Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew hopes his appointment can spark a revival.

The Eagles are third from bottom and face a fight to remain in the top-flight but Pardew remains optimistic having experienced the mood of his squad in his first few days in charge.

He said: "The players need a lift. Hopefully my arrival and a couple of players will do that. Hopefully we can go on a run that gets us at least to safety. Realistically, this year, one place above relegation would be enough for us to build this club again."

With three weeks left in the January transfer window, Pardew is hopeful new players can be acquired.

He said: "The chairman and board are keen to bring in a player or two and I know they're working hard to do that. We have to wait and see. It's very complicated to secure a player, particularly a striker. I spoke to Steve and said we're going to need some funding because we need new players, and he agreed."