Discussing the current group, Vieira elaborated on a ‘positive vibe’ that has become apparent to those even outside the club.
“There is a positive vibe around the football club,” he said, “about the confidence the players and staff have at the moment. We know how challenging it is and how difficult it is to maintain performances or win games against Premier League teams.
“We try to be really consistent in our behaviour and mood. When things are going well we’re the same as when things are not going as well as we wanted. We keep working well, try to improve in training and have a clear idea about what to achieve on the pitch. The players, I’ve been really pleased with the attitude. The good period is with the way we’ve been working and the way the players are dedicated to football.”
Turning his attention to Everton, who Palace play on Sunday (20th), Vieira said: “There is no time to relax. This is a huge game for us and we want to do well, to go as far as we can. We are really close to the semi-final, with a home tie to give ourselves the best chance to go to the next round.
“It’s a really exciting game and it’s going to be exciting for Everton as well. They’re one game from Wembley and we know how difficult it’ll be, especially after the win they had yesterday [1-0 v Newcastle United]. We know how they are as a team and it will be difficult, but we’re ready for it.
“There’s a long way to go so for us the conversation is about how well we need to perform to give ourselves the best chance to get through… We’re going to play a strong team and want to go to the semi-final.”
