NEW Crystal Palace boss Alan Smith is facing up to the biggest challenge of his career as his dishevelled Eagles prepare to descend on Ewood tomorrow.

The likeable West Londoner has not only taken over a club in turmoil, but he must also appease angry Palace fans who have been left stunned by the shock departure of Steve Coppell.

After 16 months in administration, Eagles supporters thought the answer to their problems had finally arrived in the shape of new owner Simon Jordan earlier this summer.

But the mobile phone entrepreneur sent shockwaves around Selhurst Park last week when he announced the resignation of fans favourite Coppell by 'mutual consent'.

Within hours, Smith was suddenly unveiled as his successor and charged with the responsibility of turning a club who survived relegation by the skin of their teeth last term into instant promotion candidates.

But, after a disastrous pre-season campaign in which Palace have leaked 18 goals in four straight defeats against lower league opposition, tomorrow's curtain raiser at Ewood fills Smith with intrepidation.

"Even without all our problems the Blackburn game would have been a tough enough proposition in itself," said Smith.

"But, after what's happened here over the summer, it's even tougher now.

"So we are going to have to go full out to stand any chance of getting anything out of the game."

The last time the two clubs met Coppell was paraded around Selhurst after a 2-1 victory in the penultimate game of last season which ensured Palace survived the drop into Division Two. But little has gone right since then.

A pre-season tour of China cost the club vital preparation time because conditions were so hot the squad could do little or no training.

And since returning to England things have gone from bad to worse with the club suffering crushing friendly defeats against the likes of Dr Martens minnows Crawley Town (5-1) and Second Division outfit Reading (4-0). The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was a thumping 6-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Millwall a fortnight ago, resulting in Coppell's decision to 'resign' three days later. Now Smith and his backroom team of Glenn Cockerill and Ray Houghton must pick up the pieces.

And Smith is begging fans not to vent their anger on him as a knee-jerk reaction to Coppell's departure.

"I just hope the fans understand why I've taken on the job," said Smith.

"I am doing it for all the right reasons.

"I haven't come in here to make a financial killing or to try and be bigger than Steve Coppell, because I don't think that's ever going to happen. His place at Palace will always be special and no-one will ever be able to touch that and nor should they either.

"I'm here because I care for this club, I feel I can do a good job.

"I'm very much my own man, I'm not the chairman's man, and I'm never going to be anybody's puppet."

Palace's pre-season nightmares continued last weekend when Smith's first game in charge resulted in another embarassing defeat, this time at Wycombe. But new first team coach Houghton believes that will count for nothing against Rovers.

"We've been poor in pre-season but we've got to put that out of our minds as soon as we can because it's game on now.

"We are playing a big team in Blackburn who have spent millions on players again over the summer to add to the millions of pounds worth of talent they had already got. And that's a big enough incentive for us to go up there and beat them.

"Our pre-season programme may have been a disaster but adrenalin is a great thing and it can get you pumped up to meet a challenge.

"And I just hope our lads want to prove to people that they can play a bit and they've not just turned up to make up the numbers."

Those sentiments have also been echoed by new signing Neil Ruddock, one of the key members of Smith's squad, along with striker Mikael Forssell who is on loan for a year from Chelsea.

The tough-tackling centre back, who was brought in by Coppell from West Ham on a free this summer, is likely to skipper the side in the absence of Simon Rodger.

And Palace are going to need all his experience and leadership qualities if they want to get something out of the game.

"I wouldn't read too much into our pre-season form," said Ruddock.

"I've been at places where we had a brilliant pre-season then made a terrible start and vice-versa.

"Blackburn are ambitious for success and it's going to be a great atmosphere there.

"But we are ready to go and up for the challenge."