Vieira still waiting to kick on with Palace

WHEN you’ve scaled the heights Patrick Vieira has, demands are understandably high, laurels not rested on and competing with the best a challenge to relish rather than fear. Subsequently, the World Cup winner had no hesitation putting the onus on those above him to now make things happen in the transfer market, albeit accepting this window is not the easiest. It is why he bristled at suggestions that being 12th meant Palace were comfortably placed in the Premier League. And why he was insistent Palace can remain competitive on the pitch against their richer rivals. Palace’s aim, Vieira says, is to finish higher than last season, develop every area of the club and he was at the forefront of that message ahead of Manchester United’s visit. Palace are a club with plenty of potential and starting to realise some of it with their infrastructure upgrades off the pitch. On it, signs of progress have been a little less evident so far. They finished 12th last season and also reached an FA Cup semi-final in Vieira’s promising first campaign.

This one represented a chance to push on though but that has yet to really happen. Palace have had some real highs but also some disappointments, like their post-World Cup form dip. And while the target was a lower one of survival under Roy Hodgson there was some comfort to be found in the certainty of what to expect during his reign.

But there is also well-placed sympathy around for Vieira due to the reduced resources he has been handed this season. A number of players were lost last summer and his squad not adequately strengthened with Palace now fighting to prevent what would be an even bigger loss when Wilfried Zaha’s contract expires in June. Meanwhile Vieira’s situation is also entering ‘one-to-watch’ territory. He is into the final 18 months of his contract and the subject of an extension has yet to be broached.

And the prospect of Vieira (above) being prised away is understood to be a topic that has cropped up among some of his players. Palace chiefs, though, can argue they have time on their side plus a list of other issues to deal with. Among them will be meeting his January expectations although salvaging a late point last night was a morale-boosting start.