23rd of November 2013, enter Tony Pulis.
A manager that has never tasted the bitterness of relegation, took the reigns from his son's Godfather, Ian Holloway. Looked upon by Crystal Palace to install consistency and solidarity, well known for doing so from his time at his previous employers Stoke City FC.
Once reaching the heights of the Europa League with his previous club in the 2011-12 season as well as boasting FA Cup runners up the season before, the Welshman began a dogfight to save Crystal Palace returning to 2nd tier Football. Pulis certainly wasn't blind to the task in hand, "I like climbling hills" he stated, "and this is going to be a tough job".
It didn't take long for the Pulis to put his coaching prowess to work as Palace secured a 1-0 victory against local rivals West Ham, the new manager's first win in charge, the goal coming from a previously poor-standard Chamakh. The former Arsenal man followed this with goals in two consecutive matches showing glimpses of why Ian Holloway had signed him.
Picking up a further 6 wins in charge by the end of the January transfer window, alongside a foray of new faces in the forms of Tom Ince (loan), Joe Ledley, Scott Dann, Wayne Hennesey and the current formidable midfield Jason Puncheon, Tony Pulis was creating his brand at Crystal Palace. To a lot of people's surprise, including my own, Pulis founded a side unlike his old Stoke City but, players with attacking flair and who in comparison with Pulis' Stoke team, rarely play long balls when attacking.
Tony Pulis has now forged an outfit that aren't predictable and certainly no pushovers as fans may have thought under his predecessor. Palace have claimed precious victories a long there way against the likes of those tempting fate near the bottom of the table as well as a superlative 1-0 performance against Mourinho's title-chasing Chelsea.
Last night Pulis continued his Palace turnaround with an emphatic 3-2 scalping of Everton at Goodison Park, accomplishing 4 successive victories that have helped accumulate to Palace's 40 points - the mark which is widely regarded as a safety target - still with 4 games remaining. A win of this caliber is no small feat, The Toffees looking to fill the final Champions League spot ahead of Arsenal, an obstacle possibly too large following the defeat.
Jason Puncheon, who scored in the win against Everton scored his third goal in as many games, is a man, just like Cameron Jerome and Scott Dann who has Palace manager Tony Pulis to thank for putting his career on the upturn once more having made Puncheon's loan deal permanent in January.
Pulis' Palace will be surely partying come the close of the current season, assured of their place in the Barclays Premier League for the 2014-15 sesaon. All of us Football fans are now wondering what heights will Tony Pulis hit next season?
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