Friday 20 January 2017 23:11, UK
Sam Allardyce fears his Crystal Palace players are not good enough to stay in the Premier League.
Palace head to Everton this weekend having not won in seven top-flight matches and were thumped 3-0 by West Ham in their last league outing.
Allardyce is desperate to boost his squad before the end of the transfer window and says the club have "missed 20 signings", while he continues to be frustrated in his pursuit of both Carl Jenkinson and Patrick van Aanholt.
The former England boss - who has never been relegated as a Premier League manager - fears the worst should the club not add to to their one significant signing, Jeffrey Schlupp.
"The suggestion is, if you look at the economics of this season, than we are not [good enough to stay up] because we have less points than games," Allardyce said.
"So, the bare minimum we have to get to as quickly as we can is how many games have we played, and do we have that many points? Then we are safe and then we try to push on from there to try and be even safer and start to edge more points than games and finally at the end of the season we can plan for next year.
"But at the moment the suggestion is that by results, by 21 games that we have only got 16 points, that this squad is not good enough or hasn't been good enough up to now. I can make it better, I hope I can, but new players will obviously help a great deal."
Palace sit outside the relegation zone solely on goal difference, and Allardyce has warned his players they have a professional duty to ensure the club do not drop down to the Sky Bet Championship.
"When I've been in this position before, I tell players how many people relegation affects at a football club," Allardyce added.
"So many people have to lose their jobs because of it, or certainly would have to re-apply for their jobs or cut their salaries by 50 per cent, just to stay working at the club.
"It can be devastation from top to bottom, all the way down to security or whoever makes the tea. Every area financially has to be trimmed back because of the loss of revenue from falling out of the Premier League.
"It's a responsibility to keep the club in the Premier League and we're the only ones who can do it; the first-team players and the backroom staff.
"They also have responsibilities for their own families. They'd get a reduced contract if they go out of the Premier League as well, so there's enough motivation there for me and the players to make sure they get out of trouble now."
