I have to say, I can never take to Zaha. Not after our cup tie last season when the commentator said he 'has a trick or two in the bag' literally every time he touched the ball. Never again.
Wilfried Zaha
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss three 1-1 draws.
The first got us knocked out of the FA Cup, the next puts us in a good position in our Round of 16 Europa League game, and the latest was an actual decent performance against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
All hopes for the season now rest on the Europa League - does Amorim have the squad to win it?
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Ffs Nani still hasn't got the hang of that yet.
Um...
Yeah...... I was going go mention it.
I agree. Prices has gone up irrespective of Rooney's talent. 22m was big money as much as when we spent 12-15M on Stam or the 3.75m on Keane. That doesn't make Keane a more of a bargain then lets say Rooney.
Ole, Hernandez and Vidic were bargains because we took them at a price which was much lower then what was being spent for players of that calibre at that time.
What I am saying is that while hernandez is a good player it wasn't enough to prevent us from signing a proven striker like RVP. To be fair, I think our lack of goals was more of a collective thing then anything else which also include our midfield. Cole-Yorke were not as good as individual players as Rooney-RVP yet, the team was capable to score goals for fun and actually win the treble. We did that because we had alot of players capable of creating and scoring goals back in those days. In my opinion, we're trying to compensate to our lack of quality in midfield by relying on two world class strikers.
Puzzled by the hype, whenever I've seen him (which admittedly isn't much) he hasn't looked anything special. So I'm taking the strong stories in the press with a pinch of salt.
Hopefully we don't get him, plays similarly to Sturridge and would probably prefer to be a striker in the future.
Wonder how long it will take before Palace deny these reports?
Sturridge had a lot of potential when he came through. I just think his attitude and poor training has put him where he is.
Also, not all wingers want to become strikers. And even if he did it is not always a bad thing
SAF press conference tomorrow. Is bound to be asked.
Hes not anything like him imo though. Sturridge started off and excelled as an out and out striker. At Chelsea their formation meant he found himself pushed out wide the majority of the time. Dont think Zaha will ever be a natural finisher.
I was thinking the same, i can see SAF denying this.
Nor will Sturridge tbf
Artical from the mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/how-wilfried-zaha-went-from-crystal-1432069
Nice insight on those who know little about him.
Having been called up for England, the young forward has come a long way since his 2010 debut for Crystal Palace
Talent: Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace, and now England
With Manchester United ready to pounce for Palace starlet Wilfried Zaha, we asked our Crystal Palace expert Ed Malyon to give us the lowdown on the hottest player in the Championship.
"He looks about twelve," comments one supporter in the Holmesdale stand as a gangly, youthful striker takes to the field for Crystal Palace.
His shorts are pulled high above the waist, his shirt billows with excess polycotton yet his boots are electric blue. The boots, it will later emerge, are new. Bought for him as a present by his manager when it was decided that his shabby old black ones simply weren't fit for him to be making his professional debut in.
He touched the ball perhaps six times, but this brief 10-minute cameo was one of exciting promise - although whether this youngster's substitute appearance had come about because of his unique talent, or because of the club's perilous financial state was still unclear. After all, every player on the Eagles' substitute bench that day was an academy product, the oldest just 20 years-old.
This particular youngster was Wilfried Zaha, and once his club had survived a financial near-apocalypse in the approaching summer he would prove that he had made his bow for all the right reasons, going on to establish himself as a regular in the first team, just as many of the club's academy graduates had before.
Zaha though, is very much a one-of-a-kind player. Immediate comparisons were inevitably drawn to Victor Moses, with both players being exciting wingers capable of being the central frontman, but as is often the case with these lazy parallels it is wide of the mark.
Bulkier: Zaha's increased strength has also played a key role in his improvement over the last year
Christopher Lee / Getty
Moses is an exciting prospect, but an entirely different proposition to the player that Palace fans affectionately refer to as 'Wilf'. While the two players are of similar height, the Chelsea winger is of broad-shouldered build, with a languid, slow-motion dribbling style where he seems to almost drag and slide the ball past players.
