Patrick Vieira calls for Crystal Palace to increase its ambition after securing 10th consecutive Premier League season
Patrick Vieira has called for Crystal Palace to increase its ambition after the club secured its 10th consecutive season in the Premier League.
The Eagles booked their decade-long stint in the top-flight last weekend following a 1-0 win against Roy Hodgson’s Watford. They were promoted from the Championship in 2013 after beating Watford 1-0 in extra time at Wembley courtesy of a Kevin Phillips penalty.
Palace could still beat their record Premier League points total, 49, which they recorded in the 2018-19 season under the former England boss Hodgson, if they win two of their remaining three games.
Vieira’s side also find themselves in the top 10 of the table heading into the final handful of fixtures.
“Palace are recognised as one of the Premier League’s teams. Being in the Premier League for the last 10 years, I think, is a good achievement, but it is important for us to have this kind of ambition to do more,” explained Vieira when asked if he believed the achievement was overlooked.
“Now we are [established] in the Premier League, we need to grow our ambition and try to achieve more than just staying in the Premier League.”
Vieira confirmed after last Saturday’s match against the Hornets that U18 Player of the Season, left-back Tayo Adaramola, and U23 Player of the Season, winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, will both be involved in the first team for the remainder of the season.
18-year-old Adaramola made his first start for the club in the FA Cup fifth-round win against Stoke City.
Southwark-born Rak-Sakyi made his Premier League debut in the opening day 3-0 defeat to Chelsea and has been on the bench against Brighton in the league and amongst the substitutes for games against Stoke, Hartlepool and Millwall in the cup.
Speaking on the pair being involved with the first-team training, Vieira said: “It’s important because that is part of their development.
“It is good to see them around the first team, see their personality and see how they will conduct themselves in training and in the dressing room with players around – that allows me to learn more about them.
“We have Jes and Tayo, who have been training with us, and they will be around the first team for these [final] three games [of the season]. In some of those games, they will be on the field.
“We need to give them and to create those kinds of opportunities to see how they will react under pressure.”
Although the Eagles can still achieve their highest points in Premier League history and only their second top-10 finish since gaining promotion in 2013, Vieira does not believe that will affect his decision about whether the younger players will get game time.
“It is just [about] having the right balance in the team,” the French World Cup winner added.
“Jes and Tayo showed that they can play in our first team, but it’s just about having the right players around them to support what they’re missing.
“The balance has to be right to allow them to play with confidence and belief.”
ADARAMOLA AND RAK-SAKYI PIC: KEITH GILLARD