Football
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Crystal Palace's Alan Pardew says West Ham are a model for success

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew believes the Eagles can draw inspiration from West Ham's success in the Premier League this season.

The Hammers have finished 10th and 13th since securing promotion from the Championship in 2012 and Sam Allardyce's side have pushed on again this term, maintaining a challenge for the league's European places.

Palace are on course to survive their second consecutive season in the top flight, with five points separating the Eagles from the relegation zone ahead of their trip to Upton Park on Saturday.

"Are West Ham a model club for a team like us? Of course, the problem at Palace is the history, it's a yo-yo club," Pardew said. "The second year in the Premier League, this is the toughest year.

"In the first year after promotion, you can get by with this sheer excitement and adrenaline that being in the Premier League can provide. In the second year that kind of runs out and you then are leaning on what you have in the building in terms of quality.

"We're hoping we've got enough in the building to overcome that second year. It's a very, very difficult thing to do but once you've done that, you can stabilise if you buy and trade well. Stoke, West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle -- they've all done that in recent years."

Pardew led West Ham to the Premier League in 2005 via a play-off final victory over Preston and he guided the Hammers to ninth place and an FA Cup final the following year.

"It's still special going back and I have still got some staff and ex-players who are still there," Pardew said. "And obviously there is the connection from Newcastle now with Kevin [Nolan] and Andy [Carroll].

"I just think Upton Park is a great stadium for football -- the atmosphere and the way the crowd get involved in the game, it is a bit like what we have here. It is an emotional ground.

"I hope they will be able to transfer that to the Olympic Stadium -- I think that is going to be important to West Ham. They are going to get more revenue from moving but what they can't lose is that special kind of atmosphere that you can create there. There were some magic nights."

Nolan was a key player under Pardew at Newcastle but the midfielder has struggled for a regular starting place at West Ham this season. Pardew praised Nolan's character and believes the 32-year-old will make a fine manager when he eventually retires.

"Kevin has a fantastic record of winning games, he has that mentality and spreads it in the group," Pardew said. "He's a very strong and powerful character and will probably be a manager in his own right one day, he has all the attributes to do that.

"Kevin will be frustrated and Sam [Allardyce] will know about it, he'll be letting him know in no uncertain terms he wants to play. But that's what you want.

"He's got some real competition in there for that position and knowing Kevin, he'll be fighting hard to get it back."

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