Zaha on the other hand, is a spindly, darting little winger. Fast and incisive, but forced to bend with and skip over challenges that Moses would simply bounce off or ride. Where Zaha's strength lies is in his ability to beat a man one-on-one - and that's the principal reason for his call-up to the England squad.
To many, it may seem that Roy Hodgson has added the Palace star to this week's team simply to prevent him being convinced to play for the Ivory Coast, something that the Elephants were very keen on for January's African Cup of Nations. However, Hodgson told Zaha in his phone call this weekend that he sees him as a very real part of his World Cup 2014 plans, considering there to be few players anywhere in England (perhaps Europe) that are better at taking on - and beating - a man.
The youngster's array of skills are to be marvelled at. When the Brazilian, Ronaldinho, was at the height of his powers he was asked a question in an interview about his dazzling variety of stepovers and tricks, and how he performed them. "They just happen," he said, "they are natural".
With Zaha it is the same. His footwork and shift of balance are sublime, but the speed at which they happen suggest that it emanates not from an elaborate thought process, but an innate burst of something deeper - raw talent.
It has taken the South London club over a year to begin to fully harness this talent in the first team, but their hard work is undoubtedly being rewarded as they find themselves top of the league and having nurtured this fine young man - 20 years-old only on Saturday - into the best player in the Football League.
There have been the inevitable days when he tried too much, beating a man once, twice and three times only to be dispossessed. There were times when players could only get to grips with him by fouling him out of the game, and this still happens, but whereas he would previously self combust, retaliating and earning himself a red card, he now gets on with it secure in the knowledge that his talent will eventually be too much for those attempting to do him harm.
His final product has improved immeasurably, something no doubt intertwined with a refinement in his shooting technique that has also begun to bring him more goals. The marked and significant improvement in his team's fortunes this season have been down to the improved balance of having a natural winger on the left to balance with Zaha - that winger, Yannick Bolasie, was described by Wilf as the best partner of his career - but his own development has been more steady, more subtle.
Crucially for a modern winger he has also worked on his defensive responsibilities a lot, something that proved vital in Crystal Palace avoiding relegation last season and that proved an unexpected positive from Dougie Freedman's defensive style of football.
All of this improvement has contributed to his call-up and despite the swell of misinformation that has been published in the last 24 hours or so this does not affect his Palace future in any way.
His new five-and-a-half-year deal, signed less than a year ago, means that Crystal Palace very much hold the key to his future, but while the club has no wish to retain his services against his wishes, while they are in the race for promotion to the Premier League they have simply no interest in selling their prize asset.
As co-chairmen Steve Parish and Steve Browett have asserted on numerous occasions, even accepting £20million for the winger seems fruitless when keeping him represents the best chance of promotion to the Premier League and a potential bounty of closer to £90million.
Being an England international will only raise his potential asking price, but being in the national squad does not mean that he should be in any rush to leave the Championship club. Having played over 100 first team games at such a tender age he already has a lot more experience than his peers, in fact, of those selected alongside him in the England under-21 squad last week, only fellow Palace graduate Nathaniel Clyne and Liverpool's Jordan Henderson have played more.
And what experience it is. By the age of 19 he had survived a relegation battle, administration, played in a major cup semi-final (losing on penalties) and beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford - and it has all contributed to maturing him from a hotheaded tyro into an exceptionally effective young professional.
Zaha is a player destined for the Premier League, but neither he nor the club are in any rush. Hodgson's faith in the level of the Championship is sufficient that he has picked the league's best player for an international call-up, and it does not diminish the winger's unique talent that he is yet to play in the top flight. Contrarily, it highlights it.
Talent: Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace, and now England
With Manchester United ready to pounce for Palace starlet Wilfried Zaha, we asked our Crystal Palace expert Ed Malyon to give us the lowdown on the hottest player in the Championship.
"He looks about twelve," comments one supporter in the Holmesdale stand as a gangly, youthful striker takes to the field for Crystal Palace.
His shorts are pulled high above the waist, his shirt billows with excess polycotton yet his boots are electric blue. The boots, it will later emerge, are new. Bought for him as a present by his manager when it was decided that his shabby old black ones simply weren't fit for him to be making his professional debut in.
He touched the ball perhaps six times, but this brief 10-minute cameo was one of exciting promise - although whether this youngster's substitute appearance had come about because of his unique talent, or because of the club's perilous financial state was still unclear. After all, every player on the Eagles' substitute bench that day was an academy product, the oldest just 20 years-old.
This particular youngster was Wilfried Zaha, and once his club had survived a financial near-apocalypse in the approaching summer he would prove that he had made his bow for all the right reasons, going on to establish himself as a regular in the first team, just as many of the club's academy graduates had before.
Zaha though, is very much a one-of-a-kind player. Immediate comparisons were inevitably drawn to Victor Moses, with both players being exciting wingers capable of being the central frontman, but as is often the case with these lazy parallels it is wide of the mark.
Bulkier: Zaha's increased strength has also played a key role in his improvement over the last year
Christopher Lee / Getty
Moses is an exciting prospect, but an entirely different proposition to the player that Palace fans affectionately refer to as 'Wilf'. While the two players are of similar height, the Chelsea winger is of broad-shouldered build, with a languid, slow-motion dribbling style where he seems to almost drag and slide the ball past players.
Zaha on the other hand, is a spindly, darting little winger. Fast and incisive, but forced to bend with and skip over challenges that Moses would simply bounce off or ride. Where Zaha's strength lies is in his ability to beat a man one-on-one - and that's the principal reason for his call-up to the England squad.
To many, it may seem that Roy Hodgson has added the Palace star to this week's team simply to prevent him being convinced to play for the Ivory Coast, something that the Elephants were very keen on for January's African Cup of Nations. However, Hodgson told Zaha in his phone call this weekend that he sees him as a very real part of his World Cup 2014 plans, considering there to be few players anywhere in England (perhaps Europe) that are better at taking on - and beating - a man.
The youngster's array of skills are to be marvelled at. When the Brazilian, Ronaldinho, was at the height of his powers he was asked a question in an interview about his dazzling variety of stepovers and tricks, and how he performed them. "They just happen," he said, "they are natural".
With Zaha it is the same. His footwork and shift of balance are sublime, but the speed at which they happen suggest that it emanates not from an elaborate thought process, but an innate burst of something deeper - raw talent.
It has taken the South London club over a year to begin to fully harness this talent in the first team, but their hard work is undoubtedly being rewarded as they find themselves top of the league and having nurtured this fine young man - 20 years-old only on Saturday - into the best player in the Football League.
There have been the inevitable days when he tried too much, beating a man once, twice and three times only to be dispossessed. There were times when players could only get to grips with him by fouling him out of the game, and this still happens, but whereas he would previously self combust, retaliating and earning himself a red card, he now gets on with it secure in the knowledge that his talent will eventually be too much for those attempting to do him harm.
His final product has improved immeasurably, something no doubt intertwined with a refinement in his shooting technique that has also begun to bring him more goals. The marked and significant improvement in his team's fortunes this season have been down to the improved balance of having a natural winger on the left to balance with Zaha - that winger, Yannick Bolasie, was described by Wilf as the best partner of his career - but his own development has been more steady, more subtle.
Crucially for a modern winger he has also worked on his defensive responsibilities a lot, something that proved vital in Crystal Palace avoiding relegation last season and that proved an unexpected positive from Dougie Freedman's defensive style of football.
All of this improvement has contributed to his call-up and despite the swell of misinformation that has been published in the last 24 hours or so this does not affect his Palace future in any way.
His new five-and-a-half-year deal, signed less than a year ago, means that Crystal Palace very much hold the key to his future, but while the club has no wish to retain his services against his wishes, while they are in the race for promotion to the Premier League they have simply no interest in selling their prize asset.
