This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha endured a poor display against Watford on Saturday.
On the chalkboard
The former Manchester United star touched the ball on 59 occasions and had a 73% pass completion rate as the Eagles drew 0-0 with the Hornets, per WhoScored.
He attempted five dribbles throughout the game and while he completed four, he was also dispossessed five times and committed three fouls.
This was a performance that was ultimately wasteful.
Zaha did provide one key pass but he did not have the game-changing impact that Palace needed him to have; he ultimately ended the game without a single shot on goal.
Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….
A talisman underperforming
Zaha hasn’t been the influence Palace need him to be for a while.
He did score twice in November, against Burnley and Liverpool, but those are his only goals of the campaign, while he has registered just one assist, which came against Norwich City back in September.
He routinely completes a number of dribbles – nine against Wolves, six against Burnley, Chelsea, Leicester City, West Ham United, Norwich and Manchester United – but there simply isn’t the end product to go with it.
It is all very well beating your man and reaching the byline but, from there, you have to impact the game.
On Saturday, and on too many occasions this season, he hasn’t managed to do it.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace fans have reacted to reports of interest in a striker.