Norwich visit is crucial for Crystal Palace, says Alan Pardew
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew admits his side's season is in the balance ahead of this weekend's crunch clash against Norwich.
The Eagles have failed to win a game in the Barclays Premier League since December and a defeat at home to fellow strugglers Norwich on Saturday would see them dragged further into trouble.
Heading into the weekend's matches Palace are three points ahead of the 17th-placed Canaries - and seven above the relegation zone - but Pardew knows his troops need a result soon to help turn their flagging campaign around.
Pardew said: "Our season is in the balance, it could still be a great season for us but we need to get some points in this league to get into a healthier position.
"There is a real determination from the group to get our league position healthier.
"We are actually closer to mid-table than we are to the bottom three so we can still finish strongly and that is what we want to do.
"It is a key game because it is against a team that is only three points behind us and have won two games.
"To beat us would give them great momentum and we don't want that, we want the momentum."
Palace face their former player Patrick Bamford for the first time since he left the club in December after he terminated his loan from Chelsea early.
The striker was meant to be with the Eagles until the end of the season and when he left he branded his stint "terrible".
The 22-year-old has since apologised for his comments and Pardew admits the youngster may have some regrets.
He said: "He probably could have handled that better.
"Me and Patrick spoke about it. He knows there were a couple of errors. But that happens with young players.
"He wants to be a success instantly. But sometimes you need patience. You can get injured, lose form or not get in the team.
"He's a young player who was Championship Player of the Year (with Middlesbrough the previous season), scoring a lot of goals. Then he found himself not in a team.
"I had absolutely no problem with him, he's a cracking lad. He will have a great career.
"Patrick has a great chance, he has natural finishing skills. I look forward to seeing him on Saturday but I hope I don't see him score."
Striker Emmanuel Adebayor will face a last-minute fitness test after he suffered a slight knock in training this week.
James McArthur (ankle) and Brede Hangeland (knock) are the only players still on the sidelines due to injury.
Meanwhile, Alex Neil is confident his Norwich side have shown they possess the self-belief needed to get the results the require to fight their way to Barclays Premier League survival.
Following a wretched run of only one point from nine matches to plummet down the table, the Canaries have hit form at just the right time to pull clear of the bottom three with back-to-back wins following the goalless draw against Manchester City.
Neil feels the group have shown they can now turn largely-positive performances into all-important results as the games tick by towards May 15.
"We have always been in games we just needed to turn good performances into wins. The team is in a really good place now in terms of the confidence and belief in what they are doing, and in each other as well," Neil said at a press conference.
"We have good momentum at the moment, a good balance between attacking and defending which is something I've been talking about all season and the players are certainly confident in what they are doing right now, but although we have won the last two games, the next two are huge for us.
"We have always believed we have been good enough and can get ourselves out of the situation we are in, you just have to stick to your guns, get through it and try to do your best. We have managed to come through the other end.
"Every game snowballs between now and the end of the season, the matches get bigger and bigger, so the quicker we can get points on the board you release more pressure off the next game.
"If we can win the next two, that would take us to 37 points which is a decent tally and you would like to think most the work could've been done, but winning games at this level is not easy."
Norwich will have captain Russell Martin back in the squad.
Winger Nathan Redmond has continued his recovery from an ankle problem, having come off the bench against Newcastle last weekend, and could therefore be in contention to start.
Full-back Ivo Pinto had been struggling with a virus, but should return. Midfielder Alex Tettey remains sidelined following ankle surgery.
Source: PAR
