Pardew believes he's better than the big names
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew insists he is better than many of the Premier League’s big-name managers but has no immediate plans to leave Selhurst Park for a table-topping side.
Palace have won six out of 10 league games since Pardew succeeded Neil Warnock at the start of the year to all but guarantee their place in the Premier League next season.
The Eagles were in the bottom three when Pardew took over and their climb up the table has succeeded in easing relegation fears and subsequently boosting the profile of a manager who has yet to take charge of a club constantly vying for honours.
Pardew harbours no thoughts of leaving Palace in the near future, but maintains he would acquit himself better than some of the managers currently employed by the Premier League’s trophy-chasing sides.
“I look at the top teams and feel I could do that job better than I’m seeing it being done,” Pardew told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme.
“But I’m quite happy where I am and if I work in this part of the league for the rest of my career I will be extremely happy.
“I’m really happy here – I don’t really want another job,” he added. “In a way the (Palace) board have been lucky because even if I have great success here I won’t be looking to jump away.”
Manchester City will provide a stern test of Pardew’s managerial ability when they visit Selhurst Park on Monday and Pardew hopes his side’s teamwork can overcome the considerable technical ability of Manuel Pellegrini’s star-studded line-up.
“Mr Pellegrini’s options on the bench will be significantly stronger than my own to try and get a result in the game with 15 minutes to go.
“But it doesn’t always work out like that, (as) Burnley proved to Man City it is about sometimes the team being stronger than the individual and on Monday night we hope that’s the case for Crystal Palace.”
