Crystal Palace are thought to be ‘happy’ with manager Patrick Vieira despite the club’s poor form in 2023, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Relegation battle

The Eagles are still waiting for their first Premier League win of 2023 and now find themselves in a relegation battle as a result.

Vieira’s side are currently in 12th place but are just four points above the drop zone, with their last top-flight victory coming against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport in a story shared on Friday evening, O’Rourke believes that those at Selhurst Park are still happy with Vieira and want the Frenchman to turn things around.

“I believe Palace are still happy with him, and they are keeping faith with Patrick Vieira to turn things around and ensure they don't get dragged into that fight.

“They want to back Vieira and hope for a better season next season with him in charge.”

The Verdict: City defeat won’t change stance?

O’Rourke’s comments were made prior to Saturday evening’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, a result that may have been expected on paper.

Therefore, the loss may not change Palace’s stance on the manager at this time, but you’d expect he’ll need to turn things around relatively quickly for club chiefs to remain happy.

Palace are in real danger of slipping further down the table over the coming weeks, and one area Vieira needs to find a solution to is scoring goals, with the club failing to score more than one goal in a league game during 2023.

Their last goal actually came against Brentford, with Palace now failing to strike against Liverpool, Aston Villa or Manchester City.