Iain Dowie has been taking some pointers from Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as he prepares Palace for life in the Premiership.
Fergie has been impressed by Dowie’s bright start to life as a manager and told the Eagles boss the key to cracking the top flight lies in being successful in the transfer market
"He was very good to me. I just rang him and had a chat. He said, ‘congratulations, you've done a great job’," Dowie told sportinglife.com.
"He was very good with offering me advice. He said it was very important to have investment in the team.
"We're at a different level to Manchester United but what he did say was that there is a real need for us to build on success.
"He felt that was the key to his time at Old Trafford. Any time he invested wisely at the right time he has been successful and that is proved by the history of the club."
Palace have snapped up five players so far this season, but will be hoping to add to that number before the big kick-off in eight days’ time. But it will be Dowie’s influence that will provide the key to whether Palace can beat the drop, and the boss admits he was delighted to get some advice from Fergie.
"He has been very thoughtful and very caring to me. He's very supportive and it's great that people of that generation, who have been mega stars in management, are prepared to give time to young, up-and-coming managers like myself," added Dowie.