Alan Pardew to sign new Crystal Palace deal before FA Cup final

Alan Pardew will commit his future to Crystal Palace by signing a new contract before tomorrow’s FA Cup final with Manchester United.

Posted Friday, May 20, 2016 by irishexaminer.com

Despite a poor run of league form during the second half of the season that ended with them finishing 15th, the manager has impressed since his appointment and has been rewarded with an undisclosed extension on his original agreement, which ran to 2018.

Asked of the new contract which has long been agreed, Pardew said: “We are probably going to (sign) it before the game.”

The manager has done much to rebuild his reputation since returning to Palace in January 2015, and victory on Saturday would represent his finest achievement. It would also mark 10 years since his West Ham team almost won the 2006 FA Cup against Liverpool.

Beyond the personal satisfaction, however, Pardew believes it would also benefit English coaches.

Since Joe Royle’s Everton defeated United in the 1995 final, Harry Redknapp - with Portsmouth in 2008 — is the only English manager to win the FA Cup and none have won the Premier League.

With promising English coaches Gary Neville and Paul Clement among those sacked this season, by Valencia and Derby respectively, Pardew is concerned about their collective reputation and said: “It would be good for this club and English coaches to win it.

''I’ve come so close, as an English manager probably the closest for a long time, to winning it. Harry won it with Portsmouth. But we get a really bad press as English coaches and managers.”

Pardew also revealed that beyond Joe Ledley — who could miss Euro 2016 with Wales because of a fractured fibula — he has a fully-fit squad from which to choose for Saturday’s fixture.

He has yet to decide on the future of Emmanuel Adebayor, who this week said he expects to leave the club over the summer.