Wilfried Zaha

grumpymort said:
Complete nonsense.

We have achieved more without him compared to with him.

He did not single hand get us promoted the whole team did and he was part of it. (Glenn Murray that season scored 30 goals)

The guy is toxic as I said before look at all the clubs he has gone to and all of them wanted him gone in a small amount of time (ex Palace managers have even hinted he was very difficult)

The Americans have not signed hm so again there is the evidence and did you even see what he did over there he was getting into fights and moaning at his own players a lot.

People need to wake up and see reality when it comes to Wilf (The guy did have talent which a large % he wasted but he was always very overrated as well)

Let people remember more of the good times and leave it be we was awful towards the end spending more time sitting on the floor complaining all the time and that has not changed since he left.
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So the whole team got us promoted then? Such greats as Dean Moxey, Johnny Parr, Owen Garvan, Danny Gabbidon and Aaron Wilbraham 😂.
 
grumpymort said:
Delusional.

Murray scores 30 goals yet you still try to claim Wilf as the super star and by the way Murray also got 6 assists that season with Wilf having only 7 and lets not forget Bolazie he had 7 assists as well.
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Probably helped us that other teams resorted to 3 players marking Wilf?
 
If there is a camp that actively dislike Wilf I am definitely not part of it.

I don’t think we should sign him though, it’s not surprising to see that video from Sage, it’s not an isolated incident in his career.

Even in the promo video he shared yesterday training largely by himself he has included audio of him having a moan at someone at the end 😂.

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Seeing him get sent off petulantly last year shows he hasn’t developed in that regard. It was worth it when he was our best player but he wouldn’t be now and he doesn’t have the character to do the senior occasional player role in the way Clyne and Ward did.

Unless he is happy being an occasional impact sub, below Pino and Guessand in the pecking order, I don’t see it working - as much as I would love it to.
 
DANGERCLOSE said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2087931747270824168
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If there is a camp that actively dislike Wilf I am definitely not part of it.

I don’t think we should sign him though, it’s not surprising to see that video from Sage, it’s not an isolated incident in his career.

Even in that promo video he shared training largely by himself he has included audio of him having a moan at someone at the end 😂.

Seeing him get sent off petulantly last year shows he hasn’t developed in that regard. It was worth it when he was our best player but he wouldn’t be now and he doesn’t have the character to do the senior occasional player role in the way Clyne and Ward did.

Unless he is happy being an occasional impact sub, below Pino and Guessand in the pecking order, I don’t see it working - as much as I would love it to.
 
Insofar as one can pick out an individual ahead of the team they are part of Zaha is, to my mind, the single most important player in Palace's history. I base this on his role in our promotion and in our staying up for years afterwards. He did not carry the team entirely by himself in our promotion season, but did do so for a few years afterwards. Look at what staying in the league has been worth to Palace and all that has flowed from it. I don't think any of it happens without Zaha.

As time went on, three things happened.

Firstly, Wilf lost his pace. He rushed back too often from injury (especially hamstrings) and played too much from a young age. I loved that about him, though. He actually wanted to play, not sit in the stand and collect his money for f*** all. How can anyone complain about that? Still, he couldn't knock it past a defender and go.

Secondly, he became increasingly determined to win games by himself. Every move would end with him, one way or another. Mostly that reflected his traditional role as the matchwinner. We set up to get him the ball and hope he could do something by himself, and that was what he became more and more focused on doing. I think he actually had decent awareness of runs around him (he would play nice passes inside the fullback for PVA to run onto, for instance), but he was mostly focussed on his own numbers.

Thirdly, he should have left Palace earlier than he did. He has spoken openly about what a mistake he made signing his last contract with us. Every man only has one life, and his last years with us were spent in the shadow of seeing lesser players get a chance at the big time.

