Alan Pardew encourages Crystal Palace squad to "express themselves"

Alan Pardew has said that his Crystal Palace squad must "come out of their shell" in the coming weeks.

The 53-year-old was appointed as the new Eagles manager following Neil Warnock's dismissal and has been tasked with steering the club clear of the relegation zone.

Prior to his first Premier League game in charge of the club against Tottenham Hotspur this evening, Pardew told Sky Sports News: "We have to come out of our shell.

"We have to open our wings and see if we have some beautiful flight in there, which I am sure we have.

"We have players who can express themselves and they need to do that."

Pardew's first game in charge of Palace ended in a comfortable 4-0 victory over non-league Dover Athletic in the FA Cup last weekend.