Tony Pulis would not agree but more than likely guaranteed West Bromwich Albion’s safety. Their contrary performance – not least because they scored more than twice for the first time this season but also defended erratically – pulled them 11 points clear of the teams in the bottom three places and, crucially, Saido Berahino looks sharp again.
His stunning goal, after earlier efforts from Craig Gardner and Craig Dawson, was just reward, having apologised 24 hours before the game for threatening to strike at the beginning of the campaign when the club’s chairman, Jeremy Peace, blocked his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.
Pulis reiterated for the umpteenth time he did not blame Berahino for the rigmarole, suggesting it was the people around the striker who were pushing him “from pillar to post”. The manager said the England Under-21 international was not yet fully fit but was optimistic he would end the season – and most likely his West Brom career – in a hot streak of form.
“If he plays like he did today everybody will start talking about him,” Pulis said. “His mind is clear and he is set on his football again. The most important thing is that he has a God-given gift and he should squeeze the pips from it, and have a great career. Everything will follow. If he is playing well he will get the recognition – and the move.”
It would be overly simplistic to put Crystal Palace’s barren run down to the absence of Yannick Bolasie but his return has at least offered a glimmer of positivity in a season that could yet develop into a relegation fight.
Their last league win, at Stoke City on 19 December, was also Bolasie’s last start and it is more than a coincidence they have accumulated a dismal three points from the 10 games since. Palace were three goals down and offered the square root of nothing before the Congolese winger’s introduction for an ineffective Emmanuel Adebayor at the interval.
Connor Wickham scored both of their goals but Bolasie was the difference. The formation changed, the approach was far more positive and it would not be stretching things to say Palace are a completely different proposition when he is involved.
“You can’t underestimate the psychological damage he does to teams just by starting,” Alan Pardew said – but there is a risk his team’s confidence will sink if they fail to win at Sunderland on Tuesday.
Although they have beaten three top-flight teams to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, where they play Reading, this winless league spell has led to Palace plummeting from fifth to 14th. They are on 32 points and eight clear of danger but a win is needed promptly to allay growing fears.
“The next 10 games are massively important for us because we have got to get 40 points,” Pardew said. “This division is unforgiving and we have found that out. Everything was cruising, everything was good for us and even in the Cup we have been cruising that. Then suddenly this has been creeping up on us. We mustn’t let it creep up any more.”
He added: “If we had got beaten 4-0, it would have hurt us but the way we responded in the second half was much more encouraging and, looking at my players, I don’t think that is going to be a problem.”
He did concede that “defensively, we definitely need to shake a leg up a little bit”. No wonder. West Brom had a three‑goal buffer inside half an hour, leaving Palace with too much to do when they had finally woken up.
Man of the match Craig Gardner (West Brom)