As co-chairmen Steve Parish and Steve Browett have asserted on numerous occasions, even accepting £20million for the winger seems fruitless when keeping him represents the best chance of promotion to the Premier League and a potential bounty of closer to £90million.
Being an England international will only raise his potential asking price, but being in the national squad does not mean that he should be in any rush to leave the Championship club. Having played over 100 first team games at such a tender age he already has a lot more experience than his peers, in fact, of those selected alongside him in the England under-21 squad last week, only fellow Palace graduate Nathaniel Clyne and Liverpool's Jordan Henderson have played more.
And what experience it is. By the age of 19 he had survived a relegation battle, administration, played in a major cup semi-final (losing on penalties) and beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford - and it has all contributed to maturing him from a hotheaded tyro into an exceptionally effective young professional.
Zaha is a player destined for the Premier League, but neither he nor the club are in any rush. Hodgson's faith in the level of the Championship is sufficient that he has picked the league's best player for an international call-up, and it does not diminish the winger's unique talent that he is yet to play in the top flight. Contrarily, it highlights it.
Nice insight on those who know little about him.
You haven't been watching Sterling close enough then. You don't think he has power & trickery?? That is bizarre. For a tiny lad he isn't srugged off the ball easily and he gets stuck in. Against Sunderland this season he competed in 26 50-50 duels and won 17 of them.....he has power make no mistake. His low centre of gravity enables him to dribble the ball effortlessly. Still developing physically as he is only 18 years old remember.
His passing accuracy & technique is easily superior, he is much more effective in the final third. Better goals return means very little as you clearly state, Zaha is playing for the top side in the Championship whereas Sterling has played less games for a struggling, clearly average Liverpool. Zaha has more match experience and he has still only scored 5 goals this season. For someone who has so much possession of the ball that is not a great return. If you look closer at some of the more varied stats you will see Sterling's immense work rate and chance creation shine through.
He's easily better than Wilfried Zaha.
I don't get the argument that we don't need another winger.
We have 4 wingers.
One is Giggs, who even is most ardent supporters would probably agree shouldn't be starting games. Another is Nani, who has been injured all season, Valencia who has been awful and Young who has been the best of an awful bunch.
You have Welbeck and Kagawa who can both play there, but I don't think it's unreasonable to say that we could do with another player nor will Zaha struggle for games on the flanks.
We have 4 wingers.
One is Giggs, who even is most ardent supporters would probably agree shouldn't be starting games. Another is Nani, who has been injured all season, Valencia who has been awful and Young who has been the best of an awful bunch.
You have Welbeck and Kagawa who can both play there, but I don't think it's unreasonable to say that we could do with another player nor will Zaha struggle for games on the flanks.
Not knowing much about him I had a trawl around You-Tube and found this described as 'The Ultimate Compilation'.
I can't really see much to get excited about, 1 or 2 nice touches I suppose, but I won't be disappointed if it turns out to be bollocks.
Unless someone has found something a bit more exciting, this is as good as it gets I suppose:
I can't really see much to get excited about, 1 or 2 nice touches I suppose, but I won't be disappointed if it turns out to be bollocks.
Unless someone has found something a bit more exciting, this is as good as it gets I suppose:
Interstingly.
Zaha has also said on his facebook that he "wants to stay at palace until end of season at least"
Zaha has also said on his facebook that he "wants to stay at palace until end of season at least"
Richard Cawley @RichCawleySLP
IH on Zaha: Am I confident he'll be here for Saturday's game? Yeah. I'm very confident he'll be helping me for the rest of the season. #cpfc
IH on Zaha: Am I confident he'll be here for Saturday's game? Yeah. I'm very confident he'll be helping me for the rest of the season. #cpfc
You have to laugh at that compilation: everything that he does on it has an element shitness or fortune about it. If that is the best that he can do at Championship level then I have no idea why we are interested.
Would be more then happy to get him, a talented youngster who can beat his man.
