patrick vieira manager
Can you summarise that game?
The summary is that we didn’t start the game the way we planned it, we made it very difficult for ourselves. And in the second half, we came back and we played it a bit more tempo and we managed to creates and we had a chance of winning the game with the penalty. So overall, I think we can be a little bit frustrated because I believe there was an opportunity for us to win the game and we didn’t.
What do you put that down to in there, is it a lack of belief?
Yeah, I think belief and confidence in our ability and the quality that we have is one of the ingredients. We need to believe more in ourselves as a team and as individuals to go and to perform and to create those chances. We always do it when we have our backs against the wall and it’s really positive because the team showed character and personality. But it’s important for us to be consistent from the first to the last minute and to be more dangerous with the number of possessions that we have, which should create more chances.
James McArthur warming up at half-time, was he in your plans to come on in the game?
No, Macca is always doing it. He likes to take time and warm-up and for the body to get ready. So it was this initiative to go and to start getting ready in case the team needed him.
Wilfried Zaha back – how did you assess his performance and his goal?
I think the goal, of course, was fantastic. It is one of the goals of the month or whatever you call it. I don’t know what you want to call it but it was an unbelievable finish. But what I was really proud of and really happy was about his performance. I think he played well, he worked well and he created chances. This is the Wilfried Zaha that I want to see for the rest of the season. This is the Wilfried Zaha that I want to see the guys who work hard with his teammates and play with other players to create chances. Today I was really happy with the game that he had.
He seemed to run over to you when he scored. Was there a particular reason for that?
I don’t know, this is a question for Wilfried. But what was important is that it was an important goal because, after that goal, I think that even in the second half, we dominated the position and we are a little bit frustrated because we don’t create enough. But that goal put us back into the game and gave us more confidence.
And what in particular, were you pleased with from him today? Was it just his all-round game? What about the penalty?
It is unfortunate when you’re looking at the number of penalties that he takes and he scores and I think today he didn’t and that was the chance that could give us the three points. He didn’t score but I do not forget the number of penalties that he’s got for us. But that’s part of the game and I think when you look at the goal he scored and you’re looking at the impact that he had on the game today, for somebody who wasn’t with us for the last couple of weeks I think it’s it’s a good benchmark for him for what I want from him for the rest of the season.
What in particular impressed you about him today? What was it that you felt made him have such an impact on the game?
This is the quality of the player. I think we all know his ability and the challenge that I have for him is to be consistent in his performance.
