[Football] Zaha watch - *** The SEGW finally managed to escape***

Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊



Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,639
Great selection of quotes that Edna has unearthed there.

Amazing how quickly a player can go from being a talisman to a millstone around the team's collective necks, simply by Parish making him a hostage at Selhurst Park.

I was desperate to see Palace flog Zaha in the summer but now I think I prefer him there as he is proving so obviously detrimental to the side and a hugely negative influence both on and off the pitch. Who could have guessed? :lolol:


I wasn't all that disappointed that he stayed, to be honest. When a player becomes that much of a talisman to a team, it can become counter-productive, as they focus all their efforts around him, to the detriment of others. It was fairly apparent that his head had been turned in the summer, whether there was actually any truth in the rumours of better teams wanting him or not.

Look at Reading. So desperate to keep their best player from falling into our clutches, they neglected to consider whether they'd actually be better off selling him and investing the money in new players. Now they still have Moore, he's playing badly, and they are still shit. As are Palace with Mr Tumble.

Zaha actually seemed to believe his own hype, and that he was genuinely a victim. The football world simply laughed at him when he claimed tearfully he was being targeted, and he's barely been the same player since. Now even his biggest fans are seeing past the bullshit. It's quite delightful, and is hopefully dragging Palace down too.
 




jakarta

Well-known member
May 25, 2007
15,738
Sullington
I wasn't all that disappointed that he stayed, to be honest. When a player becomes that much of a talisman to a team, it can become counter-productive, as they focus all their efforts around him, to the detriment of others. It was fairly apparent that his head had been turned in the summer, whether there was actually any truth in the rumours of better teams wanting him or not.

Look at Reading. So desperate to keep their best player from falling into our clutches, they neglected to consider whether they'd actually be better off selling him and investing the money in new players. Now they still have Moore, he's playing badly, and they are still shit. As are Palace with Mr Tumble.

Zaha actually seemed to believe his own hype, and that he was genuinely a victim. The football world simply laughed at him when he claimed tearfully he was being targeted, and he's barely been the same player since. Now even his biggest fans are seeing past the bullshit. It's quite delightful, and is hopefully dragging Palace down too.

It would be apt to think that his utterly dreadful performance against us a few weeks back was the tipping point?
 


Not Andy Naylor

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2007
8,996
Seven Dials
I wasn't all that disappointed that he stayed, to be honest. When a player becomes that much of a talisman to a team, it can become counter-productive, as they focus all their efforts around him, to the detriment of others. It was fairly apparent that his head had been turned in the summer, whether there was actually any truth in the rumours of better teams wanting him or not.

Look at Reading. So desperate to keep their best player from falling into our clutches, they neglected to consider whether they'd actually be better off selling him and investing the money in new players. Now they still have Moore, he's playing badly, and they are still shit. As are Palace with Mr Tumble.

Zaha actually seemed to believe his own hype, and that he was genuinely a victim. The football world simply laughed at him when he claimed tearfully he was being targeted, and he's barely been the same player since. Now even his biggest fans are seeing past the bullshit. It's quite delightful, and is hopefully dragging Palace down too.

Poor boy. I blame Roy Hodgson. If he'd picked Duane for England, he wouldn't have felt obliged to take his talent to the Ivory Coast, and by now he'd be an OBE for services to English football, not Harry Kane. And just think how many more penalties England would have been awarded in the World Cup (or cards for simulation, of course ...)
 


bobbysmith01

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2015
806
I think Palace would be a better team without him, as everything goes through him and at this moment, breaks down, as he loses the ball, moans at his colleagues, ref etc and then sulks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
We need some input from the Palace trolls but it seems they only arrive on here when they win and we lose so opportunities are very limited.
 




Bakero

Languidly clinical
Oct 9, 2010
14,901
Almería
Zaha is one of the Premier League’s most persecuted players, partly because lots of people pretend he is not persecuted at all. Eden Hazard – and only Eden Hazard – is fouled more often than Zaha, who, in the last four seasons, has been booted, shoved, pulled or whacked 387 times in the Premier League, nearly 100 times more than the next most assailed (Alexis Sánchez). And that only includes the times the referee has spotted the offence. Yet every time Zaha hits the ground he is accused of making something up, even when fans know their man has attacked him. They just pretend, for titillation or for illegitimate gain, that they are watching something other than what they are watching.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-crystal-palace-protection-diving-accusations
 








Baldseagull

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
11,839
Crawley
Funny that an article trying to say he is a victim and "not a diver", points out that he has had four bookings for simulation, and those are just the times he got caught.
 


