Patrick Vieira sack: Pundit fears Crystal Palace axe could be about to fall as Frenchman’s one major flaw is named
Former Crystal Palace forward Clinton Morrison has claimed Patrick Vieira is ‘under pressure’ with fans ‘not happy’ following their 1-0 loss to Brighton.
The Eagles currently have the worst run of form in the Premier League, which has landed them in serious danger of relegation.
Vieira will likely get another couple of games to turn things around, but if results do not improve soon, his days at Selhurst Park will surely be numbered.
Palace made the trip to Brighton without a senior goalkeeper, resulting in 19-year-old Joe Whitworth making his debut.
The youngster played well in the game, but ultimately the Eagles were handed yet another Premier League defeat.
Indeed, a goal from Solly March proved to be the difference between the two sides on Wednesday.
Although, Vieira’s team did end their run of three games without a shot on target, which prompted ironic chants from the travelling supporters.
The Eagles now find themselves in 12th place in the Premier League table but only three points adrift from the drop zone, with eight clubs all in with a chance of relegation.
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Crystal Palace fans are ‘not happy’ with Vieira
Morrison was on punditary duties for Sky Sports for Palace’s defeat to Brighton and shared his thoughts on Vieira’s future.
He said: “He’s under pressure. The noises at Selhurst Park from the fans, they’re not happy, obviously, with the results. The performances have been good, but it is not being clinical enough.
“We say season upon season with the club: can they get a centre forward who could score them 10-15 goals?
“They have evolved… they do try to dominate the football now & create chances, which Patrick implemented, but they’re not clinical enough. It’s the same old story.”
Indeed, scoring goals has proved to be a real problem for Palace this season, netting second-least of all Premier League teams this season.
They have once again been heavily reliant on Wilfried Zaha, who is the Eagles’ top scorer, while Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze have chipped in with a few goals.
But, the rest of the squad have struggled to score consistently, leaving Palace fans frustrated by their team’s lack of progress under Vieira.
The Eagles were linked with several centre-forwards in the January window, including Danny Ings, who ended up joining West Ham instead.
Vieira will no doubt regret not bringing in a new striker should Palace get relegated to the Championship.
With the London club failing to win in their last 11 Premier League matches, Vieira will need to pick up some wins quickly to avoid being sacked.
Palace’s next game comes against league leaders Arsenal on Sunday, with two more winnable games against Leicester and Leeds to follow.
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