Will Tony Pulis's Premier League experience keep Palace up?

Article by e-Crystal Palace Correspondent Darryl Murdoch

Follow e-Crystal Palace on Twitter!

So, another manager bites the dust. Rene Meulensteen becomes the 8th Premier League manager to lose his job this season. He joins messrs Di Canio, Holloway, Villas-Boas, Jol, Mackay, Laudrup and Clarke on the Premier League scrap heap.

Meulensteen had only been in charge at Craven Cottage since the 1st December but a return of only 4 wins from 17 games in all competitions wasn't enough to give the Fulham board confidence he was the man to keep them in the 'Greatest League in the World. That one goal, survival in the Prem (AVB's sacking aside) is the big reason for the managerial merry-go-round being set to 'turbo' this season!

As a Crystal Palace fan and correspondent I've seen the difference a change in manager can make. It's somewhat ironic that, Fulham, who have sacked their second manager of the season, were the proverbial final nail in Ian Holloway's coffin. A 4-1 win for the Cottagers at Selhurst in late October was enough to convince the Bristolian that he was "too tired" to continue as he left the club by mutual consent with the club 19th in the table with only 3 points from 8 games.

It took Steve Parish and the Palace board a while to appoint a replacement, Keith Millen, number 2 to Holloway, filled in admirably in the month between Holloway's departure and the appointment of Tony Pulis to the Palace hot-seat. The turnaround in fortunes for my beloved Eagles has been beyond the wildest dreams of Palace fans. Seven wins and a draw from 15 games have dragged Palace away from the bottom 3 and with a fantastic chance of staying in the Premier League this season.

The one difference between the appointment of Pulis at Palace and the others made this season is Premier League experience. The Welshman has it in abundance. Five years with Stoke City in the top flight gives Pulis a massive edge over the other new boys in the relegation race. Poyet, Solskjear, Monk, Mel, Meulensteen himself and Fulham's third manager of the season Felix Magarth hadn't previously managed a Premier League game between them!

They are calling this season the 'tightest in Premier League history' at both ends of the table and when it comes to squeaky bum time Palace have the experience in the dugout that the other sides lack which I am sure will stand them in good stead and see them survive in the top division for the first time since the birth of the Premier League in 1992.

Will Pulis's experience be enough to keep Crystal Palace in the Premier League this season? Have your say by tweeting Darryl on @e_crystalpalace

© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football