Palace back Zaha’s protection plea
His magnificent goal proved a match winner but Wilfried Zaha was in no mood to celebrate. Instead, his thoughts were dominated by what his Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson described as a “strong sense of justice”.
Zaha was left seething after Huddersfield Town defender Mathias Jorgensen was shown just a yellow card by referee Lee Mason after a dangerous lunge landed with full force on the winger’s right ankle after 27 minutes.
“I don’t even know what to say any more,” Zaha said. “It’s like before anyone gets a red card I’d have to get my leg broken. That is why I lose my head. Why am I getting different treatment than other players?”
Zaha took his anger out with his own bad challenge on Huddersfield’s Florent Hadergjonaj, collecting a yellow. He was struggling to regain his composure, a boisterous crowd booing his every move but, just when he looked like losing it, he went and won it. Collecting a pass out on the left he cut between two defenders, drove into the box and curled a perfect shot past Jonas Lossl. There was real feeling as he cupped his ears in celebration towards the home supporters.
Zaha’s team-mates and manager hailed his influence and backed his call for greater protection. Midfielder James Mcarthur, no stranger to the game’s physical side, said: “I think Wilfried gets treated quite unfairly. He gets so many kicks and because he gets so many kicks, he goes down. People think he goes down too easy, but he doesn’t. He gets kicked so much and tries to stay up to get an advantage and get away from his man.”
Hodgson, marking a year in charge at Palace with a valuable three points, echoed those concerns. “I think players who run with the ball, who are fast and dihabit rect, need to be protected,” he said. “They need to have the fouls that they earn given and they need to be given the protection.”
The debate is particularly urgent for Palace, whose struggles in Zaha’s absence – they have failed to win a match he has missed since the start of last season – are well chronicled. Not only would a serious injury spell disaster for the club, his of lashing out and collecting yellow cards is a problem: his booking here was his third of the season, meaning he is two away from a suspension.
Huddersfield will rue the fact that their physical approach did not deter Zaha from delivering this game’s one moment of true quality. “It was world class,” said Lossl. “He’s able to do things at the next level and he did that for the goal.”
The home side created enough chances to take at least a point, the best coming from Steve Mounie’s first-half header and Aaron Mooy’s volley against a post in the second. But a lack of cutting edge hinders David Wagner’s team. For all their commitment and defensive solidity, this was a fifth home league game in a row without a goal.
Will it need more of a miracle to achieve Premier League survival this season than last? “No, it would be a mistake to compare this season with last,” insisted Wagner. “We’re disappointed with the result, but not the performance.”
Wilfried Zaha is right – too many referees are scared to show red cards for brutal tackles. It is now becoming clear that Zaha is a marked man whenever he plays – so referees have to respond.
This is not a case of applying one set of rules for one player and a different set to everyone else. It is simply officials being sensitive to the situation, and being aware that a player like Zaha – who is clearly so crucial to Crystal Palace – is likely to be coming in for some rough treatment.
As it is, Zaha is at serious risk of being badly injured.
The incident at Watford last month when his Achilles was raked by Etienne Capoue was a shocking challenge, one that could have seriously endangered his career. It should have been a straight red card.
On Saturday, he was the subject of another act of brutality, this time from Huddersfield’s Mathias Jorgensen, whose cynical late challenge had nothing to do with football.
It was an act purely designed to stop Zaha’s run and put him at risk of injury – he should have been sent off.
It did not need any skill from the referee to see it, because it was so blatant and resulted in Zaha getting frustrated and earning his own yellow card moments later.
It was right that Zaha was cautioned for that, but you could understand his irritation.
You never want players to take matters into their own hands, but they are more likely to do that if referees do not apply the law correctly.
Referees have to prepare more. They need to be aware of which players are likely to be targeted and manage the game accordingly – maybe with a quiet word with the opposing captain beforehand, and then applying a firm hand right from the start once the game begins.
I get the impression that referees are scared to produce straight red cards for bad tackles – it is far easier to show two yellows as then the decision cannot be appealed and overturned – but it is often a necessary sanction.
Failing to issue it runs the risk of players being kicked out of the game, and English football returning to the bad old days when skilful stars were brutalised.