There was a bright green whistle hanging around the neck of Alan Pardew as he walked in to face the cameras on Friday morning. Perhaps it was an entirely innocent move, in anticipation of the training session he was about to take. But then, why not put it in his pocket? Or put it on later? When you are dealing with a man as savvy and image-conscious as Pardew, it is safe to assume no detail is accidental.

So, at the most difficult point of his Crystal Palace career, it was possible to infer that this was how Pardew wanted us to see him: authoritative, schoolmasterly, in charge, in control. It was an impression reinforced by his words, as Pardew defiantly shrugged off the pressure on his job and positioned himself as the best man to steer Palace clear of trouble. It was certainly no accident that he made reference to his “experience” on four separate occasions.