Patrick Vieira makes Crystal Palace January transfer window admission after Nottingham Forest defeat

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has admitted that the players in his squad ‘need to be challenged’ by signings in the January transfer window after the 1-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest.

The Eagles were awarded a penalty five minutes before half time after Wilfried Zaha was pulled down inside the area by Joe Worrall. 

But Zaha dragged his spot-kick just wide of Dean Henderson’s left-hand post.

The home claimed all three points through Morgan Gibbs-White in the 54th minute after he turned Brennan Johnson’s parried shot past Vicente Guaita.

Asked whether the performance reaffirmed what he wanted for the January transfer window, Vieira said: “I know the profile of players that we need and I want. 

“We will talk about it and try to improve the squad because those players [in my squad] need to be challenged.

“It’s not about a number, it’s about finding those players who can have an impact on helping the football club be more competitive.”

The Frenchman brought on Jean-Philippe Mateta, Joel Ward, Malcolm Ebiowei and Will Hughes to change the game, but Palace failed to register a shot on target during the 90 minutes at the City Ground.

“We moved the ball, but we didn’t move it quickly enough,” he admitted. 

“They defended well and were really compact, and we couldn’t find the players in between the lines. 

“We were running out of ideas, and we didn’t create after we conceded the goal.

“It’s important for us not to make a conclusion about this game today. But we have to analyse the performance and look at what has been consistent this season so far.

“We have to improve. I have to find a better solution, better rotations, or a different formation, but I don’t think that is the problem.

“We have to keep working. In this second half, we showed a lack of experience and discipline. 

“But we have those young players who need to grow, and those games will make them better.”