Crystal Palace have already improved drastically under the new management of Alan Pardew. The ex-Newcastle United boss took over at Selhurst Park in early January and has won five of his first seven games in all competitions. Is Pardew the right man at just the right time for the Eagles, who are not just looking to survive, but are looking to kick-on as a club?

Palace were heading in the wrong direction under Neil Warnock. The south London club had won just three Premier League games prior to Pardew's appointment, but the former West Ham United and Southampton boss has already doubled Palace's amount of wins in the short time he's been there.

Pardew was undoubtedly under immense pressure from the moment he walked into St James Park and this season it threatened to boil over on Tyneside. The 53-year-old had an extremely tough time of things at Newcastle, with the Magpies enduring a couple of uncomfortable runs of poor results in the Premier League this term. Eventually, the pressure just got too much for Pardew and he was forced to jump ship, in a move that benefited all parties.

When the news first broke about Pardew to Palace, most people couldn't understand why he'd leave a club the size of Newcastle United to make the switch to Selhurst Park – no disrespect Palace fans. But looking back, it was probably the best move both club and manager could have made. For a start, he was a Palace player for four years during his 18-year career on the pitch, and he was always going to be appreciated more at the south London club than he ever would have been at Newcastle.

The Eagles may still be somewhat in transition, but there is bags of potential at the club. Many people believed they massively overachieved under Tony Pulis last season, and let's be honest, the Welshman did an incredible job. Pulis paved the way for Palace to move forward, not just on the field, but off the field as well.

With recent talk of American billionaire Josh Harris interested in buying the club, according to the The Mirror, Palace could still yet be handed with a windfall of cash. The takeover talks, coupled with a potential stadium expansion that the Evening Standard have touted, could see the Eagles establish themselves as a permanent fixture in the Premier League.

As for on the field matters, Crystal Palace sit in a very respectable 13th place in the Premier League table, and Pardew will want to get his team looking upwards rather than downwards. The Eagles are currently five points above the drop zone and six points off of mid-table.

The charismatic Palace boss has already been a big hit in south London. He's made them a lot harder to break down, and has added an imposing attacking threat to his new side. Pardew looks to have settled into his new surroundings with apparent ease, and he certainly looks a lot more happier with life at Crystal Palace.

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