Application of Crystal Palace’s players pleases assistant boss as they cruise to comfortable friendly win at QPR
Osian Roberts was really pleased with Crystal Palace’s application as they beat QPR on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles won 3-0 at Loftus Road with goals from former R’s playmaker Eberechi Eze and a brace from Wilfried Zaha.
Eze returned to his old stomping ground and scored the opener with a lovely finish outside the box.
Palace assistant manager Roberts said: “It’s important that players, as many as possible, got 90 minutes, which they did, and that that intensity was returning to our game at the level we expect.
“So we’re really pleased with that work ethic and attitude in stepping up that intensity we need going into the last two weeks.
“We’ve built it up progressively from 45 [minutes] to 60 and then into 75s before today.
“Today I was hoping we could get really good output from the players both physically and in terms of technically and tactically, starting to get into a rhythm and we got that for the majority of the game.
“We needed to take that next step up in terms of pre-season, we’ve been in for four weeks now. It’s time, getting into that fourth week, that we saw the fruit of the hard work that’s taken place for the last few weeks.
“The young players have done really well. We’re really pleased with that and it speaks volumes with the work that’s been done by [academy director] Gary Issott and his youth department, and Paddy [Mccarthy] and [Darren] Powelly and the boys in terms of making sure that when needed they can make that step up.
“It’s a learning process for them and the only way they can really adapt is when you expose them to this type of environment. Of course, at the same time, it’s not sink or swim.
“You have to put them in that environment and challenge them but you have to support them at the same time.
“If that challenge and support is there it gives them the best chance possible of responding positively to that, whether that’s on the field or off it in their preparation. We’ve seen significant improvement in how they’ve gone about doing that so that all bodes well for them in the future.”
PICTURES: ROB AVIS
Everyone at the South London Press thanks you for your continued support.
Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has encouraged everyone in the country who can afford to do so to buy a newspaper, and told the Downing Street press briefing:
“A FREE COUNTRY NEEDS A FREE PRESS, AND THE NEWSPAPERS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL PRESSURE”
If you can afford to do so, we would be so grateful if you can make a donation which will allow us to continue to bring stories to you, both in print and online. Or please make cheques payable to “MSI Media Limited” and send by post to South London Press, Unit 112, 160 Bromley Road, Catford, London SE6 2NZ
