Points still mean pounds for Palace

18 May 2017 23:39

Sam Allardyce has urged Crystal Palace to maintain their motivation for Sunday's trip to Manchester United so that the club can secure the potential £9.5million prize money involved.

Palace's Premier League status was secured with last weekend's 4-0 defeat of Hull, but they remain capable of finishing anywhere between 11th and 16th, meaning that under the terms of the present television deal a significant bonus could be earned.

Sunday's fixture is likely to test Palace's desire now that survival is certain, but with United boss Jose Mourinho set to select a weakened XI with the following week's Europa League final in mind, Allardyce has urged his players to consider its consequences.

He is finally in a position to begin his preparations for next season, when he hopes to avoid another battle against relegation, and discussing how much Sunday's game could affect that, he said: "The budget will get bigger if we can go up a couple of places.

"The chairman (Steve Parish) has pointed that out to me like every chairman I've worked for, which is always an important part of each year's growth. So the higher you can finish in the league, the bigger and better the prize money, so if we can get a result at Old Trafford, then that will be fantastic.

"It's pretty significant, isn't it? For the players as well because they've got good bonuses for the position they finish in the league so they are well aware of what it means.

"The big thing is to motivate yourself to do it now, because the relief at having got safe, and all the pressure they have been under, this sort of come down because of that pressure, we've got to make sure we build them up in the next couple of days and try and remind them (of its importance) for themselves.

"I don't really think we need too many reminders (of the prize money involved). But I don't think the players should be interested in the money. The club should be interested in the money because it gives us a bigger budget. But the players shouldn't be interested in the money until he has won.

"We will get more money in the turnover and if you get more money in the turnover you'll get extra budget (for wages and transfers)."

Allardyce will be without Andros Towsend at Old Trafford owing to an Achilles injury, and a knock means Yohan Cabaye may also be ruled out, but the manager will resist the temptation to also rest his players.

"I won't be trying players for the sake of it," the 62-year-old said.

"I will be picking a team that I think will perform well. Anybody with knocks or problems, I will not play.

"If Yohan is not 100 per cent I won't play him. Andros is definitely out already. Everybody wants to go and play at Old Trafford and come off with a result, as hard as it might be."

Source: PA