ZAHA A TARGET? IT’S NOTHING NEW
DO NOT be shocked by Troy Deeney’s comments that Watford took turns to kick Wilfried Zaha. I certainly wasn’t. That kind of behaviour was commonplace in every dressing room right through my career.
When I was at Celtic, I remember Mikel Arteta coming on the scene as a 20-yearold at Rangers. Before facing him, we talked about being super-aggressive.
Arteta was a really talented player and we wanted to test his courage. Whoever was nearest him would make life as uncomfortable as possible.
The difficulty players like Deeney will find now is carrying out such a plan. When I was playing, you always got away with your first naughty challenge. Now, you risk a red card every time you come off your feet.
What opponents will do instead when facing Zaha is be in the referee’s ear in the tunnel, trying to convince him that he will make a meal of every challenge.
The Crystal Palace players and staff will also be doing their utmost to protect their star player.
It means that Zaha is the hardest player to referee in the Premier League. Officials must shut out the noise.