Alan Pardew sees room for improvement from his high-flying Eagles
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew wants his team to improve from their 0-0 draw with Bournemouth as they return to Selhurst Park to face Swansea on Monday.
Despite picking up a point and moving to fifth in the Barclays Premier League, above Manchester United who dropped to sixth after their 2-0 loss to Stoke, Pardew was not completely happy with his side's performance at the Vitality Stadium.
Pardew said: "For us, we could have been a little bit better but we will take the point, it moves us up a place, fifth in the Premier League, the unbeaten run goes on and we go into the next game.
"I felt at half-time we didn't get too much of the ball so I brought Yo (Yohan Cabaye) on and I thought a few moments between him and Punch (Jason Puncheon) just showed the level of quality that Bournemouth need perhaps going forward.
"They have everything else, they just need that little bit of quality here and there to put a foot in it - but I am full of admiration for their efforts today."
Bournemouth only managed four shots on target during the Boxing Day game and struggled to get balls through the back four, something Pardew believes was vital in picking up a clean sheet.
"I thought they were terrific because we had to lean on them a little bit today - so resilient, so organised that back four and the goalie.
"They (Bournemouth) didn't really have too many chances, one for Glenn (Murray) - he really should have scored when Gosling got in the way - and that was it really. I can't really remember both teams being able to get through the other team.
"It's a real credit to the two groups of players, they just wouldn't give in, especially around the boxes."
Palace will be without Yannick Bolasie (hip/thigh), Lee Chung-yong (due to the birth of his child) and Connor Wickham (calf) but Patrick Bamford could be back after a knock.
Swansea are still searching for a new manager, nearly three weeks after Garry Monk was sacked, but caretaker boss Alan Curtis has proved a calming presence at the Liberty Stadium.
The performance in the 1-0 win against West Brom on Boxing Day was probably the least impressive of Curtis' three games in charge, but the spirit and character which brought him a first win shone through and was a world away from the chaotic nature of Monk's final home games against Bournemouth and Leicester.
"We hope it will be a turning point," Curtis said.
"We've probably got to show that attitude at all times because the situation we're in, it's not going to go our way unless we pull together.
"You've always got to mix it up a little bit.
"Everybody knows what a good team we are in possession, a good passing team, but I think we showed another side of the game against West Brom.
"I'm sure in the weeks and months to come we'll show that same resolve."
Swansea climbed above Newcastle and Norwich in moving out of the bottom three and Curtis feels examining the league table will give everyone at the club a lift.
"Getting out of the bottom three is bound to give us a psychological lift," Curtis said.
"The players are bound to get some sort of confidence and belief that we are better than the league suggests.
"It's a boost that we are out of bottom three, but we've just got to keep building on that all the time.
"Palace have been superb this season and they've got so much pace and power, especially going forward.
"We know it's going to be another tough game, so we must show the same character we did against West Brom."
Curtis conceded there were a "couple of aches and strains and strains" after the Boxing Day clash and is likely to rotate with Kyle Naughton and Jonjo Shelvey both possibly starting for the first time under the former Wales international.
Source: PAR
