---
title: "Sky Sports pundit advises Palace to be cautious over striker"
canonical: "https://readcrystalpalace.com/2016/02/23/sky-sports-pundit-advises-palace-to-be-cautious-over-striker/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Alex Murray"
section: "Crystal Palace News"
published: "2016-02-23T10:48:12Z"
modified: "2016-02-23T10:49:31Z"
---

# Sky Sports pundit advises Palace to be cautious over striker

Former West Ham striker Tony Cottee believes that Crystal Palace should avoid offering January signing Emanuel Adebayor a long term deal at Selhurst Park.

Speaking on [Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Saturday](https://www.skysports.com/watch/tv-shows/soccer-saturday), Cottee warned that Adebayor typically starts well for his new clubs before dropping off form afterwards. He believes that offering the Togolese striker a long-term deal will be a bad deal for Alan Pardew and Palace.

![Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readcrystalpalace.com/readcrystalpalace/sites/17/2016/02/511551930.jpg)

Adebayor joined in January after being released by Spurs in the Summer. In his first season at White Hart Lane, he managed to score over fifteen goals as Tottenham finished fourth in the table, narrowly missing out on the UEFA Champions League due to Chelsea winning it in Munich.

However, in the 2012/13 season, Adebayor only managed to score five goals in twenty-five games, before managing five goals the season after and only a measly two goals last season.

Cottee believes this may happen again at Palace, and warns Alan Pardew to hold off giving the striker a long term contract.

> What you don’t want to do, I don’t think, as Palace, you don’t want him to do well – which he probably will, will get seven, eight goals , nine goals before the end of the season – and then give him a two or three year contract. Give him a year rolling contract or something.