ZAHA’S JUST PHENOMENAL, SAYS WARNOCK THE MOTIVATOR

IN JUST three days as manager of Crystal Palace, Neil Warnock re-signed Wilfried Zaha, settled his differences with Jason Puncheon and told forgotten front man Dwight Gayle he would lead the line at Newcastle. On Saturday, all three scored. Until last Wednesday, Warnock, at 65, was a semiretired radio presenter. It certainly didn’t take long to hit the right frequency on his return to the Palace dugout — 31 seconds, in fact. That was the time of Gayle’s goal, but it was Zaha’s strike some 95 minutes later that salvaged a point. A £15million misfit at Manchester United — the club he joined from Palace last summer — the winger had been written off, his attitude questioned and his confidence shattered. In just 24 hours Warnock changed that, a season-long loan deal having been completed only on Friday. ‘It’s difficult for such a young lad at such a massive club, where you can easily get swallowed up,’ said the new boss. ‘Maybe at that top level they wonder if they can rely on him but he just needs to be given that bit of freedom. He needs to enjoy himself. ‘There were four or five clubs after him but he’s come back to a club he knows. I don’t know where it comes from all this about Wilf’s attitude being poor. I think it might be because he slows play right down and he can look a little arrogant on the pitch and he wears those lilac-pink boots. ‘I don’t think he was given too much of a chance at Man United, but he can really enjoy this season.’ Like Zaha, Fraizer Campbell failed to make the grade at OId Trafford but he is in no doubt as to the ability of his 21-year-old team-mate. ‘He’s a phenomenal talent,’ said Campbell. ‘Maybe being closer to where he grew up will suit him. What you need to do is give him the ball and let him run at people. That’s what he’s brilliant at.’ Puncheon volleyed Palace’s second after Daryl Janmaat had levelled. Puncheon was fined £15,000 last season for derogatory comments posted on Twitter about Warnock in response to criticism of a penalty miss at Spurs but Warnock said: ‘It wasn’t hard not to bear a grudge. There’s too many turnovers in football. ‘Will he take the next penalty? You’ll just have to wait and see on that one. But his goal was incredible from that angle. It was a great finish.’ Warnock was denied victory by Newcastle’s livewire winger Rolando Aarons injecting life — and goals — into a previously predictable home effort following his second-half introduction. Trailing 2-1, the 18-year-old’s header — his first senior goal — brought the contest level before he set up Mike Williamson for what should have been the winner two minutes from time. Zaha, though, had the last word when he pounced after Newcastle failed to clear from a free-kick. It was a happy ending for Warnock, whose dog had died earlier in the day. ‘My wife rang me when I got