PALACE CAN SOAR NEXT YEAR
TAKING over Crystal Palace has been Sam Allardyce’s easiest job. While their win at Chelsea was surprising, their revival since Allardyce arrived is not. The other teams battling to beat the drop would love to have players with the quality of Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke. Against Chelsea, Allardyce was able to bring on Scott Dann and Damien Delaney — players who would command a starting place in the teams around Palace. Allardyce has made some shrewd signings and none more so than Mamadou Sakho. He is perfect for teams who want to play direct. Palace need to get an agreement now to make his loan from Liverpool permanent before other clubs start circling in the summer. With one or two more acquisitions, Palace should be aiming to finish next season among the likes of Everton and West Brom on the fringes of the top six.