Joel Ward admits Crystal Palace squad were ‘surprised and disappointed’ by Patrick Vieira’s sacking
Joel Ward admits Crystal Palace players were ‘surprised and disappointed’ by Patrick Vieira’s sacking and admits they must be ‘responsible’ for performances on the pitch after Arsenal’s defeat
Joel Ward says Crystal Palace players were surprised and disappointed by the sacking of Patrick Vieira.
Vieira was sacked last week, following a run of 12 games without a win and four games without scoring, which left Palace looking over their shoulders.
Interim boss Paddy McCarthy took charge of Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Premier League leaders Arsenal, leaving them three points above the relegation zone.
“Anything like that is a bit of a surprise,” Ward said of Vieira’s departure.
“The difficult thing in football is that it’s a results business and we had a series of difficult games and the hierarchy made the decision about the direction they want to take and we have to respect that and make sure as a club from above.” From fans to gamers, we all get together and take care of business.
Joe Ward has revealed that Crystal Palace players were ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the sacking of Patrick Vieira
Vieira was sacked by Palace on Friday after a series of poor results and performances.
“Ultimately, we’re the only ones who can do that on the field, so we’ve got to stand up and be accountable for that.”
Ward added: “It’s a side of the game that nobody likes to see. It’s not a good thing to happen in any industry. But we have to recover from that. I’m sure he will do great things in his next chapter. The club and the players they have the utmost respect for him.The way he applied himself and how he dedicated himself to his daily work, is disappointing.
“But now we have to focus on maintaining our Premier League status and that’s the end result.” We have to stick together and make sure we get out there and do business.’
Ward returned to the team on Sunday, but was unable to help his team survive the loss.
As revealed sports mailPalace are not ruling out a surprising return to the club for former boss Roy Hodgson.
Ward would not be interested in a possible reunion with the 75-year-old, who spent four years at Palace before retiring and being replaced by Vieira in 2021.
‘I can’t comment on that. I’m not sure what the situation is, but whoever they pick, I know the players will support each other and give 100 percent, Ward said.
Asked if a new boss needed to be appointed during this international hiatus, the 33-year-old added: “That’s not for me to comment on.” We are focused on the field. Whatever happens between now and then will be what will be.
Palace have not ruled out naming former manager Roy Hodgson for another term in charge
Instead, the defender said, the Palace team had to focus on a pivotal run after the international break when they face relegation rivals Leicester, Leeds, Southampton, Everton, Wolves, West Ham and Bournemouth in their next eight games.
“Now we have to dust ourselves off and focus on what is a great month in April,” Ward said.
‘The accessories speak for themselves. We have faced teams of great quality and I think that sometimes it has cost us a lot. There were times when we didn’t necessarily help ourselves, but it’s all about togetherness and resilience. It is in adversity that the true character of the group will emerge.
We have more than enough big, strong leaders in the group that can do the business and we have an attacking threat that can hurt any team in the league. We have proven that for the last 18 months and before that. We need to prepare for it and the bare minimum is to do the basics and make sure we get to the top…we need to make sure we stick together and keep moving forward. We have to go out with our heads held high and leave everything in that field.’
