RAY RYAN talks with the Palace manager after an encouraging start to his return to Selhurst Park

Neil Warnock reckons Crystal Palace have come a long way since he took over at the start of the season.

Putting his finger on it: Neil Warnock’s enjoyed a good start to his return to Selhurst Park

Palace’s new boss celebrated his first month in charge at Selhurst Park yesterday with a 2-0 win over Leicester to land his second consecutive win in the Premier League and give the club its highest league position since 1997.

Palace are eighth in the table as Warnock’s remoulding of the squad continues after taking over from Tony Pulis following his shock walkout on the eve of the season.

Warnock is refusing to get carried away by the job he is doing back in his second spell at the south London club. “We keep our feet on the floor. There is nobody getting carried away. Three points in the Premier League is very important,” he said.

“We have come on a long way in the last few weeks.”

Warnock’s role at the club has seen him even make up with Jason Puncheon, who set up both goals in the 2-0 win over Leicester. The pair had a falling out previously when the player tweeted his displeasure with his manager’s methods when at QPR.

He admitted: “We had an evening meal together and talked about it.

“I think he is enjoying it here, you have bust-ups and say things. He got told the wrong side of the tale at the time but the last couple of years he has been phenomenal and we are very pleased to have him.

Packing a Puncheon: the Palace midfielder has become a marked man with other sides because of his good form

“He probably isn’t getting as much limelight as Yannick Bolasie, but I have told him he is a marked man this year.

“When they mark Jason tight they leave Yannick space, so it is six of one and half a dozen of the other at the moment. With his contribution he is a manager’s dream at the moment.”

Leicester may have grabbed the most eye-catching win of last weekend, coming back from 3-1 down to beat Manchester United 5-3. But Palace, too, upset the odds by winning 3-2 at Everton.

It helped prompt Warnock to encourage his players to take more risks as they picked up their first Premier League home win of the season.

“The lads came into the game after 20 minutes last week and we did the same today really,” Warnock said.

“We were a little apprehensive because Leicester have had a good start as well. We were a little deeper than we should have been but we changed after 20 minutes and were much more positive.

“At half-time we said about being more positive and I thought the wide players could win us the game. I thought they were a threat throughout and Campbell put himself about at the start of the second half and I thought he deserved his goal. To get two goals so quickly was very welcome.”

• Read previous Crystal Palace articles on Inside Croydon here

Coming to Croydon

• Fancy dress family funday, Sep 28
• Ukrainian choir concert, St John’s Shirley, Sep 29
• Tree Sides, Spread Eagle Theatre, Oct 2-4
• The Goon Show, Spread Eagle Theatre, Oct 8-11
• Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
• Cinema Ruskin film show, Oct 18
• South Croydon business breakfast, Oct 18
• Croydon 10km road race, Oct 19
• This Was The World and I Was King, Spread Eagle, Oct 23-25
• Upper Norwood Library Book Club, 2.30pm, Oct 25
• CODA’s Wind In The Willows, Charles Cryer, Carshalton, Oct 29-Nov 1
• Albert Einstein – Relativity Speaking, Spread Eagle, Nov 12-15
• South Croydon business breakfast, Nov 15
• Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20
• Choose Your Own Documentary, Spread Eagle Theatre, Nov 21-22
• The Last Sense of Sudden, Spread Eagle Theatre, Nov 27-29
• Ghost Stories for Christmas, Spread Eagle Theatre, Dec 3
• Fog Horn Funnies, Spread Eagle Theatre, Dec 6
• South Croydon business breakfast, Dec 13
• South Croydon business breakfast, Jan 24

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