Sam Allardyce has targeted long-term success with Crystal Palace should he keep them in the Premier League this season, insisting that they cannot afford to sit still.

The Eagles have been embroiled in a relegation dogfight in recent months, leading to the sacking of manager Alan Pardew and the subsequent arrival of Allardyce in December.

Allardyce has guided Palace to back-to-back wins following a shaky start to life in South London and, while acknowledging that simply staying up is the priority this season, he is now keen to bring back a feel-good factor to Selhurst Park in the coming years.

"The club [have] done a magnificent job in sustaining Premier League status," he told reporters. "But you must not rest on your laurels. You must think bigger. This season perhaps everyone thought they were going to do bigger and better, but we have stumbled.

"If we can overcome this hiccup and stay in the league, then growing the club would be the first thing on my mind. Not just talking about survival, something a bit better than that. By progressing you do not stand still, and if you do not stand still you obviously finish higher in the league.

"From the academy upwards, bettering the facilities, and talk about the stadium. That can all be sustained if you get good steady growth in the team."

Allardyce, sacked by England in September after just one game in charge, has never previously been relegated from the top flight.