patrick vieira manager
How frustrating was that?
It is really frustrating. We made it really difficult for them to create chances. I think we defended well as a team and we had that moment to score the first goal and we didn’t take it. In the other side they had that opportunity and they take it quite well from Fred. It is disappointing and losing that way is frustrating.
Did you come here to play defensively?
We wanted to defend well first because of the individual quality of the United team. We knew that we could expose them and on the other side I think we didn’t create enough because we didn’t use the goal well enough. I think in the first half, and even in the second half, I think there were more opportunities for us to find those players in between the lines. I think we we weren’t brave enough in possession. And this is one of the frustrations that I had about the game today is that we didn’t use the ball like we used to well enough to give them more problems.
Last three games not used possession well?
There are two phases of the game. You either have the ball or you don’t have the ball. Defensively in the last couple of games we did some some good stuff. But I think what let us down a little bit is is when we have possession I think we didn’t take enough risk to play and to create difficulty for the opposition team.
No Joachim Andersen today – too soon for him today?
It was just because he wasn’t good enough to play. I think his injury wasn’t clear enough to allow him to take part in this game.
Midfield bypassed regularly today – was that United’s strength of Palace’s problem?
I think we weren’t brave enough to find those players in between the lines and I think we didn’t make the right decisions to allow ourselves to play forward. I think we played a little bit too many long balls and that is not what we’re used to. I think there were at times some opportunities to move the ball a little bit quicker – to be brave enough to play forward. And we didn’t do it.
Jordan Ayew miss at a big moment in the game, thoughts on that?
I believe that our front three could’ve held the ball better. I think we didn’t keep the ball well enough upfront. And I think talking about Jordan, of course he had the big chance of the game and he didn’t take it. But on the side I think he was fantastic for us today. His work ethic. I think he was the best player upfront.
No Will Hughes in midfield today?
I had the plan to bring him [off the bench] but obviously when you concede a goal you’re looking at the players who can score or create chances. So I just went with Eze and Michael.
Could you have done more to stop Fred’s goal?
Yes. I think when you look at the chances on our left hand side I think Wilfried could have come and played the two vs one a little bit quicker and I think we can close down Fred a little bit quicker. We were four or five against two around the ball, so we had a lack of aggressiveness there.
Three losses on the spin now, extra pressure on Everton game next week to get a result?
Yes I think it’s important to win the next match. We have to analyse the parts of the game that we need to improve. I always say that during the season there will be a period where we go through a difficult period. And this is a period where we will have to stick together and work even harder. At the end, the result in the last two games is not what we wanted or what we were looking for. But when you’re looking at the game itself and how we played I think there’s a lot of positiveness to take from those performances that we had.
