Steve Coppell scouting for Crystal Palace ahead of FA Cup final

Crystal Palace is turning to the man who guided the Eagles to the 1989-90 FA Cup final.

On Friday, Alan Pardew revealed that Coppell, who had four different spells as Palace's manager, is helping the club with its preparations for Saturday's FA Cup final by working as a scout and watching Manchester United.

When Palace fell 1-0 to United in the 1989-90 FA Cup final, Coppell was the Eagles' manager while Pardew was still playing for the club. The pair will obviously be hoping for a different outcome Saturday at Wembley Stadium.

"Steve is a legend - and he is involved in this process at Palace for the cup final," Pardew said, according to the Guardian. "I have included him in our scouting team, he is doing us a bit for Man United. I've had him watching them as a completely outside pair of eyes. He has given me what he thinks might be good options.

"I have thought about bringing him here but he can only do one job, and that is football manager. He cannot do any other job. And I think he will be the first to tell you that. Sitting upstairs is not him. Scouting is not him. Coaching is not really him. He is a manager. It is a shame he is not in the game because the game is losing out. For this game, I've had a little insight into his brain - he might give me a couple of little nuggets."

Coppell's last major role came in 2013-14 at Portsmouth, where he worked as Pompey's director of football. His last job as a manager, however, came at Bristol City in 2010.