These things converged into a grumpy, frustrated player who kept the ball far too long, lost it in trying to do it all himself, spent games wrestling with his full back because he couldn't knock it past him and run away, and moaned at everyone else. He lost the ability to smile it seemed to me. At the same time, the club didn’t need him any less. We kept picking him, kept putting him back in the team too soon after injury, kept playing through him at all times. It’s not like the self-important style of play Zaha developed towards the end wasn’t fed by the club. We made him the biggest fish and kept him that way.

Overall, though, he was brilliant. There were long spells of many seasons when if he wasn’t playing, we weren’t worth going to see.

The argument against signing him now is clear and compelling. He'll be 34 soon. None of his strong points are coming back, and his weak points ae only going to get worse.

Still, though, it is not hard to imagine him being better than Pino or Guessand. If he had been here last year, I’d have picked him ahead of either of them and ahead of Johnson.

It's not like we are so well off for good attacking players that we can just dismiss the idea of re-signing Zaha.
 
TheBigToePunt said:
Insofar as one can pick out an individual ahead of the team they are part of Zaha is, to my mind, the single most important player in Palace's history. I base this on his role in our promotion and in our staying up for years afterwards. He did not carry the team entirely by himself in our promotion season, but did do so for a few years afterwards. Look at what staying in the league has been worth to Palace and all that has flowed from it. I don't think any of it happens without Zaha.

As time went on, three things happened.

Firstly, Wilf lost his pace. He rushed back too often from injury (especially hamstrings) and played too much from a young age. I loved that about him, though. He actually wanted to play, not sit in the stand and collect his money for f*** all. How can anyone complain about that? Still, he couldn't knock it past a defender and go.

Secondly, he became increasingly determined to win games by himself. Every move would end with him, one way or another. Mostly that reflected his traditional role as the matchwinner. We set up to get him the ball and hope he could do something by himself, and that was what he became more and more focused on doing. I think he actually had decent awareness of runs around him (he would play nice passes inside the fullback for PVA to run onto, for instance), but he was mostly focussed on his own numbers.

Thirdly, he should have left Palace earlier than he did. He has spoken openly about what a mistake he made signing his last contract with us. Every man only has one life, and his last years with us were spent in the shadow of seeing lesser players get a chance at the big time.

These things converged into a grumpy, frustrated player who kept the ball far too long, lost it in trying to do it all himself, spent games wrestling with his full back because he couldn't knock it past him and run away, and moaned at everyone else. He lost the ability to smile it seemed to me. At the same time, the club didn’t need him any less. We kept picking him, kept putting him back in the team too soon after injury, kept playing through him at all times. It’s not like the self-important style of play Zaha developed towards the end wasn’t fed by the club. We made him the biggest fish and kept him that way.

Overall, though, he was brilliant. There were long spells of many seasons when if he wasn’t playing, we weren’t worth going to see.

The argument against signing him now is clear and compelling. He'll be 34 soon. None of his strong points are coming back, and his weak points ae only going to get worse.

Still, though, it is not hard to imagine him being better than Pino or Guessand. If he had been here last year, I’d have picked him ahead of either of them and ahead of Johnson.

It's not like we are so well off for good attacking players that we can just dismiss the idea of re-signing Zaha.
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Agreed with it until the end.

The Wilf of old yes, the Wilf of now no. He's not got a club now, and thats for a reason. The thought that he'd get in our first team is a little far fetched
 
TheBigToePunt said:
Insofar as one can pick out an individual ahead of the team they are part of Zaha is, to my mind, the single most important player in Palace's history. I base this on his role in our promotion and in our staying up for years afterwards. He did not carry the team entirely by himself in our promotion season, but did do so for a few years afterwards. Look at what staying in the league has been worth to Palace and all that has flowed from it. I don't think any of it happens without Zaha.

As time went on, three things happened.

Firstly, Wilf lost his pace. He rushed back too often from injury (especially hamstrings) and played too much from a young age. I loved that about him, though. He actually wanted to play, not sit in the stand and collect his money for f*** all. How can anyone complain about that? Still, he couldn't knock it past a defender and go.

