Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew: Connor Wickham must emulate Everton's Romelu Lukaku

Alan Pardew hopes Connor Wickham will learn from Romelu Lukaku when they clash with Everton

ALAN PARDEW goes to Everton tomorrow knowing Palace's top priority will be to shackle a striker he hails as the new Didier Drogba.

 

That's how highly he rates Romelu Lukaku and why he predicts that the young Belgian is set to follow in the iconic African's legendary footsteps.

It's not the sort of prediction Chelsea's Jose Mourinho will be happy to hear after dismissing Lukaku - even though a Drogba play-a-like might have spared him his present predicament.

But it is why Pardew is also hoping Connor Wickham, the striker he somewhat surprisingly paid £9million for in the summer, will look and learn from Everton's big man when the pair meet on Monday nght.

 

As it stands the only comparison between Wickham and Lukaku is their age - but hope still springs eternal in the Palace camp.

Pardew says: "Lukaku is now the full No 9. If you look at the iconic players in  that position over the last 10 years you look at Didier Drogba. Lukaku looks as if he could emulate him.

"It's right that Lukaku is well ahead of most strikers. He is an example and an unusual player in that he is naturally left footed and as a striker that sets him apart. Most defenders are used to playing against right footed strikers."

But he is confident that Wickham, who scored only 11 goals in four years at Sunderland and still hasn't managed one yet for Palace, will eventually justify the £17million in total that has been paid for his services so far.

 

Everton striker Lukaku has been in impressive form and Pardew has compared him to Didier Drogba

His manager insisted: "Connor is a work in progress. He has been injured and we have only had a few games from him, but the games he has played in have been great.

"True, he needs to add goals to his game and this year is a big one for him. But if he really is going to become what I hope he will become then next year could be the one.

"I think he can definitely get 15 goals in a calendar year and most managers would be quite happy with that. That's where I am targeting him next year."

And he added: "Lukaku is not lost on us , but I won't be asking Connor to keep watching him on Monday though. I would rather he concentrates on John Stones and the other centre half and do a job on them."