Skip to main content

Exclusive: Wilfried Zaha and Ruben Loftus-Cheek answer Crystal Palace fans' questions


In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Wilfried Zaha laughs off suggestions Andros Townsend may be faster than him
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Crystal Palace midfielders Wilfried Zaha and Ruben Loftus-Cheek answer fans' questions.
Covering everything from Palace's survival hopes to their favourite music, the pair candidly answer Twitter questions with Sky's Patrick Davison ahead of their trip to Leicester on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 11.30am.
Here, we run through a selection of the best questions asked...

Leicester vs C Palace

December 16, 2017, 11:30am
Live on
Loftus-Cheek: I think when Roy came in, the training was very much attacking. A lot of attacking play-throughs, trying to get patterns in our head, and I think we all buy into it. One of the things he's always said is to make sure you perform well, even if you come out of the game and lose. He says that all the time after games. What he's done is just kept those standards high, and I think we're performing better now.
Zaha: I like the way he manages, because he tells you exactly how it is. I prefer people who do that. If people are doing something wrong in the team, he'll pull you up on it. Instead of us having to argue between ourselves, he'll pull you up on it, and that's what we needed. Going through games, making silly mistakes, you'll need the manager to tell each individual what they are doing wrong.
In games you just know what to do now, because you know the gaffer is going to have a go at you if you don't do the right thing! We're obviously performing better and picking up momentum too. Through the last couple of games we are playing well and the results have shown.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson tells players 'exactly how it is', say the midfield pair
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson tells players 'exactly how it is', say the midfield pair
Loftus-Cheek: As well, he doesn't mind trying stuff and making mistakes in the final third. If Wilf has got the ball he says: "Take the full-back on, even if he tackles you three times in a row, take him on again!" He gives you that freedom to express yourself.
@prattmanscoop - Both of you have had a top-four club experience, what's unique about Palace that sets the club apart?
Zaha: I've been here for ages, since the age of eight, so for me the thing that sets this club apart is the fans. The fans are just unreal, home and away, it's just crazy the support, no matter what the club is going through, they support you through anything. That's big. At some other clubs I see fans walking out, and that's a big factor, that weighs down on us as well, because when you see that you're thinking: "Everything is just a mess."
But the way we started the season, they could have just written us off and thought: "What's the point?" Every game we were losing, and the way we were losing. The fans only see us on Saturdays, they don't see how talented the team is at times, so for me I have to really give it to the fans, because they supported us through the ups and downs.
Davison: How do you reflect on United now?
Zaha: I'm glad! People say maybe you went too early, but you don't really turn down a Man Utd move. I'm glad I went there, got the experience, got to meet legends who I saw play when I was younger, got to learn from them. I'm glad I made the move, and now I'm back and playing I feel like I'm improving every year.

Zaha (left) and Loftus-Cheek (right) answered fans' Twitter questions
Zaha (left) and Loftus-Cheek (right) answered fans' Twitter questions
@Tweety3_1415 - Gerrard, Lampard or Scholes?
Zaha: Do you know how you pay attention to certain players… obviously I know how good Scholes is, but I didn't really watch him, I didn't really see too much of him. Someone asked Toni Kroos the same question and he said Scholes, so I was thinking this guy must be unreal.
Loftus-Cheek: I think most people would say Scholes.
Zaha: Me personally, I would say Gerrard. That's my opinion, just the way he plays, controls the game, technique, the way he strikes the ball. I remember training with England, and he hit the ball with such power, and no run-up. I'd have to run from the halfway line to smash that as hard as he's hit that!
Loftus-Cheek: I think I'm going to say Gerrard, because he could do everything. Obviously Lampard was top at what he did, and what he did was score goals, and no other midfielder can do that like Lamps. But the way Gerrard leads as well, I'd say Gerrard.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Man Utd set £200m Pogba price tag

Transfer news and rumors LIVE: Man Utd set £200m Pogba price tag

Nemanja Matic exclusive: Man Utd must win almost every game but title race isn't over

Nemanja Matic refuses to write off Manchester United's chances in the title race Nemanja Matic says Manchester United are not out of the title race, but admits they must win almost every game for the rest of the season to catch Manchester City. Man Utd's 2-1 defeat by rivals City on Sunday left them 11 points behind the Premier League leaders with just 16 games played. Many have been writing City's rivals off, such is the dominance of Pep Guardiola's unbeaten side, but Matic says there is a long way to go yet. W Brom vs Man Utd He told Soccer Saturday : "The gap is big, obviously 11 points is a lot, but the league is not finished. I'm sure there will be very interesting games until the end, and of course that they will drop some points. We will see what will happen. "As I say there are still many games to play and I th...

Clasico conspiracy? The truth on whether Barcelona or Real Madrid receive more red cards

Clasico conspiracy? The truth on whether Barcelona or Real Madrid receive more red cards.   Both Clasico clubs have regularly claimed to have been victimised by officials but do the official stats support either side's case? Clement Lenglet's dismissal for an alleged elbow on Pere Pons in Barcelona's Liga draw with Girona on Sunday caused all sorts of controversy. Even Pons was surprised by referee Gil Manzano's VAR-assisted decision to dismiss Lenglet, with the midfielder admitting afterwards that he thought that he had fouled the French defender. "I took a blow but when I got up, I apologised to Lenglet and shook his hand because I thought it was my fault," he confessed. As bemused Barca boss Ernesto Valverde pointed out afterwards, "It's the first time that the player who is sent off receives an apology from his rival for fouling him!" It was a significant call, too, as Barcelona were leading through a Lionel Messi...