Crystal Palace are already showing strong signs of their transformation under Patrick Vieira. They quickly implemented his attractive style of football, but it took them a while to crack the winning formula.
POSITION: 10th
TOP SCORER: Conor Gallagher, Wilfried Zaha (4)
BETFRED ODDS: 2/1 to finish in the top half
LAST THREE RESULTS:
Won 2-0 against Wolves (H)
Won 2-0 against Manchester City (A)
Drew 1-1 against Newcastle United (H)
VERDICT:
The Eagles had arguably the most exciting all-round transfer window in the summer. The likes of Conor Gallagher on loan from Chelsea, as well as the permanent captures of Marc Guehi and Odsonne Edouard have been astute pieces of business.
Palace have played well at times this season yet still ended up leaving games with a point or less, but in recent weeks their fortunes have started to turn with some impressive results. None more so than an away victory against the reigning champions Manchester City, and not many sides will achieve that this season. Unbeaten in their last six, Palace are proving to be an imposing team to face under Vieira.
FANS’ VERDICT:
Richard Riakporhe – Professional cruiserweight boxer
So far, I believe Palace have been improving game by game and the winning spirit is clearly perceivable when they play. There have been a few draws against teams like Brighton and Arsenal in which we definitely deserved to win which was frustrating as these points are very important.
The great win against Man city a couple of weeks ago is just a glimpse of what we can do, in addition to the clean sheet 2-0 win over Wolves last Saturday. I’m really happy with how things are going. The biggest high was definitely the win over the champions City, that was just golden to watch.
MANAGER VERDICT:
Patrick Vieira has so far been a welcome addition to the Premier League with his attacking philosophy. The Arsenal legend has overseen a strong recruitment drive at the club when so many players were released at the end of last year. He has man-managed players brilliantly and has also had an impact on the long-serving players at Selhurst Park, such as their talisman Wilfried Zaha.
FANS’ MANAGER VERDICT:
I’m so pleased with the new manager Vieira and when he was announced I just had a good feeling about the change. He has been doing a hell of a job so far. We are expecting big things from him.
MID-TERM GRADE:
B – Palace are in the top-half of the table and should really be higher had many of their draws been converted into wins. The squad is well-balanced with youth and experience, and they are currently shaping up to be one of the most promising sides in the division.