Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has expressed his frustration at his Palace side, stating he has not been happy with the club's performances. 

This comes after a disappointing loss to Manchester City on Saturday which extended their ten-week run without a win. 

However, he emphasised the side's determination to beat bitter rivals Brighton tomorrow, which would see Palace increase their gap above the relegation zone. 

Vieira also discussed the importance of the fans in derby games, the threat of Brighton and provided an injury update on the squad.

On post-Manchester City mood:

While Palace were never favourite to get something against City, the loss has added to the frustration of the fans. 

While defensively strong, a Michael Olise tackle on Ilkay Gundogan in the box was the differnece maker, with Erling Haaland converting the penalty for his 28th Premier League goal. 

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But the cloud of frustration still looms over Selhurst Park, as Vieira notes:

“The mood in the squad is the same. But there is a lot of determination. We felt, after the game [against City] that we defended well as a team, but going forward we didn’t play as we were planning.

"We know this is a side of the game we want to improve if we want to win games."

On the threat of Brighton:

The Palace-Brighton rivalry is often a mystery to other fans, but the rivalry can be a heated affair.

“Every game is important, but of course this is the special one because it is a derby", Vieira said. 

"We know how much it means to the football club and the fans. But again, it’s about concentrating on the way we want to play, how we can be really good defensively and at the same time hurt them when we have the ability to do so."

Brighton have not beaten Palace for over four years, but a string of 1-1 score lines in their last three fixtures has hardly made this match up a must-watch for neutrals.

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While Vieira will no doubt hope to change this, he praised the south coast side who have proved to be one of the Premier League's most formidable sides. 

"We have to play, focus and concentrate on ourselves and try to score those goals to win games.

“Against them it was really challenging when we played them at home. They have a structure that allows them to have an extra player in the midfield. We have to defend well, be well organised and disciplined.

“We need those ingredients that we had against Manchester City and to improve the offensive side.

“They’ve got the quality, but to score we have to be more aggressive offensively. The mindset of some of our forwards have to change. We’ve had chances to score the first goal, but we haven’t taken them. We have to be more ruthless, there’s no doubt about that."

On tactics:

Palace have been accused of lacking cutting edge in their last few fixtures. Issues in front of goal haven't ceased since Zaha's return (not including his disallowed goal against Aston Villa) and Vieira insists that more risks need to be taken. 

“The challenge for me as a manager is to find the right balance but at the same time be more dangerous going forward. Our performances overall, I can’t say I’m happy with it.

"We have to maybe take more risks going forward which may allow is to be more dangerous. It’s not about the shape it’s about the players’ understanding about going forward.

"There’s a couple of players who can get inside the box but it’s important for us to find the right balance."

Palace have failed to register a shot on target in their last four matches, but Vieira claims that this statistic does not tell the whole truth. 

“You can always read the stats in a way that suits you. What is clear is that we are not scoring enough goals. That is a fact. We have to play better and create more chances.

“It is about working a lot in the last third, about having people inside the box, about the quality of our passing. It’s about changing our mindset to be more ruthless in front of goal.”

On the pressure towards him:

Following the tough run of fixtures and frustrating results, rumours have swirled about Vieira's future at the club. But the Frenchman insists that this is part of the game and feels no pressure from the Crystal Palace board.

“No [I don't feel pressure from the board], because I know the reality of the game and we can see the table and the fact that we don’t win games.

But we went through these periods last season. We were sure about what we wanted to achieve and how we wanted to play the game. It’s important to remain calm."

On Zaha:

Palace's talisman Wilfried Zaha has once again been linked to a new club, this time an alleged £9million-a-year deal from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad. 

While rumours will always circle the Ivorian, Vieira noted that Palace were determined to keep the player, with a rumoured £200,000-a-week contract being offered to Zaha by the club. 

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Either way, Vieira notes Zaha's importance, especially in rival matches.

“If he decides to leave, he will miss this kind of atmosphere. Of course the game tomorrow will be a special game but it’s not just about Wilfried.

"I expect the other players to turn up and give the support. Big players always perform in these kind of games."

On the fans:

This game may be the first one Palace fans look for when the new season's fixtures are released. 

But the fortunes of these sides have changed a lot over recent history, and Palace fans will look for a win in this game to seize back the bragging rights. 

Vieira claims that the fans will play an important role in lifting his side tomorrow evening.

“The fans have always been fantastic to us every time we play away from home. Last season when we played [at Brighton] they were supporting the team.

"The fans always response, so what I expect from the players is to give something to the fans. We need to play the game with a lot of enthusiasm to lift the fans.

“The derby is always special for the fans. The players can feel the tension. It’s important for us to remain calm, determined and compete. It’s important to control our emotions. The fans will be up for it and the players will be ready for it."

On injuries:

Vieira also provided an injury update, with two seasoned midfielders unavalible for the derby game

“[Will Hughes] is not going to be involved tomorrow, he is still not feeling well.

“It is the same for Macca, both of them are not possible. Everyone else is okay."

 

Crystal Palace face Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex tomorrow at 7:30pm.