Crystal Palace vs Everton - Allardyce still chasing Jenkinson and Van Aanholt - 7M sport

Crystal Palace vs Everton - Allardyce still chasing Jenkinson and Van Aanholt



Posted Saturday, January 21, 2017 by PA

Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce has refused to give up hope on adding Carl Jenkinson and Patrick van Aanholt to his relegation-threatened squad this month.

The Palace boss is desperate to bring in fresh faces to a side which faces a battle to retain its Premier League status following a troubled first half of the campaign.

The south London club, who host an Everton side fresh from their impressive 4-0 victory against Manchester City, have not won in their last seven league matches while Allardyce, who has never been relegated as a top-flight manager, is also chasing his first league victory since taking over from Alan Pardew.

Jenkinson and Van Aanholt have both been earmarked by Allardyce, but earlier this week it was suggested that a move for the Arsenal defender had collapsed. Meanwhile, Sunderland manager David Moyes revealed on Friday that Palace are yet to return with an improved offer for their full-back Van Aanholt.

"Until the chairman rings me up and says the Carl Jenkinson deal is dead, it is still ongoing for me and the same with Patrick van Aanholt," Allardyce said.

"Until we hear that Sunderland are not selling, we are interested. Whether they have got any farther, the chairman will update me later on today or tomorrow."

Allardyce has added only one new face - Jeffrey Schlupp from champions Leicester - to his side, who are just one place above the drop zone.

The former Sunderland manager claimed he missed out on midfielder Jake Livermore, who completed his move from Hull to West Brom on Thursday.

During his short spell at the Stadium of Light, Allardyce moved to sign four players in the last January window which he believes kept the club in the top flight.

"I wish I could be very confident and say I could find four players like I did at Sunderland who will all make such a big contribution to the team, and that they would save the club from relegation," Allardyce added.

"I will try my hardest in this window to buy or loan players to improve the squad.

"We are not sure where we will end up. We have got one, but have missed about 20 where offers have gone in. We are in for a lot of players and at the moment and we are not having too much success."

Ronald Koeman has told his players to forget their heroics against Manchester City as they prepare to take on Palace.

Everton produced one of the results of the season so far last Sunday when they romped to a 4-0 win against Pep Guardiola's side.

After enduring a shaky run of form, the Toffees have won four of their last six Premier League games and are currently the best of the rest behind the top six.

Koeman said: "I think with his experience he (Allardyce) is the right man in the right position.

"It's always difficult for a new manager coming to a new place during the season. You need time, maybe they are struggling a little bit but they still have good players, they still are physically a strong team, they're strong at home.

"I think it was really important for them to win the game last Tuesday against Bolton and we will see.

"But we know it's a new one. We can't celebrate what we did last week because you know in football you have to prepare yourself for the next, and the next maybe is still more difficult than it was last weekend."

The City result left Koeman with problems of his own - namely how best to juggle the resources at his disposal.

New signings Morgan Schneiderlin and Ademola Lookman came off the bench, with the latter marking his debut with a goal.

At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, Koeman must decide whether to stick with Joel Robles in goal or recall a fit-again Maarten Stekelenburg.

The Dutchman has sat out five games with a dead leg, although he was on the bench against City.

"Last week Maarten Stekelenburg was still not 100 per cent to start the game - he is now," said Koeman.

"We have some positions in the team maybe with a little bit more competition than in other positions. We have players back from injury like James McCarthy, we have new signings like Morgan and Lookman, and we have competition with the goalkeepers.

"That's what you want as a manager. After that you need to make decisions."



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