Furious Wilfried Zaha ‘lost for words’ with Crystal Palace teammates as his interview goes viral having blown their lead against Brentford.
Zaha has slammed his own squad members after they conceded a late goal to be held to a draw at Selhurst Park at in the Premier League.
The attacker had scored a stunner to put the hosts ahead just before the hour mark. But rather than all three points, Palace were forced to settle for just one after Yoane Wissa found himself unmarked and headed in the equaliser.
Zaha was put up for the post-match interview with broadcaster BT Sport and was left visibly furious. His body language was that of real anger at seeing his side throw away the lead.
A very frustrated Wilfried Zaha on BT Sport:
“I’m lost for words. Just one lapse in concentration… it ruins all the hard work. We literally just had to keep it tight. As soon as we went in the lead we just failed to defend.
“I don’t see why we do that. If we just continue pressing on I feel like we could have got a second and it just ends the game but we killed ourselves in the end.
“Our problem right now, which in due time we’ll fix is just the last -minute goals. It just throws away the whole performance. Today is not – by far – our best performance but a game where I feel like we should leave with all three points.
“It’s not been difficult at all [to block out the outside noise about transfers]. I’ve just been focused on Palace and every game. It’s not been difficult at all. I go into training, I get on with it and I enjoy it. I’ve been focused.
“We’ve got a massive understanding [Zaha and the club]. Everyone understands me. It’s different. It’s hard to explain but it feels like a family here.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank on BT Sport:
“I’d prefer to stand here and not talk about us coming from behind and just take it from the lead and go home with three points but I need to praise the boys’ character. Unbelievable!
“The mentality is not easy. We’re not City or Liverpool or Chelsea, we are Brentford and that mentality deep, deep within the players is really good. And the offensive mindset.
“Unbelievable magic from Zaha. What a goal. That is a world class goal from him. We know he can produce that moment. One moment where we dropped off slightly – boom! Top corner.
“But after that we proper went for it. We equalised and had two huge chances when we could have taken three points.”
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira on BT Sport:
“Frustration. It wasn’t pretty from our side. I don’t think we played well enough to create chances but we managed to score that goal and we needed to defend after that and we didn’t do it well enough.
“We nearly lost the game at the end. I’m happy with a point because they maybe deserved it a bit more than us today.”
Vieira has played down the prospect of the 29-year-old Ivory Coast winger, who has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, leaving the club in the summer transfer window. Zaha also says he’s focused on life at Palace.
Vieira says there has been no approach for his talisman as he dismissed reports about him potentially leaving.
‘I didn’t even put that in my head, I didn’t even ask myself that question,’ replied the Frenchman when asked if he is confident Zaha will still be at Selhurst Park after the window closes on Thursday.
‘I am working with him every day and there is nothing crossing my mind that something like that will happen.
‘The only thing he is showing is competitiveness on the field, doing well for this football club that he loves very much.
‘There is nothing coming from any other club. Wilfried is playing his football, he is enjoying his football and, as a manager or the chairman, there is nothing from anybody.
‘We are in a period where there is a lot of things going on in the papers and regarding Wilfried there is nothing true in that. This is the only thing I can tell you.’
🗣 “When you look at his smile when he scored that goal, it says everything.”
Patrick Vieira is not worried about Wilfried Zaha’s future at Crystal Palace pic.twitter.com/kDsu4Ct8s9
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 31, 2022
Zaha said on speculation: “It’s not been difficult at all [to remain focused]. I’ve just been focused on Palace and every game. So it’s not been difficult at all.
“I go into training, I get on with it and I enjoy it. So I’ve been focused. It’s massive, we’ve got a massive understanding everyone literally understands me. It’s different, it’s hard to explain but it feels like a family here. That’s the understanding we have.”
Twitter users gave their reaction over a furious Wilfried Zaha ‘lost for words’ with his Crystal Palace teammates as the interview goes viral…
@Gordon_Reid1982: Ask the gaffer why he butchered it by changing the formation and the personnel? World class goal from Wilf, Doucoure was absolutely sensational.
@afcjxmes: Wilf Arsenal have the same problem come over and help us sort it
@owenCrees: A massive shame that such a positive second half performance was ruined by such awful tactical changes for the last 15 minutes. Wilf is right. We threw a win away. #cpfc
@Wig82: I’ve criticised him before but I’m a big fan of this. That game was Palaces for the taking after that 1st went in & he’s 💯 right
@TMurrayKent: I was gutted for Wilf last night – watching him after the final whistle was heart wrenching. His goal should have been the winner, it was sublime. You can feel his frustration in that interview and he is 100% right – why do we defend when we are comfortable?
@VillaVirginian: As an opposing fan, I really like this dude. The shithousing, the skill, the honesty. I sincerely hope he stays with y’all.
@courtines: They are trying to position this as a divisive attack on this coach. I don’t see it that way. I think he’s just frustrated and wants his teammates to see it out and keep going. Respect to Zaha. Love him
@PL13Les: I do like this raw honesty. He is right too.
@James_Pratt_1: Tactics today were totally wrong from PV. This is Wilf passive aggressive telling Patrick that. And he’s absolutely correct.
@gal87uk: For once a footballer being honest in a interview and saying how it is regardless of what the manager or tv media trained they are
@damo_brown1: Passion and heart. A man who cares and gives everything to win games
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