Luka Milivojevic: It’s difficult not commanding greater match minutes at Crystal Palace

BY ANDREW MCSTEEN

Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic has admitted it is “difficult” not to be a regular first-team starter this season.
The Serbian midfielder’s contract is up at the end of the season.

Milivojevic joined the Eagles six years ago this month when former manager Sam Allardyce signed him in the 2017 January transfer window from Olympiacos.

The 31-year-old has made 13 appearances this season – with just two league starts – adding to just 20 appearances last season in Patrick Vieira’s first season as manager.

“It’s difficult because all my career I always was a player playing constantly but the last year and a half that is not the case,” Milivojevic, introduced as a 64th-minute substitute in the 2-1 FA Cup loss at home to Southampton on Saturday, told the South London Press. “Every time when I get a chance, I try to do my best. My role is the same.

“I’m trying to help the team. I did alright in the 25 minutes I played [against Southampton]. What can I do? That’s the least that I can give to the team.”

With Milivojevic likely to register a double-century of appearances for the SE25 outfit by the end of the season – he is on 190 – could Palace fans see the club captain stay in SE25 for another year?

“I have to speak first of all with the club – to see what’s the plan and then we will see,” he said. “I have very great communication with the chairman [Steve Parish]. I really respect him a lot as a person and we will have some discussion, for sure, in the future.”

After registering just one win in their last six games, Crystal Palace have not had a good end to 2022 or start to 2023.

Between being dumped out of the EFL Cup on penalties by Newcastle at the end of November to last weekend’s FA Cup reverse, the Eagles lost three of their four Premier League games – against Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur – conceding eight and not scoring.

The only highlight has been a 2-0 away win at Bournemouth on New Year’s Day. They have a tough run of fixtures, starting with a trip to Chelsea, top-four clashes against Manchester United (twice) and Newcastle, before ending with a home clash against arch-rivals Brighton.

Their last competitive home win way was against Southampton on October 29.

“We are a little bit under pressure, definitely,” said Milivojevic.

“Now we have a tough schedule in front of us and we have to work even harder. The most important thing is to try to get points. As soon as you start getting points, you’re going to change the mood. At the moment the mood is not the best because we didn’t get points and we didn’t go through [in the FA Cup].”

Manager Patrick Vieira has repeatedly told his players and Eagles fans to be consistent with their emotions – not getting too carried away with a win or a loss.

“Exactly – I agree 100 per cent with him,” said Milivojevic. “If you win or if you lose, there are so many materials to improve [on] always from every single game. We need to still work on it and we need to try to improve what was wrong today, what will be wrong probably in future and try to be a better team.”

In his role as club captain, Milivojevic has spoken at length about mentoring young players coming through to the first team from the academy as well as the younger members of the first team squad like Michael Olise, 21, and Marc Guehi, 22.

That new generation are looking to make their mark at Palace alongside attacking outlets like Ebere Eze and Wilfried Zaha.

“We have quality, we have talent, we have a young team – a young selection with talented players,” said Milivojevic.

“They’re quality players, very talented players.

“Olise is one player who has a bright future. Ebs is a guy who is very talented, very good on the ball.

“We have Marc at the back. He’s 22 and very consistent. So we have a future. The future is there but we need to be more competitive.

“We need to understand that football is not just with the ball. There is a big part without the ball. That’s something at the moment that we have to improve. We all need to understand that we need to be more competitive to win points.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD