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Crystal Palace doomed unless they rectify Selhurst woes, says Stuart Pearce

Wednesday 8 February 2017 12:59, UK

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Lamine Kone of Sunderland (L) scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Sunder
Image: Crystal Palace must improve their home form, says Stuart Pearce

Stuart Pearce says Crystal Palace need to sort out their home form if they are to avoid relegation as no side is ever 'too good to go down'.

Palace have won only two home games all season and suffered a morale-sapping 4-0 humiliation at the hands of fellow-relegation candidates Sunderland on Saturday.

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That result sparked fan unrest and increased fears of demotion in May and Pearce sees similarities with his own experience 24 years ago.

The former England full-back was a member of Brian Clough's much-admired Nottingham Forest side that were relegated from the inaugural Premier League in 1993, having finished eighth the previous season.

Stuart Pearce The Morning View screengrab
Image: Pearce fears for Crystal Palace on their current form

He told Premier League Daily: "I was at the Palace game at the weekend and they were very, very poor from back to front, letting cheap goals in. One of the problems is that the signings haven't bedded in and they have spent a lot of money this season.

"I thought they would have been much stronger at home this season. They have the worst home form in the league, winning two and drawing one. That surprises me because Selhurst Park is normally such a tough place to go and it just hasn't been this season.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Jermain Defoe of Sunderland celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace
Image: Jermain Defoe starred in Sunderland's rout of Palace

"I was at Forest when we struggled at the end of the 92-93 season and we knew within the dressing room that we were not too good to go down.

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"I think people outside the dressing room can form that opinion but as a player you do think, 'hang on a minute, things aren't going too well at present, we are in real trouble here'."

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Sam Allardyce gives his reaction to Crystal Palace's 4-0 loss to Sunderland at Selhurst Park.

Palace have 14 games remaining, three of which are at home to Middlesbrough, Leicester and Hull and that could yet give them a crucial edge, according to Pearce.

Stuart Pearce was relegated with Brian Clough at Forest in 1993
Image: Pearce was relegated under Brian Clough at Forest in 1993

He said: "If Palace can turn their home form around then that's going to give them a real boost. They are playing a lot of the teams in and around them so if they can get results there, that would be a real help.

"Historically, 36 points gets you safe in the Premier League. At the moment it's any three from the bottom six."

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