“Some of the things the wide men can do is just awesome and they’ve got a big man in Glenn Murray who gets hold of it, is a handful and brings everyone into it.”
Of those wide men, 19-year-old Wilfried Zaha, who has caught the eye of many Premier League clubs over the past two seasons, is one player in particular who Holloway is looking forward to working with.
“God knows how good Wilfried is going to be, I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like him with the ball, I just want to give him two to see what he does with them.”
Holloway went on to praise the work of youth coach Gary Issott, and has promised to find more rough diamonds like Zaha.
“The main reason I came here is because behind this group is a wonderful youth set up run by Gary [Issott]. If Wilfried turned out like that I’ll find more diamonds.
“I’ve already seen it. I’m not ever going to bring a player here who blocks our youth players. I’m going to play them first and give them a chance to do it. It’s all about producing players and this club has done it for years and years.”
“That’s what I want to do. I’d love to be at this club for a long, long time and see all sorts of Zahas coming through and see how we can do. They’ve got a fantastic catchment area and hard work going on behind the scenes.”
Okay, so Palace aren’t Barcelona, but Holloway has to be one of the luckiest men in the game. Aside from the magnificent youth set-up at Palace, the current team isn’t too shabby either. Besides wing magician Zaha, Ollie also has the likes of Yannick Bolasie and Glenn Murray in his attacking armoury. Along with his wing partner Zaha, Bolasie is sure to start turning a few heads too, for he possesses pace, trickery and flair in abundance, as well as physical strength and a great work rate. As for Murray, the former Brighton man has scored thirteen goals so far this season and is clearly thriving on the service provided by Zaha, Bolasie and Brazilian playmaker Andre Moritz.
Whilst these three players provide the glamour, the unsung heroes of the side exist deeper downfield. Stand in skipper Mile Jedinak has been sensational in the centre of midfield for Palace, controlling games with his ability to transition defence into attack, thanks to his determination, stamina and passing range. South African Kagisho Dikcagoi has also been a revelation in the middle of the park, forming a solid partnership with Aussie Jedinak in front of the Palace back line. Of those defenders, Damien Delaney has sured up the Eagles battlements since his arrival from Ipswich, forming a resolute partnership with veteran centre-half Peter Ramage. Elsewhere goalkeeper Julian Speroni remains as reliable as ever between the sticks, whilst young full backs Jonathan Parr and Joel Ward provide quality in both halves of the pitch.
Together all these names have formed one hell of a formidable unit this term, and with the team spirit to match their talent, the sky is surely the limit for these Crystal Palace players. Furthermore, with Ollie’s enthusiasm and experience at the helm, there is no reason why The Eagles’ unbeaten run cannot continue. Should it do so, then perhaps Holloway will soon be dreaming of managing his team in the Premier League once again next season…
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