Improving Wilfried Zaha has golden chance to show Manchester United what they missed

Greg Lea writes Crystal Palace's chances of lifting the FA Cup on Saturday could come down to the abilities of Wilfried Zaha, who has quietly grown while away from Manchester United.

Wilfried Zaha shown in action during a Premier League match against Liverpool in November. Lee Smith / Action Images / Reuters

It was an announcement that left Crystal Palace fans fearing the worst.

"Wilf[ried Zaha] is not going to make this fixture," Alan Pardew said at news conference before last Sunday's clash with Southampton, "and we'll have to wait and see if he makes the cup final".

Seemingly innocuous and insignificant when it was first sustained, Zaha's injury – which is to a tendon above his hamstring – left everyone associated with the London club sweating for a few days before Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester United.

Pardew then assuaged the fears following the 4-1 defeat by Southampton and Zaha, 23, has since been passed fit to start, but there is still a concern that he may not be operating at full capacity.

Palace, of course, are underdogs against Louis van Gaal’s outfit regardless of Zaha’s condition, but their chances of causing an upset will diminish further if the former United winger is below par.

He has enjoyed an impressive season and was deservedly named Palace’s Player of the Year last week, beating fellow nominees James McArthur, Yannick Bolasie, Connor Wickham, Yohan Cabaye and, chiefly, Scott Dann to the prize.

• Read more: Diego Forlan – Even winning the FA Cup may not enough to save Louis van Gaal's job

• Also see: John McAuley's Premier League bests and worsts for the 2015/16 season

He is one of a very small number of Palace players to have maintained his level of performance throughout 2016, when Pardew's men won only two of 19 Premier League matches to slump from fifth spot to a 15th-place finish, and has been his side's principal attacking threat for most of the campaign.

Zaha’s form has inevitably led to claims that United acted hastily in allowing him to return to his boyhood side in the summer of 2014, just 18 months after Sir Alex Ferguson had made him his final ever signing as the club’s manager.

It is certainly easy to comprehend the reasoning behind such suggestions: Zaha, after all, is the type of thrilling and off-the-cuff forward capable of producing moments of magic from nothing that United have regularly been accused of lacking this term.

His skill and footwork in tight areas can change games and there are not many players in the Premier League better able to beat a full-back in one-on-one situations.

Zaha has also developed his defensive diligence, reacting well to Pardew’s criticism of his tendency to lose concentration when he is out of possession and the ball is on the other side of the pitch.

At the same time, though, there are still doubts over whether Zaha is consistent enough to play for one of the Premier League’s elite outfits.

His end product has improved yet remains unreliable, with two Premier League goals and one assist in 2015/16 a disappointing return for a player with such natural creative talent.

It is also unclear how he would adapt if asked to play more of a disciplined role – both in an attacking and defensive sense, despite his increased capacity to track runners effectively and stay switched on more consistently.

Being able to develop away from the spotlight at a club like Palace has been ideal, with Zaha benefiting from a fanbase who will forgive his tricks and flicks not coming off and accept his imperfections more readily than those who follow a club used to challenging for major honours on an annual basis.

The Ivory Coast-born wideman turns 24 in November - an age at which he can no longer really be considered a young player - but the progress he has made this season suggests there is room for Zaha to get even better yet, which is an exciting prospect for Pardew and everyone associated with Crystal Palace.

For now, though, the focus will be on Saturday’s showpiece final against Manchester United, where Zaha will be out to fire his current club to their first major trophy while simultaneously showing his former one exactly what they missed out on.

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