patrick vieira manager
Team news?
Some of the players are back in training. Conor [Gallagher] is one of them. The only update is about the three players that we know are in the Africa Cup of Nations.
What does the FA Cup mean to you and what are your favourite memories?
I think this competition means a lot to the football club. We want to do well and obviously, I’m part of this football club and we want to compete and we want to do well in that competition. And we will give ourselves the best chance to go to the next round. I always loved playing in the FA Cup. I think it’s one of the best competitions worldwide. I’ve been privileged to win that competition a couple of times.
Any of your five FA Cup titles stand out for you?
You always remember the first one and the last one. So the one with Arsenal in 1998 was magical and the last one with Manchester City meant a lot to me because that was the last one and it was with a fantastic group of players. I have some really good memories in the FA Cup.
Will this be Jean-Philippe Mateta’s last game for Crystal Palace tomorrow? Is he going to Saint Etienne?
Not that I am aware of. He is a Palace player and he has been training really well all week. He will be part of the group for the game tomorrow.
And in terms of incomings, how active are you? How many players ideally, would you like to bring in this month?
With the chairman [Steve Parish] and Dougie [Freedman, director of football] we always talk about how to improve the squad. Of course, if there is a player that we strongly believe can be a plus for the team we will think about it. At the moment, I am happy with the squad we have. Of course, we are talking, but it doesn’t mean we’ll do any business.
Would Aaron Ramsey be a player that would improve Crystal Palace?
I think when you look at his pedigree and look at his experience, I think he will improve a lot of teams in the Premier League.
Is he a player you’re interested in?
I like the player. I like a lot of players. But you look like you know more than me about his availability. Obviously, he is a terrific player and I think he can do well for a lot of teams in the Premier League.
Hopeful of bringing Eddie Nketiah to the club?
He’s just the same as Aaron, I think those players, with what you can hear, it looks like Aaron wants to come back to the Premier League. There is not much to say about those players because for us what is really important and what is really crucial is focusing on the players that we have. And we have players who are coming back from injuries, we have players who we want to give more game time. And we’re always looking to improve the team. But the two names that you mentioned – they are good players. There is no doubt about it. But at the moment, we are focusing on the game tomorrow and about how can we go to the next round.
Is James McArthur back yet?
No. He has started working on the field but the game tomorrow is too early for him.
Have you spoken to the players about wanting a run in the cup?
Yes. We want to be ambitious. And as a player, I think it is important to understand that we have a good opportunity to go to the next round. And we have to perform at the level that we know we can do to allow ourselves more chance to win the game. Obviously, it is going to be challenging, but we have a good way of playing the game, and it’s important for us to be prepared to compete. And I think if we manage to do that, we will have a good chance.
Some managers prioritise the league to the cup but for you is the FA Cup on par with the Premier League?
I think you have teams who can choose which competition to compete in and we are not part of those football clubs. We want to do well in every competition. I think we have a really exciting game tomorrow, is a derby and we want to go through to go to the next round. We want to do it as well for the fans because this is a derby game that we want to win. And, and it’s going to be really exciting for us.
How much more exciting does it make the game knowing it’s a derby? And does it make it harder to put younger players in the team because of that?
For me, it was always clear to put the best team on the field to compete. It is a derby, it is the FA Cup and it is going to be challenging and we need to have our best starting XI to compete and to try and win the game.
Speaking of your first FA Cup in 1998, is the first trophy always the hardest to win?
Yeah, but I think we are far away from winning trophies or thinking about winning trophies. And I think what is important for us is to understand how these games can be important for the football club. We have to go step by step and we need to go through to the next round, and to go into the next round we need to win this game. To allow ourselves to do that we have prepared for the game well over the week and now we have to go tomorrow on the field and perform. We know that it’s going to be challenging and we have to be prepared for the challenges that we will have tomorrow. We don’t want to look at the bigger picture here we just need to go and perform and win the game and see how far we can go. Obviously, this competition is important because it will give us belief. We need to win games, we need to have this kind of momentum as a team and as a football club.
Is the FA Cup Crystal Palace’s best chance of silverware?
I think there are many football clubs that are going into these competitions and not having in the back of their mind to be successful. But to do that you need to perform. And the challenge for us is how can we get ready for the challenges tomorrow. If we are not, there will be no chance for us to be successful in the competition. But if we are going there and we are prepared about the challenges that we’re going to face and perform and win that game, then we can start building up from that, but it would be too early for us to think about any other games in the competition until that we go through.
How do you prepare for the atmosphere at Millwall?
I think the atmosphere is excitement more than anything else. I think the players should be pleased going into that game knowing that the atmosphere would be really good. Knowing that it is the derby and knowing what to expect. We can’t be surprised in that way. There are no excuses about the atmosphere that we are going to face tomorrow. We need to perform, we know that is going to be challenging, this is a team who will play with tempo, with aggressivity and we know that so we’re not going to be surprised. I want us to go there and to play with the same attitude that we show every week in the Premier League and this is what I expect from the players.
What is it about the FA Cup that makes it so special?
I think it is the atmosphere around those cup competitions. And yes, the FA Cup it means more in this country maybe than in Italy or Germany or in France. This is, I believe, the respect for this competition and I think winning the FA Cup means much more in England than in any other countries around Europe. So the emphasis of that competition, I think what the media create about the competition and around that competition make it as well important and really exciting. This is as well a competition that I believe the fans love very much compared to France where I believe the French Cup doesn’t mean much for the fans than any other competition.
