The ‘Pardew Effect’ has to go down as one of the smoothest transitions in football ever. In January, the former Palace player rocked up at his old stomping ground but this time as the manager.
He took over a side that wasn’t bad but a side who’s confidence had been shot under the stewardship of Neil Warnock. At the time, the tam were in the relegation zone and key players in Yannick Bolasie and Mile Jedinak were away on international duty with a large number of ‘experts’ writing Palace’s season off already, but Super Al had different ideas.
It didn’t take long for the ‘Pardew Effect’ to kick-in and he saw his new Palace side defeat Spurs in his first Premier League game in-charge, and this glistening from continued. Game-by-game the fans struggled to see where the returning players from international duty would fit back into the side.
Yannick Bolasie broke back into the side almost instantly and started firing on all cylinders once again as he whipped the ball into the box for Fraizer Campbell to knock the ball past a helpless Tim Krul. The DR Congo international only got better and better and soon cemented himself straight back into the Eagles starting line-up.
During the absence of skipper Mile Jedinak at the Asia Cup, we had gone from strength to strength and a formidable partnership had been build in the centre of midfield between James McArthur and Joe Ledley.
The fans seemed to be right and the reintegration back into the starting 11 hasn’t been the smoothest for the Aussie skipper. He returned from international duty having played through injury which seen him use injections to get him through those games, ruling out an immediate return to the Palace starting line-up. His first game back was at Upton Park where Jediank had an okay game but picked up a four-game suspension in the second half the game after an elbow on Sakho.
Jedinak has had a wonderful few years on the international stage, but I think that it has started to take its toll, after all, the England to Australia commute is hardly the shortest. Mile has captained his side to World Cup and Asia Cup success all in the space of a year, and that is a lot of football without a rest.
Prior to his return from the Asia Cup, I can’t remember Jedinak missing a game for us and having watched him closely over the past four years, Jedinak has proven that he is at his very best once he has had a consistent run of game and getting into a grove, and I think this season is a classic example of that.
Being a bit-part player and not having a run of games is never going to get the best out of him. I don’t blame Pardew though as we needed to get results and at this point didn’t have the time to dedicate for Jedinak to find his best form.
The tactics that Pardew has implement might not have suited Jedinak down to the ground but I’m pretty positive the gaffer will have no intentions of selling his captain this summer, but instead be trying to find a formula and a system that will bring the very best out of him once again. The expansive football and high line played by Pardew has found Jedi chasing games and we know his strengths is sitting in front of the back four, but who knows what Pardew plans to do next season.
My personal opinion is that I would leave Jedinak out of the side to face Swansea and send him on his holidays early. He needs a rest and some time to prepare for is going to be a huge pre-season for him. Until we have a fully fit Jedinak, I don’t think fans are in a position to question his ability to play in this side.
You don’t become a bad player overnight and a couple of bad games doesn’t for Jedinak mean he isn’t good enough for us anymore. I would urge fans to remember that he has played an integral part in our success and to write him off is premature and I actually find it quite disrespectful. I have never seen a player who works as hard or cares as much as Jedinak does. He will be back and he will be better than ever.
Although he might not have made a massive impact on the pitch in the second half of this season, we all know the influence he posses in and around the group, and that presence is priceless.
Captain. Leader. Legend.