Secondly, he became increasingly determined to win games by himself. Every move would end with him, one way or another. Mostly that reflected his traditional role as the matchwinner. We set up to get him the ball and hope he could do something by himself, and that was what he became more and more focused on doing. I think he actually had decent awareness of runs around him (he would play nice passes inside the fullback for PVA to run onto, for instance), but he was mostly focussed on his own numbers.

Thirdly, he should have left Palace earlier than he did. He has spoken openly about what a mistake he made signing his last contract with us. Every man only has one life, and his last years with us were spent in the shadow of seeing lesser players get a chance at the big time.

These things converged into a grumpy, frustrated player who kept the ball far too long, lost it in trying to do it all himself, spent games wrestling with his full back because he couldn't knock it past him and run away, and moaned at everyone else. He lost the ability to smile it seemed to me. At the same time, the club didn’t need him any less. We kept picking him, kept putting him back in the team too soon after injury, kept playing through him at all times. It’s not like the self-important style of play Zaha developed towards the end wasn’t fed by the club. We made him the biggest fish and kept him that way.

Overall, though, he was brilliant. There were long spells of many seasons when if he wasn’t playing, we weren’t worth going to see.

The argument against signing him now is clear and compelling. He'll be 34 soon. None of his strong points are coming back, and his weak points ae only going to get worse.

Still, though, it is not hard to imagine him being better than Pino or Guessand. If he had been here last year, I’d have picked him ahead of either of them and ahead of Johnson.

It's not like we are so well off for good attacking players that we can just dismiss the idea of re-signing Zaha.
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I would have picked me ahead of Johnson, and I have arthritic knees.
 
Team of the (20)80s said:
If there is a camp that actively dislike Wilf I am definitely not part of it.

I don’t think we should sign him though, it’s not surprising to see that video from Sage, it’s not an isolated incident in his career.

Even in the promo video he shared yesterday training largely by himself he has included audio of him having a moan at someone at the end 😂.

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Seeing him get sent off petulantly last year shows he hasn’t developed in that regard. It was worth it when he was our best player but he wouldn’t be now and he doesn’t have the character to do the senior occasional player role in the way Clyne and Ward did.

Unless he is happy being an occasional impact sub, below Pino and Guessand in the pecking order, I don’t see it working - as much as I would love it to.
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Its not about disliking Zaha. He needed Palace as much as we needed him at the time, Palace made him the main man, which played to his ego and he performed, only occasionally towards the end. Since he left, where he wasn't considered the main man, he has struggled to fit into any team, he has been at.
Leave the past behind, Palace has moved on, time he did. His Facebook video was rather sad and desperate.
 
Soft spot for Wilf, but bring him back ?No. What he did for the club was immense. It is a team game but he gave our team an extra bite that gained Premier league and kept it. We have moved on now to a point where we might use the old Wilf, but not the present Wilf. I cant help wonder how things would have been if he had stayed another season, playing with ,Eze, and Olise.
 
grumpymort said:
Delusional.

Murray scores 30 goals yet you still try to claim Wilf as the super star and by the way Murray also got 6 assists that season with Wilf having only 7 and lets not forget Bolazie he had 7 assists as well.



It's called seeing the world how it really is not through rose tinted specs.

You could say we would have gone up automatic if it wasn't for Holloway who almost cost us be promoted at all.

Disagree just look at what has been achieved as soon as he left I believe he was holding us back.

The whole stat about couldnt win without him is BS if you look at it it was the same when he played we was getting poor results so looking at it balanced way it was close to a 50/50.
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You’re a stroppy so and so!
I wonder if there are any Palace players you actually like.

It’s not rose tinted glasses to observe that Zaha scored the match winning goals v Brighton in the play offs without our main goal threat , the injured Murray.
Or that he turned Watford inside out in the final and won the match winning penalty.

Did you think it was workmanlike Wibrahim who would take us up?

It’s not rose tinted glasses to point out that he was the player who got me off my seat the most in 60 years following Palace, unless it’s a figment of my imagination.

I get you can’t stand the bloke and thrive on miserable and contrary postings, but a bit of perspective wouldn’t go amiss on Zaha’s vast contribution to the club.
 
