patrick vieira manager
Team news?
Everything has been good. Training was OK. There are no injuries outside of Nathan Ferguson.
How much of a blow is it not to have Conor Gallagher?
We knew the rules before signing Conor so it’s no surprise he will not get involved in the games against Chelsea. So we’ve tried a different system and different players and still have a reflection [to make] on who will replace Conor.
Is Will Hughes OK?
He is feeling better. He managed to do a couple of training [sessions] with the team this week. So he will be in the squad tomorrow.
What are your impressions on the challenge that Chelsea will pose?
It’s a massive challenge but really exciting at the same time. We know how good they can be and it’s going to be a home game, we have to play with tempo, we have to play with rhythm, we have to be aggressive, we need to have all those ingredients to give them problems. We know we are capable of doing it. We have to play with excitement because the fans will be up for it. We have to be ready, we have to play well. The mistakes you make, the talent they have you can get punished straight away. If we play at the level we are capable of, we can get the crowd behind us and have important moments during the game, it’s important to take our chances in those important moments.
Thoughts on the job Thomas Tuchel has done?
I think is a fantastic achievement as a manager. You make a judgement about what you win at the end of the season. Winning the Champions League and being world champions – it’s difficult to do better than that.
In your first 24 games as a manager in the Premier League has anything surprised you? What’s the thing you’ve learned the most?
Nothing has surprised me, I knew how challenging the league would be, it would be challenging for us as a club to make that transition. We are in a process, everything that is happening is what we planned. We knew we were going to go through difficult periods and we had to be strong, that is what we are doing. We have to keep working well, keep fighting and turn good performances into a win. We have to score goals and win games. Scoring those goals are massively important. We create enough chances to score goals. We play good football to allow ourselves to get more points.
Do you have any worries at all about getting sucked into a fight towards the bottom of the table?
We’re not worried. We know we need to turn draws into wins and when you look at the way we’ve been playing and the number of chances we’ve had we should score more goals to get more points. We are in a better place today than we were a couple of months ago. We knew we were going through that process and this is where we are. At the end of the day, what is important is to have a good performance to allow us to win football matches.
Are you more confident now than you were on the opening day?
No doubt we are a better team than when we played them at the start of the season, we have a lot to learn but we’ve played important games, players are more comfortable and better. The team benefits from that. We learn from the mistakes that we make. We are stronger as a team, there’s a better understanding of what I want from the players and I am really looking forward to the game tomorrow.
What did you learn from that defeat on the opening weekend about Chelsea’s strengths?
When you play those big teams you have to play well as a team, you have to accept to do the dirty work, you may not have the possession you want to. Every player will have to work well, work hard, to allow ourselves to get a result In every game you have different challenges, I think it’s important for players to have information to fully understand what we need. The disappointment of Brentford was we didn’t create as much as I wanted and expected, we played a team well organised that didn’t give us much space but we should have done better. Coming back with only two points from those two games was frustrating for me.
How would you surmise how you feel about the opening weekend to this game against Chelsea?
The team and players and myself have all grown and we all have a better understanding. For me, it’s regarding the players and what we need to improve – the part of the game we need to do better and what I want from them. I am satisfied with where we are atm. We always want more, to score more goals and to win more matches. This is part of the progress for players to grow as individual players, know themselves, express themselves. With more experience that will help us to win matches.
Tomorrow a chance to show the real Crystal Palace to Chelsea?
That day the first goal from the set-piece, the free-kick changed the momentum of the game. That was a critical moment. We learnt that those games are massively important for us. When we were in a good period, how do we take advantage and score those goals? Or when we are in a difficult part of the game, how can we defend well as a team? With maturity, all the games we have played so far, we manage those situations much better (than we did). Tomorrow we will be in a better place but we are still playing the world champions who won the Champions League. It’s a massive challenge.
Good to have James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate back?
Macca is getting physically much better, he has been training with the team all week. Cheikhou is back from the Africa Cup of Nations. We have different options in the midfield.
Cheikhou said he wants to win the league next season, what do you make of that?
The same as you, when you ask the question with a smile on your face.
Marc Guehi already proven himself?
Marc is at a young age but he is already one of our leaders. He plays with calmness, confidence and strength. He’s been a really important player for us and will be a massive player in the future.
How do your expectations match the club and fans?
I think there’s a really good understanding between the club, myself and the fans about where we are and what we want to achieve and which part of the football club we need to develop to get to where we want.
You’re ahead of Everton, Newcastle and Leeds. That’s a healthy position to be in, isn’t it?
Yes, but there is still a long way to go. We are not worried but we are not excited by our position. It’s important to keep improving some aspects of the game. Important to turn draws into wins, important to win games to allow ourselves to be in a good position. Important to work hard and be demanding to get the results.
