Wilfried Zaha says Frank de Boer’s playing style did not suit Crystal Palace.
De Boer was sacked by Eagles chiefs last month after losing his first four league games.
His obsession with possession-based football led to his downfall at Selhurst Park.
And Zaha, who only featured once for De Boer because of a knee injury, revealed Palace stars were not comfortable playing under the Dutchman.
He said: “He [De Boer] wanted to make Palace into a team that had more possession.
“But obviously some players aren't as comfortable on the ball as he would like. That didn't really help us at the time.
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“There wasn't really the right mixture [of players] for the way we wanted to play.”
Zaha, 24, was instrumental in helping guide Palace to safety last season.
He has returned to full training after a two-month lay-off, and insists his side, who are bottom of the Premier League, can beat the drop once again.
The winger told the BBC: “I'm very confident.
“We’ve got good enough players but it's just a thing where if you don't have the confidence then you can't play like yourselves.
“Soon enough we will go back to ourselves. We've got a good enough team and I think we'll get out of this position.”
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