During Roy Hogdson's first game in charge after replacing Frank de Boer earlier this week, Crystal Palace became the first team in top-flight history to lose their opening five games of the season without scoring a goal after the 1-0 defeat to Southampton.
Pardew, who led the Eagles to 15th place during the 2015-16 season, struggled to find any positives after the game and believes they will be in a relegation fight for the rest of the season.
"For me, there was a lack of personality on the pitch today as individuals and a team. I'm struggling to find something really positive to say aside from Ruben Loftus-Cheek was terrific in the time he had on the pitch and he was their best player," he said as a 'Sky Sports' pundit at the game.
"There were a few players I know very well out there looking a bit short on confidence. Roy has put disciplines in there and they have taken them too literally. They were too flat in the first half and too defensive minded as a group.
"They sat back too deep and Southampton had too much time and if you give players of quality time, they are going to hurt you. Southampton, I thought, had better individual players all over the pitch today.
"I think what the group need to do is try and be really honest and try and bring a personality to the team. They need a formation that suits them and Roy needs to find a formula that works for the team now to stay in the division.
"When I was here, the pressure was on me not to be involved in a relegation battle but why shouldn't they be? What gives Crystal Palace the right not to be involved in that? They are going to be involved in it all year."
Fellow pundit Jamie Redknapp, agreed with Pardew's thoughts, saying Palace are in the middle of a crisis and will need to adapt to a new style of football quickly if they want to avoid a relegation scrap.
"There is a huge identity crisis. I look at them and think 'What sort of team are you?'," he added. "They will have been working all pre-season under De Boer being a nice, technical side, playing out from the back with expansive football.
"But the problem was when they did that, they did not buy the right personnel to play that way.
"Now, all of a sudden, they are going to have to change, and quickly, under Hodgson as he will want to play a completely different style of football.
"He'll be difficult to beat, he may go back to the formations where he was successful at Fulham and West Brom - almost like a horrible side to watch at times. I mean that in a nice way because Roy gets results when playing with teams like that.
"At the moment, those players are lacking so much confidence. There's a lack of belief with the ball and without it. At this club, they want to see energy and people getting after the ball."