were eventually undone defensively by a sublime piece of play from Marko Arnautovic. Defensively they were okay throughout, in possession they looked to have a plan, but it was flawed against the Stoke defence. Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend flattered to deceive and a midfield built for solidity rather than creativity performed just as anyone may have expected.

Facing Middlesbrough in a match we can be sure to hear called a ‘relegation six-pointer’ by various corners of the broadcast media, Palace cannot afford anything other than victory. With 18^th placed Hull at home to Burnley, dropping of points in this match could begin to see the Eagles cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Boro have struggled for goals all season, but their defence is the best outside of the top seven. Although Aitor Karanka’s team are embroiled in the relegation fight themselves, a draw away at Palace will be a satisfactory result. Palace, who have scored just two goals in their last five league outings, must find a way to break down a defence more resolute than their lowly league position would suggest. Karanka’s side will not give easy opportunities, nor will they be bullied on set pieces.

Keeping the match tight and aiming to nick a goal is unlikely to work for Allardyce in this encounter, he does not have the defence to rely on for such a tactic and he does not have the goalscorers throughout his team to assume that just someone will find the net.

Crystal Palace have the strongest squad of any of the teams in the relegation fight. They certainly did at of the start of this season, at least. As of now, however, it's very challenging to see how they lurch themselves out of the mire at the bottom of the tree. The quality is not showing and Allardyce looks unable to turn his team around.

Their clash with Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park this weekend will be definitive. Another defeat – whatever the score line – would surely spell the end for Allardyce’s Palace tenure and perhaps his entire managerial career. The former England manager must find a way to reinstate his aura as soon as possible or Palace are doomed to an unlikely relegation.

[ad_pod id='Shoot-Xmas-Survey' align='left']

[ad_pod id='playwire' align='center']