Wilfried Zaha already under fire from critics

At 31, Wilfried Zaha joined Olympique Lyonnais during the last summer transfer window, an unexpected arrival which nonetheless raised hope among supporters. Arriving in the form of a one-year loan from Galatasaray, this decision was the result of a personal bet by John Textor, owner of OL, who had consulted neither the management team nor coach Pierre Wise before completing the transfer. But after only a few weeks in the Gones jersey, the Ivorian striker is struggling to meet expectations.

A start under pressure

Started for the first time this Sunday against Toulouse, Zaha was scrutinized by the Lyon community. Unfortunately, the Ivorian winger was unable to convince. On social networks, criticism arose, in particular because of his attitude considered nonchalant on the field. With only 33 balls touched and a performance considered disappointing by observers, Wilfried Zaha was quickly the target of Lyon fans, annoyed by his lack of offensive and defensive effort.

Read also : Lyon: internal problems for Wilfried Zaha?

In addition to his overall performance, it was his behavior that really irritated. Zaha, who had shown great promise in a previous match and his promising start against Olympiakos by providing an assist, seemed out of sync with his teammates against Toulouse. According to some sources, the player even expressed his dissatisfaction after being replaced in the 52nd minute by Pierre Sage, a decision that the coach justified at a press conference.

Difficult adaptation to the city

“ He was the first player released, it clearly shows that I saw the same things as you », first launched the Rhone coach at the microphone of DAZN at the end of the game, before being a bit optimistic for the future: “ I know it will evolve. He will integrate little by little and he will understand what is expected of him. “. It remains to be seen whether the Ivorian international will be able to recover after this first missed start.

Because, in addition to his performances on the field, certain information from the Turkish press reports a slight discomfort for the former Crystal Palace player and his family since their move to Lyon. They would regret having left Istanbul. Elements which could explain its complicated adaptation.

For now, the question of his investment and his state of mind remains on everyone's lips. The next few weeks will be crucial for Wilfried Zaha, who will quickly have to rise to the occasion to win the hearts of the supporters and convince his coach of his commitment, even if the latter still hopes to see his player react positively after this disappointment.

Malick BAMBA