Patrick Viera’s Crystal Palace are in a dire situation as they have failed to get a shot on target in the last three Premier League matches.
This is the first time a team is doing so since Opta started collating data in 2003/04. This definitely shows how profligate, weak and non-threatening they have been in recent matches.
The Eagles of Crystal Palace are also winless in three months as their last win in the Premier League came against Bournemouth on the last day of 2022.
Prior to this run, we haven’t come to associate this side with such lackluster performance that they have delivered game after game.
They have scored just 4 goals since the start of year, none in March so far, three throughout all matches in August and one goal in January.
If they continue in such watery and appalling form they might find themselves in the relegation zone sooner rather than later.
They currently occupy 12th on the Premier League table with 27 points accumulated, four points away from the drop zone.
Viera played for several top clubs in his active days notably, AC Milan, Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City.
His reign at Crystal Palace started on an impressive note but he has not been able to galvanize the club towards progress in the past few months.
He was manager of one of Manchester City’s reserve team from 2013-15 before coaching in the MLS after signing for New York City FC.
In top-flight football in Europe, Viera tutored Nice in France prior to putting pen-to-paper on a deal at Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021.
Viera left Nice in bad circumstances following a run of 5 losses in a row across all competitions and an elimination from the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
If caution is not taken and a positive change of form, Crystal Palace might be playing in the Championship next season.
They have been uninspiring and without life for the past few months and Viera must ensure that fortunes change for the team.
A plethora of chances much be created game after game for the attackers to do damage, they were proactive under the previous manager Roy Hodgson but with Patrick Viera, they are more reactive, relying on fast-breaks and counter attacks.
They must also ensure to use the strengths of Wilfred Zaha in the wings, he seems ostracized whenever he is played upfront which doesn’t give him enough room to wreck havoc.
An holistic change of approach must also be employed to push the club towards an impressive end of the campaign.
The Eagles must be more purposeful like an eagle and goal-driven, fighting tooth and nail in order to set their season in good light.
