Till very just lately, it could have been a heretical notion amongst the Holmesdale Street cognoscenti, however issues change and maybe Crystal Palace can lastly look past the Wilfried Zaha period with confidence.
Zaha has left Selhurst Park as soon as earlier than, however returned after his hopes of a profitable Manchester United profession turned bitter. Since then, he has turn into the membership’s talismanic determine and arguably certainly one of their best contributors of their historical past.
However he’s set to go away this summer time if he doesn’t signal a brand new contract, leaving each his and the membership’s future unsure.
Right here is why life after Zaha won’t be as dangerous as Palace followers might have as soon as feared.
Participant and membership felt answerable for one another
Zaha has carried Palace for too lengthy. Their main scorer for the previous two seasons has been their excellent contributor since he changed Stern John for a 10-minute cameo in a Championship residence defeat by Cardiff Metropolis in March 2010, days after supervisor Neil Warnock had departed.
As Zaha established himself, Palace flirted with relegation to League One, however when, in Jan 2013, he left for a disappointing spell at Outdated Trafford, he couldn’t absolutely drag himself away. He stayed as a loanee for the remainder of the season to usher Palace into the Premier League. Zaha’s swift and inevitable return to SE25 – so keen, he joined on mortgage, days after Tony Pulis’s departure – instructed neither celebration might flourish with out the opposite. After that, managers from Alan Pardew (current at Saturday’s sport) to Roy Hodgson got here and went, a succession of placing companions from Christian Benteke to Alexander Sorloth additionally got here and went.
Two issues, nevertheless, remained secure: Palace’s place within the Premier League and, since not one of the signings have been at his degree, Zaha’s pivotal contribution in direction of holding them there. The boy who had gone to highschool across the nook from Selhurst Park, who had joined the academy aged 12, had deep roots and a deeper sense of accountability. He couldn’t depart.
