Ward reveals reasons behind Palace’s recent run

At a results level, the contrast has been stark: a 2-1 win over Leicester City in which the club recorded the biggest gap in shots taken versus shots conceded (28) of any Premier League team this season.

A joint club-record away win in the Premier League, running rampant 5-1 at Leeds United. A first-ever top-flight clean sheet at Southampton, capped by an inspired Ebere Eze brace in a 2-0 win.

But for the club’s longest-serving player, Joel Ward, who spoke to The Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live earlier this week, the margins have remained slight.

In a wide-ranging interview, the Palace vice-captain praised the work of returning manager Roy Hodgson – at the helm for all three victories – while recognising that team spirit, togetherness and quality have also been at the centre of the club's turnaround in fortunes.

Ward explained: “There’s not a huge difference in it. The message when they [Hodgson, assistant manager Paddy McCarthy and first-team coach Ray Lewington] came in was clear: they wanted to simplify things; build from a strong, sturdy foundation; and let the front guys do what they do best. Certainly, in the last few games, they’ve done that.

"We went on a very tough run. We played a lot of the top teams, which wasn’t easy. Obviously, in this league, it’s all about results, and I think with Roy coming back in and taking the helm, it’s given people a bit of a lift, and a bit of freedom to go and express themselves.

“Everyone at the moment is on the same hymn sheet and the results have spoken for themselves.”

It has certainly been a fast start to Hodgson’s return to the Palace dugout, with Ward explaining that the manager, reappointed at the start of the international break, wasted little time in getting his message across.

The defender noted: “It was very simple. The manager had spoken to the Chairman and the powers that be, and came in and hit the ground running.

“He didn’t want to beat about the bush. He wanted to get back onto the training pitch and work on things, because that’s where we could turn things around and put things right.

“I think it’s benefitted us that players feel comfortable in that environment. They’ve come in and it’s almost back into the same sessions, making sure we’re doing the right things and putting ourselves in a good position to make sure we come out on top in games.

“Everyone bought into the message and what they were trying to do, and obviously that’s relayed into the games.”

With the regards to the nature of that message, Ward noted it to be “the way in which we shape up against teams – the message of how we’re pressing and closing down.

“We want to make sure we keep ourselves in the game, and we know that with the quality we’ve got up top, we’re going to create chances.

“Football is crazy – it’s all confidence. You’ve seen that in the last few games.

"People get a bit of wind up their tail and shots are going in, chances are being created, and we’ve been taking them.”

Palace’s recent goal glut – nine in their last three league games – follows that difficult spell in terms of converting chances to goals, and, ultimately, results.

The vice-captain reflected: “It’s never nice, but from what I’ve learned over the years of being at the club, there are always going to be moments where you go through that sort of period, especially in the Premier League.”

Ward thinks back to the 2017/18 season, when Palace lost their first seven top-flight games but recovered to finish in 11th position.

“Everyone knew we were going to go through a period like this at some point in the season – it’s just about how you stick together, and making sure when the opportunity presents itself, you pick up some momentum and you take it.

“With the quality that we possess within the club and the squad, we’ve got more than enough to make sure we get out of those tough periods, but when you’re in one, it’s hard – things seem to go against you. The only people who are going to get you out of it are the lads on the pitch and the players in the squad.”

That determination has persisted this season – and is now paying off. “I think there was always that togetherness. We’ve always had that as a club, regardless of who’s been in charge.

“The players have always had a strong cohesion about us. We’ve been maybe harder to break down in the last few games, and we’ve been a compact, hard-to-beat side. The message is clear: we want to give ourselves the best chance [of winning matches].”

There remains, of course, work to do, with Palace's Premier League safety not yet secure - albeit the players having put themselves in a strong position in recent weeks.

Key to finishing the job, Ward feels, will be the atmosphere a buoyant Selhurst Park could generate, with four of Palace’s seven remaining games at home – and after a memorable backing helped see off Leicester last time out in SE25.

He smiled: “For us, at Palace, with the fans that we’ve got and the atmosphere that we can create [at Selhurst], it’s pretty unique and pretty special.

"Coming off the back of the results we’ve just had, it’s bouncing, and people are in high spirits.

“It's an advantage for us, and we’ll certainly go out there in the next games working to continue the form we’ve been in.”