PatrickA said:
You’re a stroppy so and so!
I wonder if there are any Palace players you actually like.

It’s not rose tinted glasses to observe that Zaha scored the match winning goals v Brighton in the play offs without our main goal threat , the injured Murray.
Or that he turned Watford inside out in the final and won the match winning penalty.

Did you think it was workmanlike Wibrahim who would take us up?

It’s not rose tinted glasses to point out that he was the player who got me off my seat the most in 60 years following Palace, unless it’s a figment of my imagination.

I get you can’t stand the bloke and thrive on miserable and contrary postings, but a bit of perspective wouldn’t go amiss on Zaha’s vast contribution to the club.
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Not disagreeing he did those first few things but others are making out he was why we achieved things when it was a team that did.

We survived in prem without him yet people keep recycling the same old BS about he kept us up the evidence is there multi seasons he was not at the club and we stayed in the league.

Every player contributed in a way and again look at the numbers you remove Murray goal/assists we are not even in the play offs and Bolazie had same amount of assists as Wilf that season.

It's rose tinted specs when you are picking out 1 player making out he is something special and ignoring others and then coming out with silly comments like you just did about Wilbraham who by the way match minutes had not many but he did 2 assists.

I never said he didn't contrabute I told it as it was and others in the team added far more over him which is backed up by stats.

If he got you out of your seat good for you he entertained you and when he was younger he did myself I loved watching Palace the season they got promoted some great football at times around from the team.
 
grumpymort said:
Not disagreeing he did those first few things but others are making out he was why we achieved things when it was a team that did.

We survived in prem without him yet people keep recycling the same old BS about he kept us up the evidence is there multi seasons he was not at the club and we stayed in the league.

Every player contributed in a way and again look at the numbers you remove Murray goal/assists we are not even in the play offs and Bolazie had same amount of assists as Wilf that season.

It's rose tinted specs when you are picking out 1 player making out he is something special and ignoring others and then coming out with silly comments like you just did about Wilbraham who by the way match minutes had not many but he did 2 assists.

I never said he didn't contrabute I told it as it was and others in the team added far more over him which is backed up by stats.

If he got you out of your seat good for you he entertained you and when he was younger he did myself I loved watching Palace the season they got promoted some great football at times around from the team.
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The reason I mentioned Wilbraham was not to disparage him but to illustrate that, in contrast to Wilf, he was no match winner.
We'll never know, but it's my strong feeling that we don't get past the Brighton and Watford games without Zaha.
Remember, Murray was injured and Bolassie out of form and dropped, although he did make one of Zaha's goal.

Furthermore, Zaha was vital in the early years of the Premier League in keeping us up.
This then gave us the platform and foundation in the Premier League to make the shrewd purchases in later years which has enabled the club to grow and achieve some success.

I don't expect you to change your view, and I'm not attempting to persuade you as I rather feel that would be a futile exercise.
I'll leave you to simmer in your bile.
 
I absolutely love Wilf. He is my all time favourite palace player and his dazzling displays in his early days - accompanied by our “He’s just too good for you” chant are something that I reminisce frequently about.
I know we’ve gone on to have more success without him, but he played such an important role in the development and status of our beloved club that he should always be welcomed back to the training facilities and ground.

As for a return to the playing squad - I’d rather he remain a legend of recent years gone by and leave it as that.
 
Elphers40 said:
I absolutely love Wilf. He is my all time favourite palace player and his dazzling displays in his early days - accompanied by our “He’s just too good for you” chant are something that I reminisce frequently about.
I know we’ve gone on to have more success without him, but he played such an important role in the development and status of our beloved club that he should always be welcomed back to the training facilities and ground.

As for a return to the playing squad - I’d rather he remain a legend of recent years gone by and leave it as that.
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I found him frustrating as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, but I know what you mean, in his prime, there was nothing like that buzz from the crowd when he got the ball, it’s just a shame it became less and less and he could be so petulant at times
 
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