The former England manager believes that the Ivory Coast winger is targeted by opposition players.
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha in action with Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko
Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce has pleaded with referees to give more protection to star man Wilfried Zaha, as reports the Daily Mirror, with Opta declaring that Zaha is the most fouled player in the Premier League this season.
The 24-year-old has been in excellent form for Palace this season, with six goals and nine assists coming in 33 Premier League matches, and if Palace are to survive in the top flight, Zaha would have played a massive part in that.
However, it’s clear that opposition clubs have clocked onto the fact that Zaha makes Palace tick, and the Ivory Coast international has been fouled 108 times this season – working out at a foul on Zaha 3.27 times a game. By contrast, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard – who is second on the list – has been fouled on 89 occasions.
Addressing the issue, Allardyce wants more protection for Zaha for the sake of the game, as the reason why tackling from behind was outlawed was to encourage skilful players to leave their mark, while also calling for more attention towards persistent fouling.
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha in action with Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil
“For me, Wilfried needs more protection, so he can show his abilities more,” Allardyce said, as reported by the Daily Mirror. “We’re supposed to be improving the game for our more skilful players, where we’ve rightly outlawed tackling from behind and so on.
“But persistent fouling seems to be something you can get away with. You can tug somebody and get booked straight away, but you persistently foul somebody, and the referee continues to let that go.
“I was told by the chairman that it was happening before I got here. Obviously you take it or leave it in terms of ‘I’ll find out for myself’. But I have to emulate the same opinion of the chairman and everybody else here – I’ve found it to be the same.”
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha scores their second goal
Zaha’s inspired form for Palace this season hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the Eagles will be bracing themselves for bids in the summer, with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur heavily interested, as reports the Daily Mirror.
Palace aren’t safe from relegation yet in the Premier League, and they face a colossal match against Hull City in their next fixture, but the Eagles would secure their safety if they avoid defeat.
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