Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce searching for second-choice transfer targets

Sam Allardyce has revealed he is already attempting to recruit his second-choice transfer targets after being frustrated in his attempts to sign players he preferred.

The Crystal Palace manager secured the £12million arrival of Jeffrey Schlupp from those he first sought, but has since given up on Juventus' Patrice Evra and no longer expects Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson to arrive.

Full-back Jenkinson was unable to agree personal terms regarding a permanent transfer to Selhurst Park, but having inspired Sunderland to safety with his recruitment 12 months ago, Allardyce remains determined to strengthen Palace's squad.

On Saturday his team finally demonstrated greater belief and resilience, despite their 1-0 home defeat by Everton giving the manager a record of just one win from his seven matches in charge.

Allardyce said: "I've had that many players on my desk the last two weeks, looked at that many reports, watched so many games, that in the end we got them to file all that (list of players) down.

"The ones we've already done that on are not coming now, so we're down to the next level on what's available and who might come. We've done a good dozen (approaches) or so, and we've got one (signing, Jeffrey Schlupp).

"We thought we'd have got more but we haven't, so we're on the next dozen or so players we filed down, and will look carefully, to not panic in this moment.

"We're going to have two new players to come back at the end of the African Nations Cup, Bakary Sako and Wilfried Zaha, which will help make a difference."

The way Allardyce, 62, has so far been unable to inspire an improvement in Palace's form since his appointment has contrasted starkly with the significant impacts Paul Clement and Marco Silva have already had since their respective arrivals at Swansea and Hull.

Asked if that was cause for concern, he responded: "Not really. What concerns me is where we are after 38 games. See where we are then.

"I like to think when it happens (with me), it happens for the long-term, not just the short-term.

"It's a process of adjusting to my methods which can't happen overnight.

"If we get safe it'll be the last two weeks if we're lucky. It was the same at Sunderland: it was two games to go before we got safe, it'll be the same for us all down there. We'll have our ups, we'll have our downs; we'll have to put something like four or five wins on the trot together."

Saturday's victory gave Everton three from their past four, suggesting Ronald Koeman's squad are beginning to thrive under his management.

The Dutchman complained earlier in the season of his squad's conditioning, but believes this has also improved and can see his new team having a fine run-in, as Southampton did under him in 2015/16.

"It is possible (to emulate Southampton)," said the 53-year-old. "It is how I want to train. They are intense sessions but not long sessions.

"It is all about football and, most of the time, that means we will have a good end of this season and the team is fresh. That is good."