When the inevitable happened and Palace sold Wilfried Zaha on to Manchester United, most felt it totally understandable. So dominant had he become at Championship level in his best games that he was producing several truly breath-taking moments a game.
Glenn Murray was often the beneficiary of the best of Zaha and this continued when, as part of the sale, Wilf remained at the club. There’s little doubt that without that part of the deal, Palace would not have made that jump to the Premier League at such a crucial moment. Yes it was a glorious team achievement and a squad of heroes, but Wilf was the talisman. He ended home games that season proudly displaying his love for the club on the iconic white vest worn under his shirt – proudly walking from the Selhurst Turf with the air of a man who was creating history. A job he soon finished at the Amex and Wembley.
Capped by England and bought by the greatest manager in the land for the biggest club in the land – it seemed very much like Wilf was ready to kick on to the next level, after saying goodbye to the place that set him on his way in the best possible style. Some storming pre-season form seemed to confirm that, but as it turned out, the timing was all wrong.
Firstly, he ended up playing for a manager who simply could not handle the environment he walked into and became afraid to use the mercurial talents of Zaha. Then stories began to emerge of lateness for training, off field issues and a general failure to settle into the environment of a big club. Wilf had gone from being a superstar in SE25 to being a kid looking to for a sniff of a chance – a chance that never came.
To watch him pull on a Cardiff shirt after he was, eventually, let out on loan was horrific. Not just because it wasn’t the right club for him, but because we could see first hand what the lack of confidence had done as well. Of course he needed to improve on his defensive side of the game (and to skip ahead slightly, he really has done) but the Wilf that played with a smile on his face, at top speed, and demanded the ball was gone. As a Palace fan it hurt.
Louis Van Gaal soon decided that Wilf wasn’t Man Utd material and the loan back to Palace seemed to suit all parties. It’s not been plain sailing and he has had to work to rediscover that magic – but it is coming back. From stuttering under Warnock, Pardew has walked in and freed Zaha. By asking him to be more direct, he is also taking advantage of the fact that some aspects of Wilf’s game have improved away from Palace. The afore-mentioned defensive side is in evident – he is much better at tracking back now – but also he is better able to look up, assess his options, and play it simple if that is the best course of action.
In a recent interview, Zaha appeared to set the scene for the return to South London by admitting he found the experience at Manchester United a lonely and unfulfilling one. He struggled to bond with fellow players at a club where “Everyone did their own thing” and described South London as “home.”
With all that considered, the move back makes perfect sense for all parties. The best chance for Wilf to rediscover, and surpass, the level he had reached before is at Selhurst Park when the fans are with him and his family are close by. He won’t get lost in a sea of talented players scrapping for the smallest opportunity, he will get the time to develop and thrive. He’s still a very young man with his best years ahead of him.
The signs of late have been strongly suggesting he is growing in confidence and influence – and perhaps this permanent move, which takes away the uncertainty of the season-long loan, will be the boost he needs to cement a starting place and to really start terrorising Premier League full backs.
So whilst we’ve had him back all season, I think it appropriate now to say “Welcome home Wilf” – we’ve missed you.
