Process: Patrick Vieira believes Palace are showing progress
(Picture: REUTERS)Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira believes his team’s performances over the past week prove they are in little danger of being dragged into a relegation fight.
While Palace sit a healthy-looking eight points above the bottom three, the five games heading into Wednesday’s draw with Manchester United had yielded only one win.
A lack of firepower has been a problem this season as the Frenchman bids to strengthen during this month’s transfer window, with only the bottom three and newly promoted Nottingham Forest finding the net of fewer occasions.
For much of the meeting with an in-form United side, it looked like the Selhurst Park crowd were in for another frustrating night on the attacking front during an unusually flat night.
Still, Michael Olise stepped up and hit a stunning free-kick to rescue a point for the home side during the dying embers of the game.
Goals aside, Palace have put in respectful performances against both United and Chelsea in the space of days.
That, Vieira believes, shows tangible signs of progress.
Speaking after the game, the Palace boss said: "When you look at the performances against two teams [Chelsea and Manchester United] who are on a different level, competing for Champions League, if we keep that competitiveness, it will serve us well.
"We look deeper than the result. Our performances have been positive and we want to build from that. You have ups and downs when you are building but it is important for me and the club to stay level headed because it is a process.”
On the Premier League title race, Vieira said: “It will be a good game of football. I think two teams who contend to play Champions League football or winning the title. I think both teams can win the League, because of the quality of players that they have. I will be like you, watching the game.”
