PHIL Parkinson says Sam Allardyce will save Crystal Palace – even if Wanderers dump him out of the FA Cup tonight.

Five games into his new job and Big Sam is still waiting for the so-called ‘new manager bounce’ to kick in at Selhurst Park.

Allardyce has mustered just two draws – one of which was in Bolton 10 days ago – since succeeding Alan Pardew, and has since splashed out £12million on Leicester City utility man Jeffrey Schlupp.

Palace were able to name £36million of talent on their bench at Macron Stadium but were still lucky to earn a replay after Josh Vela’s second-half header hit the woodwork.

Defeat tonight could make things even more awkward for the man who wrote his own chapter in Wanderers’ history books by leading the club into Europe and four consecutive top eight finishes in the top flight.

Allardyce was typically blunt as he laid down a challenge to the fringe players he prepares to name on his team-sheet for for tonight’s game.

“If they don’t win, they are saying they are League One players,” he said, in a press conference beamed live around the globe on the Palace website.

In contrast, Parkinson gave his address to two reporters at his desk in a portable office at Lostock replete with a mini heater blowing full blast and a set of notes on Palace’s recent 3-0 defeat at West Ham.

Although Allardyce’s arrival came at the expense of his old pal Alan Pardew, the present Wanderers boss has been nothing but complimentary about his legacy at Bolton, or his record ever since.

And he is sure that despite the teething trouble he has experienced at Palace thus far, that Allardyce will find the winning formula eventually.

“Sam is still getting to know his players,” he said. “He’s gone in there and I feel he’ll play a lot of the lads who played at our place. It gives him an opportunity to assess who he wants to go forward with as well.

“I expect them to make changes but if you look at the squad, it’s in a false position, really, when you compare it to the others at the bottom.

“They have got a lot more quality than their rivals and you’d expect Sam to have moved them up considerably by the end of the season. It’ll be expected.

“I’m sure he’ll be determined to get his first win but as a club, their focus is on the Premier League and preserving that status. It is vital for them.

“There will be a period at Palace where he puts his own marker down and the demands he puts on his players. But it’s a better squad than the one he inherited at Sunderland and he’s got the resources to bring players in too.

“He did that in the last transfer window, identified the right players and kept Sunderland in the division when everyone were saying they didn’t have a chance. And I think he’ll do that with room to spare.

“But do I think we can go down there and get a result? Yes I do. We have to make sure our preparation is right. I’ll tell my players they can enjoy the game but, of course, you only do that if you play well.”

Wanderers may have blotted their copybook with a weekend defeat at Swindon but it was anything but Blue Monday at Lostock.

Parkinson was upbeat, looking forward to the replay and a chance to bring in some fresh faces in the next fortnight.

After a quick review of the performance, and the errors within, it was all aboard the team bus and down to London, where a fuller tactical briefing was held later in the day.

Wanderers will do some work on the training field this morning to hone some specifics but Parkinson was insistent his side would put any disappointment behind them.

“The beauty of football, especially when you have got an exciting game like this, is that you can quickly get back out there on the pitch and get everyone feeling good about themselves again,” he said.

“We didn’t make enough of our opportunities but that happens to teams at all levels – you look at Manchester City with £50million-plus players not converting chances.

“Maybe we were a bit off the pace in the first half but I’ve spoken about the reasons that might have been the case.

“We didn’t take Swindon lightly. It happens in football and you have to move on, discuss it quickly, analyse it by watching it through again, but know you have to put it behind you.”