Andros Townsend admits he is expecting a potentially frosty reception when he returns to St James’ Park this weekend - but insists he had a “fantastic time” at Newcastle United.
He will return to St James’ Park on Saturday for the first time since departing as bottom-of-the-table Palace, fresh from a 2-1 victory over defending champions Chelsea, visit ninth-placed Newcastle.
“I will enjoy it. I’m not sure I’ll get a good reception but I had a fantastic time there,” Townsend told The Croydon Advertiser ahead of his return to Tyneside.
“Unfortunately it didn’t end well but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there with the fans, who are incredible up there, and I’m looking forward to going there and see a few familiar faces. I’ll enjoy it.
“Ultimately we are going there for business, to win a football match and that’s all I’m focused on.
“It’s similar in the way [Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce] work. They like to do a lot on the training field; very hands on, the pair of them.
“They like to go through every scenario that will occur on the pitch so that when it occurs you are ready for it.
“Like Sam, it wasn’t a quick fix: we didn’t initially pick up results but eventually you saw how well we were playing towards the end of last season and I’ve no doubt in my mind that we’ll get to that again under Roy.”
The Eagles sit bottom of the Premier League table with just three points from eight games, and are five shy of safety.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are ninth in the table having collected 11 points from their opening eight matches - with Rafa Benitez’s men having lost just once since August.
Following back-to-back draws, however, United will aim to return to winning ways against Palace - but Townsend insists the Eagles head to the North East full of confidence on the back of their victory over Chelsea.
“That was our problem last year, we beat Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, but slipped up against the teams around us,” Townsend added.
“We will enjoy this win, because we haven’t had this feeling this season, but we now have to focus on Newcastle away.
“Hopefully we can go on a run and with the quality we have in the dressing room, we are capable of doing it.”