You loved the FA Cup as a player with Arsenal, how are you enjoying it as a manager with Crystal Palace?
I don't know it's just about performing on the day I suppose. I think today we performed really well. The objective was to go to the semi-final and we needed to perform well and we did it today as a team. We managed to go one step forward. So this is the most important thing really.
Best performance since you’ve arrived at the club?
I would say it is up there with some of the games where we played well. What I loved about the game today is how we managed the game. We went through a really difficult period, especially in the first 20 minutes and we managed to stick together. We showed a lot of experience and that hasn’t been our strength this season.
We accepted the fact that they were on top of us and we couldn't play so we decided to go longer and to wait until we got back into the game. We managed that quite really well and obviously the first goal from the set-piece was massively important because we didn't create very much. That shows the importance of set-pieces, we managed to score that first goal and then after I think we managed the game fantastically well.
A goal for Marc to make it a very special week for him?
It is a big week for him. The call-up the national team and then scoring the goal. We needed that goal at that moment to get back into the game and this is Marc. He is really calm and really composed and you can see the way he celebrated the goal that he is doing really well. That’s good for the team.
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Can you make trips to Wembley a regular thing for Crystal Palace?
We want to do well and I think what we need is to challenge the team, to challenge the players and to see how can we can improve game after game and year after year. We've been talking since the start of the season about the projects that we want to put in place and you will go through a really good period, you will go through a really difficult period. And when we had our difficult period as a team we stuck together and we kept working well with a lot of humility. Today we are in a good period because of course going to the semi-final, we won and drew the last couple of games. It is a really good period. But again, it's still a long way to go about what we want to build and what we want to achieve as a football club.
Young players show so much leadership?
I think what is important for those young players is to play games and this is how they're going to learn. As a football club, we give them the pathway that allows them to play and to improve. But there's a lot of credit as well with the experienced players that we have in our team and all of them play a really important role to be a positive example. A lot of credit has to be given to those players that we have in our football club who know what you need to do to be a Premier League player.
Was it a risk naming such an attacking team?
No, the risk is always part of the game. But Jeffrey Schlupp was suspended and Ebere Eze has been training really well. He was just waiting for that kind of opportunity to play. He didn't play very much - it’s just because those players in the midfield were doing really well. So he keeps working hard and he’s been working well. That was his opportunity and I think he did really well. He played with a lot of personality. What I was really pleased about his performance is the work that he did out of possession, because we all know what he can do with the ball. So that part of the game he needed to improve, and I think he did it really well. And now that has to be consistent. And the best way to be consistent is to play games.
Does he need to keep playing like that to play in centre-midfield?
Yes, because the game is about having the ball and not having the ball. When we don't have the ball we need 11 players to work well, to be behind the ball and to get it back. And when you're looking at Wilfried, you're looking at Jean-Phillipe Mateta and Michael Olise, they do that for the team. The midfielders need to do that too and we need to improve on this. There’s a lot more we can do out of possession and I think we can be much better.
Did you make changes after Townsend’s injury?
No, we didn't make any changes. We were just saying the changes that they're going to make and if that will have an impact on what we were trying to do or what we wanted to do.
Anything is possible in the semi-finals?
Anything is possible. Yes. But of course, there is still quarter-finals to play. But depending on who's going through, I think they will look at the draw and they will all want to play Palace.
If Chelsea, City and Liverpool go through, what they will want to do is to play us. Because we’d be the underdogs. We will try to [prove otherwise]. When you get to that level anything can happen and that’s the beauty of the game.
Does it feel good to be the Palace manager right now?
Yes, good. But this is what we want to do and this is what we are working to try to achieve. We know how long the season is and how difficult it is to win football matches and those players never give up. They keep working well every day in training and is now about building upon this momentum because we know how fragile it is. It takes more time to build that momentum than to lose it so our responsibility as a manager and the staff is to keep working well and to push them to be really demanding on players to perform.
Excited to be in an FA Cup semi-final?
We don't want to get too excited. What we want to do is to enjoy the day because it is a really good day for the football club. But at the same time we only went one step forward. What I want is for us to keep working well, to keep working hard and to try to improve players to improve individually so that will allow us to be more stronger as a team.
How will you enjoy this moment?
We are really pleased and I think when you come out of the stadium and you see the fans this is something that players, manager and staff we want to make it happen more often. The way we perform will allow us to do that.
Jean-Philippe Mateta performance?
I’m really happy for him because I don’t think Jean-Philippe Mateta gets the credit that he deserves. Against City or the last few games he played, he had a massive impact on team performance. I’m really happy for him because he gets awarded with the goal he scored because he’s been running around all over the place. On the defensive side and on the offensive side he was running in behind, holding the ball, stretching the opposition and their back three. When he came off he’d given everything. I’m really, really happy with what he’s bringing to the team
