Soccer-Pardew praises power of frank talks that lifted Palace

April 20 (Reuters) - Frank and open discussions between Crystal Palace players and the coaching staff have helped the side recover from a dreadful Premier League run that left them perilously close to the relegation zone, manager Alan Pardew has said. Palace slid down the standings after they accumulated a worrying 13-game winless run, including nine losses, prior to a welcome four-game unbeaten streak in the league. Their form in April, which includes three draws and a win, has taken the side clear of relegation in 16th place, nine points ahead of the bottom three with four games left. "We had a couple of meetings before the West Ham draw (on April 2) that were lively and where there was what you would call 'frank discussion'. I had tried a couple of different meetings... and it didn't work," Pardew told British media. "The West Ham one was more me putting in front of them the facts. Sometimes you really need to look at the facts in the cold light of day from somebody who is leading the group. "... When the opinion is mine and it's backed up with facts, then I think it wakes a few up. We woke up at West Ham and since then we've looked a different side." Palace, who face Watford in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, take on Champions League-chasing Manchester United at Old Trafford in the league on Wednesday. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)