Vieira: ‘Target’ Zaha must channel rage
Villa Park rose to its feet – but on the day the club saluted their returning heroes from their European Cup triumph 40 years ago, those supporters were goaded by a frustrated Wilfried Zaha.
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira believes Zaha needs to spend more time channelling any frustrations towards the opposition rather than get distracted in complaining.
The Ivory Coast forward, exasperated at his lack of protection from the referee Chris Kavanagh, ignited the Villa Park crowd when he sarcastically raised his arms aloft at them after they jeered him winning a free-kick.
Vieira believes Zaha must focus on doing his damage in a more constructive manner.
“This is part of Wilfried – his personality and his character,” said Vieira. “It can be a strength and a weakness at the same time. At times there were some fouls and he is a ‘target’ player, of course. But he has to manage his mind and keep that energy, that strength, to allow him to make those differences in the last third.
“This is something he will have to manage better. Saying that, he’s a ‘target’ player and at times...it’s been a bit difficult for him.”
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerand rard said he changed the guard of honour so the current team welcomed the club’s legends as they gave a fitting acknowledgement of the historic European Cup win.
It was the right thing to do out of respect to the club’s greatest team.
But if only Villa – who lost Ezri Konsa to a knee injury – could have been as decisive in front of goal they would have been celebrating a victory to mark the occasion.
“We wanted to pay our respects,” said Gerrard, who famously won the trophy as captain of Liverpool in 2005.
“The plan was for us to get a guard of honour, but I flipped that round – I wasn’t too happy with that. I think it was important for us to give them the guard of honour.
“And we wanted to get the win to really show our appreciation to them. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that.”