Alot of the journalists who cover the Championship are doubting his ability lately to be honest, they were saying on the Sunday Supplement a few weeks ago he's nowhere near the level of hype he gets. A million miles away from being good enough for a top 4 club at the moment he should follow Victor Moses and join a lower level premiership team and get some experience. If he's good enough he will get a move to a top side.
I think that Palace are desperate to get a deal done for him this January, the stories appearing in the papers clearly come from them. They know that the hype train for this player is going to run out of steam.
AND he's 2 years older than Sterling.
Honestly, I don't think Zaha is a united prospect, he's got Obertan written all over him for me.
Then again, I could be wrong
The Wilifried Zaha thread is going to be great fun if he comes here. Poor kid will get slaughtered.
I for one believe he is a great talent, english, big, pacey, trickery and confident. Potential to be a very good winger for England and a top 4 club.
However, the Moses suggestion isn't a bad one. He needs to get some premier league experience first (Possibly on loan from us ??), certaintly not ready to compete against nani valencia or young yet. But could take up a spot, similar to powell is doing for us at the moment.
However, the Moses suggestion isn't a bad one. He needs to get some premier league experience first (Possibly on loan from us ??), certaintly not ready to compete against nani valencia or young yet. But could take up a spot, similar to powell is doing for us at the moment.
Think the winger situation is similar to the midfield one. If we are to sign a winger, then I think we should be looking for someone the club really feels has a chance of becoming top drawer. From what I've seen of Zaha, I can't say I'm convinced he's that nailed on.
Yeah, agreed and that was what we were after with Hazard and Lucas.
Though, if one of the 3 is leaving then it makes sense to buy Zaha and another Marquee one.
How many YOUNG (21 or under) wingers are there that look potentially world beaters that would be open to moving?
I can only think of a few and none fit the criteria of moving...
Gotze would be first choice (I realise he is more central before someone cries) - Just love the kid, him or Reus, I should support Dortmund, but I couldn't really. Hate them from 1996/7 with Treschock.... or however you spell it
Yup. Nobody has watched him but have labelled him as shit or don't want.
Similar type of reactions were there when we signed Smalling. Our record with young English players is good. So I'm excited about this.
I am sure that most people on here have seen him play as he has played against us! I have seen him about 5 times and I never been impressed with him.
Just because he hasnt shown it properly at chelsea doesnt mean he wont at Liverpool. Were you familiar with him in City's youth team?
Jesus, first it was Lampard now its Zaha.
One is too old and the other is too mediocre.
We are Manchester United, sign a DECENT player ffs!!
One is too old and the other is too mediocre.
We are Manchester United, sign a DECENT player ffs!!
Remember that this is his most successful season and hes playing up front. He may not even want to play on the wing for all we know
Jesus, first it was Lampard now its Zaha.
One is too old and the other is too mediocre.
We are Manchester United, sign a DECENT player ffs!!
Just to let you know, we haven't signed anyone.
When he was odds on to join Arsenal he was hyped up it was quite embarrassing, i recall John Cross from the Mirror (also an Arse fan) claiming he was an "unbelievable" talent and now that it appears Arsenal have pulled out of the race to sign him he is now "not ready", "raw" and "not good enough"!!!
London journalists...bias?
London journalists...bias?
Jesus, first it was Lampard now its Zaha.
One is too old and the other is too mediocre.
We are Manchester United, sign a DECENT player ffs!!
I just trust the judgement of Fergie and our scouting team. If they want those players there must be a reason.
probably not what you would regard as familiar, I had seen him a handful of times as I particuarly look out for youth games. I don't rate him personally, at Bolton fair enough, but a lot of that was quite intelligent runs and he is very quick, not natural finishing, anyway, he may well develop it, it was the way you used him as an example, almost referring to a 'natural finisher', I don't seem his as that at all... personally
I rather we try to take Walcott on a free in the summer than spunk 12m on him to be honest. It does increasingly likely that we'll sign him
Theo would have a far higher wage demand, he won't want to play on the wing and I don't think he is best there either. Plus I think Theo Walcott does want to stay, just get a high wage in return.
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