Dougie

Well-known member
Jan 11, 2012
5,812
At long last some sense on this thread .
 


andy1980

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
1,724
Zaha is one of the Premier League’s most persecuted players, partly because lots of people pretend he is not persecuted at all. Eden Hazard – and only Eden Hazard – is fouled more often than Zaha, who, in the last four seasons, has been booted, shoved, pulled or whacked 387 times in the Premier League, nearly 100 times more than the next most assailed (Alexis Sánchez). And that only includes the times the referee has spotted the offence. Yet every time Zaha hits the ground he is accused of making something up, even when fans know their man has attacked him. They just pretend, for titillation or for illegitimate gain, that they are watching something other than what they are watching.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-crystal-palace-protection-diving-accusations

How can that be true? That is saying that no other player other than Zaha and Hazard has been shoved, pulled or Whacked more than 10 times a season. Yet from what I've seen that sort of thing happens in every game. In fact Zaha isn't above shoving players himself.

In fact it says that everyone else has been booted shoved pulled or whacked no more than once a season, thats just plain stupid.
 
Last edited:




andy1980

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
1,724
How can that be true? That is saying that no other player other than Zaha and Hazard has been shoved, pulled or Whacked more than 10 times a season. Yet from what I've seen that sort of thing happens in every game. In fact Zaha isn't above shoving players himself.

In fact it says that everyone else has been booted shoved pulled or whacked no more than once a season, thats just plain stupid.

Actually if I read it the other way (as I'm sure it is meant to be read) then it still only says he he is averaging about 1 extra boot,shove, pull or whack a game than anyone else (being conservative) as in 4 seasons there has been 152 games
 


TWOCHOICEStom

Well-known member
Sep 22, 2007
10,910
Brighton
I've said it before, but I mean... he DOES get the shit kicked out of him and it is because he's very good at dribbling with the ball.

The thing which the author of that article fails to mention is Zaha's past. The reason he gets hammered is because he's the sort of player who posts pictures of himself sitting on his Rolls Royce. He's the sort of player who throws a strop when he doesn't get the ball. And.. he's the sort of player who dived A LOT in his earlier career. People don't forget that.

And if we're going to compare him and Eden Hazard. I would suggest that if Hazard can handle being the most fouled player in the league without looking like he's going to burst into tears, getting up and getting on with the game. Then I'd suggest poor old Wilf could do the same.
 


brightonrock

Dodgy Hamstrings
Jan 1, 2008
2,482
It's clear that both things are true - they're not mutually exclusive. He does get fouled, a lot - and sometimes cynically. One earlier this season, against Watford (I think??) was a nasty, dangerous tackle.

But, he's also playing for "contact" every time he goes into the box, dangling or dragging his standing leg to make sure he's clipped. He's one of the best at it, and yada yada everyone does it etc etc, but I'm sorry, it's cheating. I say the same if/when its an Albion player - Murray and Izquierdo are two culprits from our lot. He does it every game, several times a game, and his histrionics and pop-eyed toddler incredulity every time he doesn't get a very, very soft decision are what makes him a target for opposition fans and make it so hard for refs.

He's very skilful, quick, and comes in for some rough treatment - but you can't give everything on him because half of the "fouls" are him inducing contact or going down under the slightest whiff of contact. Palace fans are adamant that's not part of his game any more, but its not BHA bias to say that's nonsense - he wins a free kick or two a game that are soft at best.

The game may have changed, and the speed it's played at make it difficult for officials - but he's been the biggest beneficiary of that, and won a ridiculous number of penalties in his time that are iffy at best. If he ever stayed on his feet he might get more sympathy and "protection" when he does get steamrollered - but the fact that most oppo fans target him for abuse, not just BHA, is indicative of how he's perceived by the non-biased footballing public. As a whining, albeit talented, little cheat.

Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk
 






Papa Lazarou

Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Jul 7, 2003
19,361
Worthing
The game may have changed, and the speed it's played at make it difficult for officials - but he's been the biggest beneficiary of that, and won a ridiculous number of penalties in his time that are iffy at best. If he ever stayed on his feet he might get more sympathy and "protection" when he does get steamrollered - but the fact that most oppo fans target him for abuse, not just BHA, is indicative of how he's perceived by the non-biased footballing public. As a whining, albeit talented, little cheat.

Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk

The problem he's made for himself is that he reacts so badly / well (delete as applicable) to the chants etc. He was soooo close to tears at the Amex a few weeks ago. That doesn't go un-noticed.
 


Commander

Arrogant Prat
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
13,561
London
Zaha gets battered every game. There's no denying it. He also dives, there no denying that either.

His problem is he is just so unlikeable, with his stupid expressions and punchable face, that it rubs people up the wrong way.
 








Rogero

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
5,834
Shoreham
Zaha gets battered every game. There's no denying it. He also dives, there no denying that either.

His problem is he is just so unlikeable, with his stupid expressions and punchable face, that it rubs people up the wrong way.

You put that perfectly!
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top